The Catskills Are Among the Things Most Certain to Give Students a Greater Appreciation for Our Region
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TheCatskills Standards-basedlessonsthatpromoteappreciation andstewardshipoftheuniquenaturalandcultural resourcesoftheCatskillMountainregion. ModuleV: CultureandArts oftheCatskills TheCatskills ModuleV:CultureandArts oftheCatskills TheCatskills ASenseofPlace Standards-basedlessonsthatpromoteappreciation andstewardshipoftheuniquenaturalandcultural resourcesoftheCatskillMountainregion. ModuleV: CultureandArts oftheCatskills Compiledandportionswrittenby NathanChronister,DirectorofEducation TobiasAnderson,AmeriCorpsEducator TheCatskillCenterforConservationandDevelopment,Inc. Arkville,NewYork ThispublicationwasmadepossiblewithfundsfromTheCatskillWatershedCorporation inpartnershipwiththeNewYorkCityDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtectionandwas fundedinpartbyNYSCouncilontheArts,theBayFoundation,theDorrFoundation,the A.LindsayandOliveB.O'ConnorFoundation,theSchermanFoundation,andUSEPA. Althoughtheinformationinthisdocumenthasbeenfundedwhollyorinpartbythe UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgencyunderassistanceagreementNE- 98222300-0toTheCatskillCenterforConservationandDevelopment,Inc.,ithasnot undergonetheAgency'spublicationsreviewprocessandthereforemaynotnecessarily reflecttheviewsoftheAgencyandnoofficialendorsementshouldbeinferred. ©2001TheCatskillCenterforConservationandDevelopment,Inc. Culture and Arts The culture and arts of the Catskills are among the things most certain to give students a greater appreciation for our region. The arts, of course, are those activities, such as painting or music, whose aim is the production of something beautiful or appealing. Culture is sometimes thought of as exposure to the arts. Here, however, the word “culture” refers to the whole way of life of a people. It encompasses all of our activities and even affects our livelihood. A culture can be characterized by its socially acquired beliefs, values, or behaviors, and by the objects people make. The material aspects of our society (our tools, household items, clothing, etc.) are indicators of how we live. Our unique styles of music, architecture, crafts, and language are also part of our Catskills regional culture. Enormous changes have occurred in the lives of Catskills residents in the millennia since the region was first settled, and our present culture contains echoes of those who came before us. Some feel the golden era of the Catskills occurred during the 19th century, when our region became a popular destination for artists and writers drawn by the spectacular and wild beauty of our region. At that time, John Burroughs and Hudson River School artists helped shape national attitudes toward the natural environment and inspired early land conservation efforts. However, the Catskill region has never stopped inspiring creative endeavors or enriching the lives of those who live, work, and play here. The Catskill region has nurtured generations of artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, and everyday folk. The lives of these people, all of us included, fashion the cultural legacy of the Catskills. Module V Culture and Arts Table of Contents LESSON 1: Native Traditions Summary Activity 1 - Oral History Activity 2 - Native Agriculture Activity 3 - Making Cornhusk Dolls LESSON 2: Art and Literature of the Romantic Period Summary Activity 1 - Hudson River School Activity 2 - Arts Field Trip Activity 3 - John Burroughs Primary Sources Activity 4 - Outdoor Journaling Activity 5 - Wilderness Attitudes in the Media LESSON 3: Art Colonies Summary Activity 1 - Byrdcliffe Primary Sources Activity 2 - Students Plan an Art Colony Activity 3 - Wastebasket Archaeology Activity 4 - Artist Pen Pals LESSON 4: Appreciating Folk Traditions Summary Activity 1 - Craft Activities Activity 2 - Make a Class Quilt Activity 3 - Stories and Folk Songs Activity 4 - Camp Woodland Primary Sources LESSON 5: Building Catskills Communities Summary Activity 1 - Architecture Styles Activity 2 - Magical History Tour Activity 3 - Box Village Activity 4 - Building Improvement File Activity 5 - Asset Mapping Activity 6 - Community Awards Program Activity 7 - Village Cleanup Module V Culture and Arts GLOSSARY RESOURCES Books and Articles Teaching Materials Web Sites Resource People Places to Visit APPENDIX Catskills Journal Field Trip Permission Slip USING THIS BOOK • Vocabulary words that are italicized in this module are later defined in the glossary. • NYS Learning Standards met by each activity are listed following the activity. The activity may meet more standards than those listed. The number of the standard, its title, and the topic heading are written out. NYSED divides some topic headings into key ideas, and key idea numbers are listed where applicable. