Unit 4
The Muskogee Native Americans
Fort King George Historic Site Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division
The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Introduction:
Goal of the Unit: The student will examine various aspects of Native American culture and history in the Southeastern United States with particular focus being placed upon the Muskogee Native Americans.
Georgia Performance Standards: 4th SS4H1 The student will describe how early Native American cultures developed in North America. SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems. ELA4C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats. ELA4R3 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing. 8th SS8H1 The student will evaluate the development of Native American cultures and the impact of European exploration and settlement on the Native American cultures of Georgia. SS8G1 The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location. ELA8C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats. ELA8R2 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.
Topics: Native American origins in North America Development, migration, and settlement of Southeastern Native Americans How Native Americans used the natural environment to survive Impact of European settlement on Southeastern Native Americans
Teacher Background Information: In this unit, the students will learn about the history and culture of the Muskogee (Creek) Indians. This tribe was one of the most integral involved in the eighteenth century struggle for empire. Also, the Creek embodied many of the cultural traits shared by many southeastern Native Americans. The unit will involve readings and activities devoted to a good understanding of Creek material culture, customs, and history. Furthermore, the students will gain a greater understanding of the roles the Native Americans played in Colonial America, and their diplomatic relationships with the various Europeans vying for control over them.
Length of Unit: 4-5 days: Day One Pre-reading Activities and Archaeology Timeline Day Two Archaeology Timeline and Reading One Day Three Reading Two Day Four Native American Pottery Activity
Fort King George Historic Site 2 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Number of Lessons: Four Lessons “Let’s Get Started” Anticipation Guide Native American Archaeology Timeline Guided Reading Selection Native American Pottery
Chart of Lessons
LESSON HOOK/ PRE- LEARNING POST HANDOUTS RESOURCES TITLE ANTICIPATION ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES ASSESSMENT LESSON # LET’S GET ANTICIPATION DAILY ANTICIPATION STUDENT ANTICIPATION INTERNET STARTED GUIDE WARM-UP GUIDE, KWL RESPONSE GUIDE ACCESS, (DAY ONE) EXERCISE CHART WORKSHEET OVERHEAD PROJECTOR NATIVE AMERICAN ARCHAEOLOGY (DAYS ONE & TWO) GUIDED DAILY GUIDED UNIT TEST GUIDED OVERHEAD READING WARM-UP READING, SELF READING PROJECTOR, SELECTION CHECKS, SELECTION TELEVISION, (DAY 3) GUIDED DVD PLAYER READING QUIZZES NATIVE POWERPOINT DAILY SELF POTTERY GUIDED ART AMERICAN PRESENTATION WARM-UP CHECK/MAKING DESIGN READING SUPPLIES POTTERY POTTERY SELECTION (DAYS FOUR & FIVE)
Fort King George Historic Site 3 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Pre-Reading Activities Lesson One “Let’s Get Started” Anticipation Guide and KWL Chart
Georgia Performance Standards: 4th SS4H1 The student will describe how early Native American cultures developed in North America. SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems. 8th SS8H1 The student will evaluate the development of Native American cultures… and the impact of European exploration and settlement on the Native American cultures of Georgia. SS8G1 The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location.
Essential Questions: What do I know about archeologists and how they study Native Americans? What do I know about cultural change and how it affected Native Americans when Europeans arrived to North America?
Description: In this activity, the students will fill out an anticipation guide and KWL chart pertaining to Native American archaeology and culture. Both the guide and chart are designed to stimulate any prior knowledge the students might have about the topic. Also, the teacher may use them to facilitate some discourse about the topic and to introduce more information about Native Americans and archaeology. This will help better prepare the students for what they are about to learn. The students should be allowed to complete the assignments independently or in groups.
Materials: Pencils Anticipation Guide KWL Chart
Procedure: Daily Warm-Up - In one paragraph, explain how Native Americans used natural resources to survive.
