Teaching tradition
Polson middle-schoolers study Native American culture
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The scent of fry bread filled the Polson Middle School as seventh graders participated in Native American Awareness Week on Sept. 24. Groups of students rotated among five different activities — fry bread making, beading, stick game, watching “The Place of the Falling Waters,” a film about Kerr Dam, and making cord.
Kim Burke and Brittany Hewankorn explained how to make fry bread. After the students mixed the dough, patted it flat and cut circles, they deep-fried the puffy rounds. Children were free to top the fry bread with their choice of chili, cheese, tomatoes, onions and sour cream. Lots of flour was involved in the process, but everybody got a great snack and learned how to make a traditional dish.
In another classroom or outdoors, primitive toolmaker Tim Ryan taught students to make cords from the dogbane fibers. Native peoples around the world used dogbane, also known as Indian hemp.
“Dogbane is found along all major rivers and wetlands,” Ryan said.
According to students Michelle Kulasukera and Nichole Lake Ryan explained that dogbane is one of the most commonly used plants for making cording. Seventh-grader Lizzie Hanke explained the cord-making process. Take a piece of the plant, break it in half, peel the fibers off and twist the string-like pieces together as Ryan instructed.
Michelle Mitchell showed kids a peyote stitch and taught them to bead first around their finger and then around the barrel of a pen. Mitchell brought beads of all colors, needles, beeswax and beading thread so students could try their hands at beading. Kids first chose two colors of beads and measured out an arm’s length of beading thread and threaded a beading needle.
The hardest part for Carolyn Stinger was dealing with an arm’s length of thread. Then she had to thread another needle and go the opposite direction. Finally she got the hang of it and was stringing blue and green beads.
In the library, seventh-graders brushed up on the rules for stick game with Vernon Finley and then played a game or two.
Students also watched “The Place of the Falling Waters.” The film talked about the transition when the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes take over management of the dam in 2014 and the tribal perspective on the dam.
Seventh-grade reading teacher Nicole Henricksen arranged the event. All the seventh-grade teachers took turns helping at each station.
Henriksen said the kids were engaged and learning.
The hands-on activities were designed to give the seventh graders an appreciation and awareness of a certain aspects of Native American culture.