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank the following people, all of whom donated their time by contributing information, suggesting activities, reviewing this publication, or helping to pilot test activities in the Culture & Arts module. Mark Anderson, Eleanor Aulino, Joan Barber, Janice Benincasa, Jane Van De Bogart, Jennifer Bruck, Barbara Callahan, Bob Callahan, Krista Cayea, Catherine Cohen, Stephen Comer, Darlene Lee Downing, Alf Evers, Jane Fox, Richard Frisbie, Ginny Graves, Glenda Gustafson, Sara Henry, Markie Hunsiker, Dale Johnson, Kevin LaMonda, Joan Studer Levine, Estelle Nadler, Kay Olan, Rich Parisio, Evan T Pritchard, Sara Sikes, Christine Silk, Mary Robinson Sive, Carla Smith, Ernest Steiglehner, Janet Steiglehner, Harry Stonebeck, Daryyl Stonefish, Irene Stumberger, Mike Tarbell, Wayne Wright. LESSON 1 Summary Page 1 Native Traditions The cultural history of the Catskill Mountains is a story of the intimate connections between humans and nature. Nature has influenced the design of many objects, both practical and decorative, that complement the lives of inhabitants of the region. It has influenced the creative expressions of music, literature, and dance. Cultural influences such as these date back at least to the time when Native People, including the Munsee-Delaware, Kanien'kehá:ka1 (Mohawk), and Mohican, first seasonally traversed these hills to find animals and plants to sustain their lives. These cultures do not have the sharp delineation between spiritual and physical worlds that is often found in western cosmologies. It is not surprising, therefore, that their spiritual lives were inspired by the physical world around them. Their gratitude for the sustenance that enabled their survival was, and is, illustrated by their deep reverence for the natural environment. We who have gathered together are responsible that our cycle continues. We have been given the duty to live in harmony with one another and other living things. We give greetings that our people still share the knowledge of our culture and ceremonies and are able to pass it on. We have our elders here and also the new faces yet to be born, which is the cycle of our families – for this we give thanks and greetings. Now our minds are as one…2 The above lines are taken from a condensed version of the traditional Thanksgiving Address, which is given by Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) and other Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) elders before and after important occasions. The address goes on to give thanks to all the natural elements, including the earth, trees, plants, animals, moon, and sun, as well as to spirit beings who aid their lives, and the Creator, from whom they believe all life sprang forth. Reverence for nature flooded into the daily lives of Native People. Thanks were given at the taking of animal and plant life, and special attention was placed on using all parts of these offerings. Not only was the meat of a deer eaten and the hide used to make clothing and to cover dwelling spaces, but hoofs were used to make rattles, and antlers were fashioned into beads and blades, ensuring that no part of the animal was wasted. Plants and animals provided the materials to make medicines. Bowls and canoes were created from hollowed wood, pouches were made from rush and cornhusks, and mats and baskets were woven from grasses. In addition, the Native People decorated objects and themselves with natural dyes from a variety of plants and minerals. Intergenerational activities emphasized the connection between humans and nature as well. Native People held festivals to celebrate the changing of the seasons, and they gave offerings to ensure a good harvest in the coming year. Young women learned about beadwork from their elders, while young men gained coordination and strength while being taught games such as Snow Snake by the elder men of the tribe. In Snow Snake, each young man crafted a snake from 1 Kanien'kehá:ka is what the Mohawk people call themselves, in contrast to the name given them by European settlers. The word is pronounced “gun-young-gah-ha-gah”. 2 From the condensed Thanksgiving Opening Address sent by the Mohawk Nation and the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Grand Council via Chief Jake Swamp to the fourth Russell Tribunal, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, November, 1980. A longer selection appears in Activity 2. LESSON 1 Summary Page 2 wood, which was slid along a path in the snow. The person whose snake slid the farthest won the game. Respecting the nature of the body through activities strengthening mind and body, respecting the nature of the world, and weaving both together within their lives was of primary importance to the Native People. Images of Thanksgiving Artist Malanie Printup Hope created an interpretation of the Thanksgiving Address using computer-enhanced images of beadwork, which hang at the Iroquois Indian Museum in Howes Cave, NY. Her work is displayed alongside