Next, go over the daily warm-up exercise. This should be graded for completion and effort. There are no wrong answers yet. These are just ideas. Give the students brief definitions of Native Americans and Archaeology. Display the anticipation guide on the overhead projector and read over the statements. Read the instructions and allow the students a few minutes to complete the guide. The teacher should circulate through the room, coaching students to think critically about the subject matter. Go over the anticipation guide by reading a statement and then taking a poll to find out who agrees and who disagrees. Get feedback from both sides. Go through all the statements and use each one as segue into a deeper discussion introducing Native American Archaeology and Native American culture. Next, have the students fill out the “K” and “W” section of their KWL charts. The teacher may save the “L” section for after they do the reading.
Fort King George Historic Site 4 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Next, have the students fill out the “K” and “W” section of their KWL charts. The teacher may save the “L” section for after they do the reading.
Anticipation Guide/Prediction Guide
Anticipation Guide: Native American Archaeology & Culture
Directions: Prior to reading the following information on Native American Archaeology, place a checkmark next to the statements you agree with. You need to be able to explain to the class or group members why you made those choices. After reading the selection, go back and see just how accurate you were.
______1. Archaeologists primarily collect artifacts primarily to sell them for profit to others. ______2. Native American Archaeology deals with using artifacts of the past to interpret how Native Americans lived their lives. ______3. When people can grow their own food regularly in one place, they are more likely to settle down in that one place where they can grow this food. ______4. Every society needs some sort of chief or leader to make sure law and order are preserved.
______5. It is sometimes unhealthy and unsafe to try to adapt to the lifestyle and customs of another people. This can be very harmful to one’s own culture. ______6. Different cultures worship in different ways. Almost all religious people build monuments or temples in honor of their god or gods. ______7. It is usually hard for people of different cultures to unite into one.
Fort King George Historic Site 5 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four)
KWL Chart In the chart below fill in “K” (What you already know about Native Americans and Archaeology. Then fill in “W” (What you want to know about Native American Archaeology. Finally, complete “L” (what you have learned about Native American Archaeology).
K (What I already Know) W (What I Want to know) L (What I actually Learned)
Fort King George Historic Site 6 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Native American Timeline Lesson Two
Georgia Performance Standards:
4th SS4H1 The student will describe how early Native American cultures developed in North America. SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems. 8th SS8H1 The student will evaluate the development of Native American cultures… and the impact of European exploration and settlement on the Native American cultures of Georgia. SS8G1 The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location.
Essential Questions: What are the different time periods, or stages, that archaeologists divide Native American History into? What were Native Americans like in the Paleoindian Stage? What were Native Americans like in the Archaic Stage? What were Native Americans like in the Woodland Stage? What were Native Americans like in the Mississippian Stage? What material culture of the Native Americans do archaeologists use in order to date Native American sites? How did Native American lifestyle and culture change over time?
Description: In this activity, the students will use a chart called “A Timeline of World Culture.” This chart delineates the various time periods in Native American History as defined by archaeologists. The chart focuses upon various lifestyles and material cultures represented by Native Americans during different stages of their history. The students will then have to answer a series of questions from this chart.
Materials: Timeline Chart (The teacher may wish to print the chart on 11x17 paper and let several students share one. Or, the chart can be displayed on an overhead LCD projector in digital format. Native American Archaeological Timeline worksheet
Procedure: Daily Warm-up Activity - Below are listed several sub-periods that are a part of each major period in Native American archaeological history. Calculate how many years away from the year you are in now. Use the latest date of the sub-period to calculate from. Early Archaic 12008 Late Paleoindian 10508 Late Mississippian 658 Late Archaic 7008
First, display the timeline of dates on an overhead projector and have the students answer the daily warm up. Next, display the “Timeline of the World Culture” chart to your students and explain elements of it to them. Point out that archaeologists use arrowheads, spear points, and pottery to date Native American sites. Their dating system has led toward the development of time periods into which various Native American epics are placed.
Fort King George Historic Site 7 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) The teacher may want to read through the chart with the students Finally, have the students answer the worksheet questions.
Fort King George Historic Site 8 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Native American Archaeological Timeline
Directions: Use the “Timeline of World Culture” Chart and the chart below to help you answer the questions.
