#1 Traditional Crafts treasure hunt
Get a worksheet and pencil. Click on each link to find the answers to the questions. Turn in the paper when you are finished.
1. Beads
Through history, beading has played an important role in many Native American cultures. Click here - and comlete worksheet. Do not move on until you have turned in your worksheet.
When your page is approved use this interactive tool to design your own beadwork pattern.
2. Winter Counts
Have you ever kept a diary or journal? Winter Counts are one way groups within the Lakota tribe kept a physical record of the important events that happened each year. See a Winter Count and read about what they represent.
If you created a Winter Count for yourself, what one image would you choose to represent the past year? Why?
3. Cornhusk Dolls
Making this Native American craft has probably been practiced for more than a thousand years. See a cornhusk doll and write down one of the traditional uses for them.
Now, Read the story behind why cornhusk dolls are traditionally made without a face. Explain the reason in your own words.
4. Moccasins
Moccasins are the traditional footwear of many Native American tribes. Before shoes became widely available, why was it important to make sturdy, protective footwear? Find the answer here and record it in your own words.
Of course, there are many ways to make and decorate a pair of moccasins. Look at this exhibit that shows a wide variety of colors, patterns, and styles. Although less common today than in the past, people still make moccasins. Take a look at these students in Oregon who made their own.
5. Baskets
Weaving together natural materials into baskets is a traditional craft of many Native American tribes. Watch a slideshow of some of the different kinds of baskets.
Then, challenge yourself , can you identify the technique and pattern used to make four different types of baskets?
What Native American craft would you most like to try making yourself? What would that craft show about your own personal history?