1) In which period do large mound cultures develop? 2) During what time period did the Clovis spear point develop? 3) How does the Clovis point physically differ from the Quad and Suwanee Points? 4) In the Ceramic Late Archaic period, what type of pottery is used? What helps archaeologists identify this type of pottery? 5) This period marks the beginning of a flourishing trade network involving various elaborate goods. 6) Which events in the Early Archaic stage had a major impact on Native American population and hunting habits? 7) In which time period did Europeans establish contact with Native Americans in the Southeast? 8) During which period do archaeologists believe permanent settlement and prepared burials start to become more common? 9) In which period do Native Americans become more specialized in how they use resources within their regions? This period also marks the beginning of mound building among certain tribes. 10) What pottery type comes into use during the Early Woodland Period? What weapon is also developed during this time period? 11) What makes the Clovis point different from the Dalton points? What do the differences in these two points tell us about the differences in game hunted by Native Americans during the Early Paleoindian and Late Paleoindian periods? 12) During the Late Woodland stage, what new lifestyle appears to help populations increase? What major effect does this have on Native American life?
Fort King George Historic Site 9 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Guided Reading Selection and Activities Lesson Three The Muskogee Indians
Section One Origins and Settlement Section Two The Coming of the Europeans
Georgia Performance Standards: 4th SS4H1 The student will describe how early Native American cultures developed in North America. SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems. ELA4R3 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing. ELA4C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats. 8th SS8H1 The student will evaluate the development of Native American cultures… and the impact of European exploration and settlement on the Native American cultures of Georgia. SS8G1 The student will describe Georgia with regard to physical features and location. ELA8R2 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing. ELA8C1 The student demonstrates understanding and control of the rules of the English language, realizing that usage involves the appropriate application of conventions and grammar in both written and spoken formats.
Essential Questions: How did Native Americans come to live in America? How did Native Americans use their natural environment to survive? How did European settlement in the southeast affect the Native Americans there?
Description: In this section of the unit the students will read information related to the history of the Creek Indians, considered by Europeans to be one of the five civilized tribes in North America.
Materials: Reading selection Computer with internet access Pencils and Paper
Procedure: Make sure the students have been introduced to the material. Use the pre-reading strategies to help your students better understand the material they are about to cover. Have your students complete the questions from the Native American archaeology activity. (Optional) Cover section one on day one. Have the students complete the assessment activities for class work or homework. During or after reading have the students complete the guided reading quizzes. Spend day two and day three on section two. Have the students complete the assessment activities. Fort King George Historic Site 10 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) The Muskogee Native Americans
Section One Origins and Settlement
Daily Warm-Up – In which archaeological period did certain Native Americans build large ceremonial mounds?
Terms to Know
Bering Land Bridge Archaic Period Woodland Period Mississippian Period mound builders confederation
The Muskogee Indians, also known as the Creek Indians, came into the Southeast several thousand years ago. Their earlier ancestors came over across the Bering Land Bridge, a land
Area of bridge that connected modern Siberia to Alaska. Muskogee Settlement This migration across the Bering Strait could have happened over thirty thousand years ago.
Over time, these Native Americans spread out all over the continent of North America. Eventually, due to constant movement in pursuit of food and survival, these people spread into southeast North
Fig. 1. The Creeks, also the Muskogee Indians, were a collection of unified tribes America. found in the Southeast. English traders applied the name Creek to them in the It was probably some time during the 1600s when they saw the tribes living along creeks of rivers. Reprinted with permission from Cherokee Publications. Archaic Period (8000-1000 B.C.) when most Native American groups developed similar languages. Many southeastern Native American tribes used the Muskogee language, and this is from where their name derives. These people were nomadic hunters and gatherers who eventually settled along the rivers of modern western Georgia and eastern Alabama probably sometime in the late Archaic or early Woodland Period (5000 – 300 B.C.) They used spear points to hunt game and searched for food found in forests. Their settlements were small with limited trade going on between the various tribes living close to each other. Although there was some short-term settlement, most groups roamed from one location to another when resources were used up. At some point during the late Woodland Period and into the Mississippian Period, 600 A.D to1100 A.D., certain southeastern tribes started to build large earthen mounds. These large mounds had religious purposes and were also used as platforms for the mighty chief to live and rule upon. Mounds of this type in our state include Ocmulgee, Etowah, and Kolomokie. Rituals were performed inside and Creek on these mounds. They were a very important part of early Native American culture in the Southeast. s Mound builders also had very advanced social structures known as chiefdoms. In chiefdoms, several tribes would form a confederation that was governed by one chief or a group of chiefs. A confederation is a unified bond among certain people with similar goals. In this case, all the tribes that bonded together needed each other for sharing resources and protection against enemy tribes. In Fort King George Historic Site 11 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) chiefdoms, society was divided up among the elites and the commoners. The elites lived very comfortable lives, while the commoners toiled away as the workers and producers. Elites showed their power and influence by wearing exotic and fancy clothing usually obtained through trade. The chief usually lived atop the mound. This symbolized his role as the Language Arts Skills Break supreme ruler over his people. His fellow elites sometimes As used in the sentence to the left, served as advisors, however, the chief’s decisions were the law what part of speech is the word of the land. dwelling? The houses of all A.) Adverb were simple dwellings B.) Adjective framed from small, thin C.) Noun trees. They were then D.) Preposition covered with a thatched roof and a wattle and daub (mud and water plaster) siding. Sometimes, however, the whole dwelling would be covered in thatch, or basic lean- to shelters could be used with nothing but thatch covering them. The thatch was made from palm tree fronds and leaves. These are but a few simple details about the Muskogee culture Fig. 2. Etowah Mounds, found in of the Southeast. although by modern standards they may seem to have Cartersville, Ga,. is a fascinating been primitive, the various tribes that became known as the Creek were example of mound building. Property of DNR, EMSHS. among the most advanced of their time. Just before the arrival of Europeans to the area in the 1500s, Muskogee culture was at its height. However, as Europeans became more active in the Southeast, Creek culture went into decline. They no longer built great mounds or lived as they once did before Europeans came along. Interaction with the Europeans had dire consequences for Muskogee culture.
Self Check: 1) Archaeologists believe that Native Americans came from Asia. How did the ancestors of the Creek Indians make it from Asia over to the North American Continent? 2) How was society in a chiefdom organized? 3) Why did the Creek Indians build mounds? 4) Describe what kind of structure the Creek Indians lived in.
Fort King George Historic Site 12 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four)
Section Two The Coming of the Europeans
Daily Warm –Up Activity – List two ways you believe Europeans had a positive impact on Native Americans. Next, list two ways they may have negatively impacted Native Americans.
Terms to Know
Altamaha River Fort Toulouse Treaty of Indian Springs Coweta Town Chief William McIntosh Louisiana Territory Santo Domingo de Talaje Trail of Tears Andrew Jackson
By the time of the late Mississippian Period, 1350 A.D. – 1600 A.D., the mound builder cultures were in decline. Archaeologists are not sure why this happened. Tribes found up the Altamaha River were After their decline, the mound builders mixed part of the Creek Confederation in with other tribes. All the major mound cities were abandoned. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the early 1500s, they were only able to see the great mound cities in ruin. Although by the 1500s the Muskogee tribes no longer built mounds, they still were very active and advanced. These tribes included the Guale, Yamasee, Hitchiti, Tamathli, Oconee, Apalachicolo, Ocmulgee, and Chiaha tribes just to name a few. In the late 1500s, the Spanish built some missions among the various tribes. They wanted to Christianize the tribes and teach them how to grow grain crops better. These missions Fig. 3. The above map shows the Altamaha River. This river branches into lasted well into the 1600s and many were built two other rivers known as the Oconee and Ocmulgee Rivers. It was along the creeks attached to these rivers that the Muscogee Indians settled. This is how along the coast among the Guale Indians. Europeans came to call them the Creek Indians. Inset is a closer look at how Santo Domingo de Talaje was a Spanish the Altamaha branches off into two separate rivers. Reprinted with permission from the United States Government Printing Office Title 17, Section 105, mission built among this tribe in the 1590s. Its United States Code. Map found in John R. Swanton, The Indian Tribes of location was where the British later chose to North America. (United States Gov’t Printing Office,1952), p. 298 build Fort King George in the 1720s. By the 1680s, the British of South Carolina, sent down armed Indians and military troops to destroy the Spanish missions. They did this successfully, and the Spanish, along with the Guale Indians, were driven from the coast for good. However, they went back to St Augustine, Florida and continued their fight with the British over who had the right to control the Altamaha River and the tribes that lived close to this river. In the 1680s, British traders started calling Muskogee speaking tribes found along a creek of the Ocmulgee River, Creek Indians. The name stuck. By the 1700s, many of the southeastern tribes had Fort King George Historic Site 13 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) clustered into settlements in what is modern-day western Georgia and eastern Alabama. By this time they were all known as the Creek Indians. The British wished to develop and maintain strong ties with the Creek, who could be easily reached by traveling up the Altamaha River. The Creek were strong traders in deerskins. These hides were highly valued as a good resource to make clothing, gloves, and book covers. Deerskins brought colonial traders great profits. Therefore, Great Britain, France, and Spain all wanted to have a good relationship with the Creek. Whoever controlled the Altamaha River was most likely to control the trade with the Creek Therefore, the British built Fort King George at the Reading Skills Break headwaters of the Altamaha River in 1721. Creek Indian Based upon the context of its use in scouts helped Colonel John Barnwell develop the fort. Their the sentence to the left, which word knowledge of the land was of great service to him. Later, the best describes the meaning of British tried to have several Creeks re-located to live outside subsist? the fort. They probably did this in order to help create a good A.) live fur trade at the fort and to teach the soldiers how to better B.) work subsist off the land. C.) wonder When General Oglethorpe came along and settled the D.) survive colony of Georgia in 1733, he immediately set out to establish good ties with the Creek.; however, he had to compete fiercely with the French who were operating fur trading posts among the Creek towns of eastern Alabama and western Georgia. One such town, Coweta Town, was a thriving center of trade among the Creek. This town was located close to modern-day Augusta, Georgia. The French had built Fort Toulouse among the Creek in 1718, very close to Coweta. Although the Creek may have benefited in some ways, trading with Europeans also hurt the tribes. As they traded for guns, blankets and iron goods, the Creek left behind a way of life that had helped them survive independently for years. This way of life included using their old tools to plant crops, using the bow and arrow for hunting, and relying upon their own people for trade and decision-making. As they abandoned this lifestyle, they became very reliant upon the Europeans for survival and this made it much easier for the Europeans to control their fate and to manipulate them. This is exactly what led to the demise of the Creek. Language Arts Skills Break Internal friction and warfare caused the Creek to give up much As used to the right, what part of land to the English in some deals made during the 1750s and speech is the word internal? 1760s. The internal friction continued as the Creek went to war A.) Adverb with the Choctaw Indians in the 1760s and 1770s during the B.) Adjective American Revolution. The war weakened both tribes’ chances C.) Noun of standing strong against the Europeans and the Americans. In D.) Preposition the 1770s, the Creek were forced to give up more land to Georgians in order to pay off all the debts they owed to the Georgia traders. More land was lost in the 1780s to the Georgians. In 1786, the Creek went to war with Georgia because many settlers were moving onto lands formerly owned by the Creeks. This war continued well into the 1800s. The war caused the end of the Creek tribe in Georgia. In 1813 Creek warriors were soundly defeated by a force under the leadership of future president Andrew Jackson. After their defeat, Jackson forced the Creek to turn over nearly a third of all the lands the tribe had owned in Georgia and modern Alabama. In the 1820s, the Democratic Party became devoted to moving the Creek Nation west into the newly purchased and explored Louisiana Territory. In 1825, Chief William McIntosh was fooled into signing the Treaty of Indian Springs. This gave to Georgia the rest of the lands the Creeks held in the state. Chief McIntosh was later murdered by his own people for his role in signing over the territory.
Fort King George Historic Site 14 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) By 1827, the Creek were no longer in Georgia. They were sent west to Oklahoma Territory on the Trail of Tears. Many died along the way. It was a sad ending for the Creek in Georgia. Today, many thousands of Creeks live in the Muskogee Nation in modern-day Oklahoma. Many consider the history of the Creek to be one of the most tragic examples of how Native Americans were exploited by Europeans and Americans.
Self Check: 1) Why did the Spanish build missions among the Native Americans? Why did the European countries want so badly to have an alliance with the Creek? 2) How did trade with Europeans affect the lifestyle of Native Americans in the Southeast? How did the Creek war with the Choctaw affect their ability to protect themselves from Europeans?
Guided Reading Quizzes: Section One Origins and Settlement 1) Which land bridge helped Native Americans spread out across the North American Continent? : 2) True or False? The Native Americans of the early Woodland Period used spear points to kill game. 3) True or False? During the Archaic Period, mound builder cultures start to come about. 4) True or False? Native American mounds were used to trap game during hunting. 5) True or False? In chiefdoms, society was ranked into elites and commoners.
Section Two The Coming of the Europeans 1) True or False? The Creek Indians were still living in mound cities when the Spanish arrived here in the 1500s. 2) True or False? The Creeks received their name from English traders who noticed that some of the tribes lived along creeks up the Altamaha River. 3) True or False? The Spanish built missions among the Native Americans in order to teach them how to fight the English. 4) True or False? The Spanish missions were driven away from the coast by the French military. 5) True or False? The Creeks were often fooled into giving away precious lands to English settlers and then to the United States.
Fort King George Historic Site 15 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Post Reading Activities Lesson Four Pottery of the Guale Georgia Performance Standards: 4th SS4H1 The student will describe how early Native American cultures developed in North America. SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems. ELA4R3 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing. 8th SS8H1 The student will evaluate the development of Native American cultures… and the impact of European exploration and settlement on the Native American cultures of Georgia. ELA8R2 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.
Essential Questions: How did Native Americans use their natural resources to create pottery? What were the uses of pottery among Native Americans? How do Archaeologists use pottery to better understand Native American culture?
Description:: This is a fun art activity that will help introduce students to an important material element in the lives of southeastern Native Americans. It will also help reinforce the idea that Mississippian cultures used elaborate, highly ornamental pottery not only for practical reasons, but for ceremonial and commercial reasons as well.
Materials: Potters clay (self drying kind and the kind that can be cooked in an oven are preferable,) Pencils for making designs Straws Twine (the thicker the better) Paint Stirrers
Alternate Orange Construction Paper Brown Crayons (or other dark colors)
Procedure: Daily Warm-Up – List three uses you think Native Americans got from the various pots they made. Hook em’ - Show the students the powerpoint presentation on how to make Native American pottery Read through the selection on Native American Pottery with your students Introduce them to the various styles of pottery found on site at Fort King George during various archaeological digs over the years. You may use the powerpoint presentation to help. Show the students the Powerpoint demonstration on how the Guale Indians made pottery Allow the students appropriate time to design a pot of their own. Alternate Ideas for younger students to involve less time and expense Provide the students with orange construction paper and brown crayons With these they can draw a two-dimensional pot and use very sharp pencils to replicate the designs they will be shown Fort King George Historic Site 16 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Pottery of the Guale
A Native American tribe known as the Guale had occupied the site that became Fort King George in the 1720s. For centuries, the Guale had lived on the bluff overlooking the north branch of the Altamaha River before the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s. They had a simple way of life that revolved around hunting, collecting seafood, and minor farming. Many archaeologists and historians believe the Guale were a Muskogee speaking tribe that was closely related to the Creek. They had an extensive trade network with various other tribes found throughout the southeast. Sadly, with the arrival of the Spanish to the area in the 1500s, and then the British during the 1600s, the Guale
Fig. 1. A painting depicting a Guale Indian village located on became more dependent on European trade goods and the bluff. Property of The DNR, FKGHS. customs. As a result, their traditional ways of life went into decline. The British drove the Guale away from the bluff in the 1660s, and away from the Georgia coast entirely in the 1680s. The Guale probably then merged in with other tribes found in western Georgia, central Florida, or southern South Carolina. One tradition practiced among the Guale was that of pottery. These pots were made from clay that they dug up from deep within the ground and had many uses. Some were just for simple purposes such as cooking or storing corn, flour, and other foods. Other pots had more ceremonial uses. Urns were used to bury ashes of deceased tribe members. Pottery was also traded with other tribes and therefore served economic purposes. During the Mississippian Period (800 AD -1600 A.D), the pottery among the southeastern tribes became very sophisticated. These pots were in widespread use and reflected just how advanced many tribes were. The techniques for making this pottery were actually relatively simple. First, clay was gathered by digging deep holes. The clay was soft and had to be tempered. The clay was tempered by adding sand or Fig. 2. This burial urn uses the check stamped pattern. tiny, broken Property of DNR, FKGHS. pottery flakes to it. This made the clay more rigid and therefore easier to mold. Then, a base for the pot was made by mashing the clay into the form of a bowl, or by molding the clay into an old pot base or gourd bottom. Next, the potter would start making coils out of the clay. Each coil was piled onto the shoulder of the base to give the pot a form. Once the pot was formed, the coils were pounded on the outside with a smooth surfaced paddle. This helped smoothen out the coils. Next, a paddle with a design Fig. 3. This potsherd uses the malleated pattern, a cut into it was used on the outside walls of the pot, thus crisscross type of pattern. It also uses punctuations creating designs on the pot’s exterior. Tools such as cane, along the rim. Property of DNR, FKGHS sharpened reeds, and sticks were used to add punctuations (circles designs) and incisions (linear designs) to the outside of the pot.
Fort King George Historic Site 17 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Various tribes often had their own unique designs for pottery, and they became cherished trade items. After the Europeans arrived on the Georgia coast in the 1500s, a red paint made from iron-oxide (rust) and water, was often applied to the pottery. Before this, colors were added from animal blood, darkened mud, bear grease, and a host of other natural substances that produced rich colors when mixed with water, animal lard, or other substances. Archaeologists have identified four main patterns used on pottery by the Guale on the bluff. They are the malleated, incised, check patterned, and smoothed red ware. All types of patterns may be present on one pot. A fifth pattern found actually came from the Spanish, with whom the Guale eventually came to trade and live. This type of pottery, known as majolica, was manufactured using a potter’s wheel as opposed to coiling. In figure 4, you can see the finger marks used by the potter. In archaeological terms, pottery represents something very
Fig. 4. Spanish majolica spun on a potter’s significant. Usually when people settle down into permanent wheel. Notice the ridges around pot. These are communities, they need storage items. Pottery served this purpose from the fingers of the pot’s spinner. Property of DNR, FKGHS. among Native Americans. Just as we use plastic containers, cardboard boxes, and plastic totes to store excess materials today, Native Americans used pottery for these same purposes, so when pottery is found at a Native American archaeological site, it generally means the people there were sedentary rather than nomadic. Various styles and designs used in Native American pottery help archaeologists date certain sites based upon what type of pottery is present there. Perhaps no other material item is more valuable for interpreting the past than Native American pottery. It is durable and therefore lasts a long time. This is why archaeologists find so much of it. Styles and artwork tell us much about Native American culture. Distribution of this pottery tells us about their trade and economics. Furthermore, the symbols on pottery tell us a great deal about their religious beliefs. Fig. 5. Smoothed red ware. Property Aboriginal pottery is a great source for learning more about Native of DNR, FKGHS Americans, and it is very fun to re-create.
Self Check: 1) How did Native Americans use their natural resources to create pottery? 2) What were the uses of pottery among Native Americans? 3) How do Archaeologists use pottery to better understand Native American culture?
Fort King George Historic Site 18 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division The Muskogee Native Americans in the Southeast (Unit Four) Instructions: Use the clay provided to make your own pottery vessel. The pictures from the reading and the Powerpoint presentation should help you with the necessary techniques. Once you have designed your pot use your paddle to smooth the coils. Then, use your pencils and straws to make incisions and punctuations. Your teacher will help you with the firing process.
Fig. 6. The malleated pattern uses a criss-cross type of design. Also, notice the incised patterns Fig. 7. The check stamped pattern used around the rim of the pot. Property of with punctuations at the top just DNR, FKGHS under the lip. Property of DNR, FKGHS
Fig. 9. Red colored plain ware was Fig. 8. Some pots took on the shape of bowls as well. This one found in abundance on the bluff where is plain with incised designs around the rim. Property of DNR, FKGHS the Guale lived. The red was probably produced by natural substances including animal blood, iron oxide, and bear grease. Property of DNR, FKGHS
Fort King George Historic Site 19 Department of Natural Resources Parks & Historic Sites Division