Third Grade – Native Americans in the Foothills, the Maidu
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THIRD GRADE – NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE FOOTHILLS, THE MAIDU OBJECTIVES: 1. The Maidu were Native Americans that lived in the foothill area. 2. The Maidu acquired their basic needs directly from the foothill environment or by trading. 3. The Maidu perspective of the environment and use is different than ours today. References for more information: Ooti, by Richard Simpson - very informative about the processing of the acorn Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 8, Nisenan by Norman Wilson and Arlean Towne – excellent information on Maidu culture EXHIBIT HALL 20 MIN. Nisenan = "of us" or "from our side" Language = Penutian dialect Have your group sit in a circle. Introduce the word Maidu – what the foothill Native Americans are called now but at one time they were called Nisenan because when asked, “Who are You?” the response was “Nisenan”. Explain that these Native Americans were able to survive in the foothill environment by living off the land. Maidu eyes saw the value of trees and animals in a different way than we do today. From the blanket of foothill treasures, present an item at a time and see if they can guess what the Maidu used it for. Presenting the items one at a time helps focus their attention. These items are replicas of the ones they used. You may pass the item around or leave in the center for them to explore later. The Foothill Treasures are listed below. FOOTHILL TREASURES TEM USE rabbit fur blankets, shawls, binding pestle grinding acorns obsidian arrowheads, spears fire drill start fires soaproot fibers – brush bulb - soap, stun fish digging stick dig up bulb cedar bark shelters, making fire abalone shell jewelry, ceremonial purposes iris leaves cordage acorns staple food source feathers decoration on clothing, on arrows pine needle brush comb hair buckskin clothing, binding rock with edges broken off ax-chopping rock with groove arrow straightener deer antler/bone used as sharp tool, scrapers, awl, needle, fish hook cordage with beeswax used in bows, also stinging nettle, milkweed, roots of willow yew, juniper, oak preferred wood for bow sinew Used for binding (ligament from deer leg) While discussing these foothill treasures, integrate the items into the Maidu mural. Can your students guess what is happening in each of the ceramic models? Would any of the tools on the blanket be used in one of these scenes? Here’s some additional information. Important seasonal dances: Which one do you think is being depicted in our exhibit? Kamin - performed in late March for the first clover or beginning of spring Weda - flower dance of late April Lole - done in honor of the first fruit Dape - coyote dance Nemusla - Big Time - people travel great distances to participate Husla - local festive dance Omwulu - rabbit dance Shamans' - shamans danced in spring When finished with this presentation, give the students time to explore the Exhibit Hall. Be sure to rotate to the next station on time. GARDEN 20 MIN. MAIDU ROPE The students will make cordage using the same technique as the Maidu. Have students pick a partner. Each group needs 4 iris leaves. These are commercial iris leaves we have collected from our homes or have been donated. The Maidu used wild iris leaves that can be seen on the trail walk. Tie 2 iris leaves together at one end. Have one partner hold the tied end. The other person holds an iris leaf in each hand. That person begins to twist the iris leaves, both hands going in the same direction. The action will cause the iris leaves to twist together forming a rope. If the twisting action is not forming a rope, have the person holding the tied end twist slightly to get it started in the same direction the iris leaves are being twisted. As they near the end of the iris leaves, tie off the rope. When one rope is finished, have them switch positions and make another for their partner. The students can take these home. For safekeeping have them put their ropes in their pockets. While the ropes are being made, discuss how cordage was used by the Maidu – fish nets, bow string, lashing clothes, poles, snares, rabbit nets etc… Other plants used for twine and cordage were: • Douglas Fir - twigs used in course twine warp • Indian Hemp - inner bark collected in the fall and used for ropes, nets, and threads • Mountain hemp - dried stem fibers twisted on thigh into string and rope. • milkweed - fibers made into nets, lines and bowstrings, stem fibers made into twine • sedge roots - used to make rope • willow - stalks used for fish traps and dip nets and to lash shelter poles together • grapevines - used for lashing poles together as in the granary MAIDU VILLAGE 20 MIN. Visit the Maidu village with your group either before or after your trail walk. All of its features are labeled and described. Be sure to share the information on the outdoor kiosk along with the photographs and painting of the Dance House. The hus were made as replicas of the Maidu living structure. This is how they were made. First, pine logs and cedar bark were collected from Foresthill and delivered to the Nature Center. Next a depression, like a bowl was dug out about one foot deep in the center and 8 feet across. Willows then had to be collected as the lashing material. To be used, the willows first needed to be stripped of its bark. A slit made into the willow then allowed the bark to be stripped away horizontally. Each of these willow saplings were then tied together to make a long rope. Two pine poles were lashed together and erected over the depression. Other pine poles were then added until an enclosure was made, lashing each one on. Though a ladder was used to achieve this for safety reasons, the Maidu may have stood on each other's shoulders to accomplish this or climbed a nearby tree. Certainly, it must have been a cooperative effort. Cedar bark was then laid over this structure. The final touch was wind protection. The soil dug from the depression was packed around the outside to prevent wind from seeping in and the inner bowl was covered with pine needles. Lastly, before moving, the hu needed to be smudged. This "smoking" of the residence was to warn the local critters that you were moving in and please be aware - they may need to find a new home. GRANARY Did you know a small family would need 1000 pounds of acorns per season? The cedar boughs put over the top and the wormwood (mugwort) placed on the bottom and between layers, would keep the pests out. Granaries could stand 5 to 10 feet tall? Our replica is made of oak or pine poles and woven with grapevine. SHADE STRUCTURE Which activities might have the Maidu done here? In which season? Maidu Medicine Cabinet The Maidu Medicine Cabinet consists of two shelves. One holds the Maidu medicine and the other today’s counterpart. Each is labeled with a number. I find it best to hand out all of today’s medicine to the students. Then I take the Nisenan medicine read the label and call out the number on it then explain the use. For example, Blue oak leaves chewed is what the Nisenan used. Today we use throat drops to relieve a sore throat. NATURE TRAIL 60 MIN. The nature walk is an opportunity to see the foothill environment through Maidu eyes. How did the native flora and fauna provide the necessities of everyday survival? What was used for food, shelter, water, clothing, and medicines? Be sure to emphasize the things you see on the trail like the acorn woodpecker, or flicker. Following are lists of the Foothill Foods and Medicines. Most are found here at PNC. Integrate a mix of medicines, foods (animals and plants), and clothing and tool resources on your trail walk. If you have time, walk through the garden and look at the Maidu section. mugwort - used as a pesticide in the granaries yarrow - fever plant California rose - hips eaten Soaproot – used for soap and to catch fish in still water Following is grasshopper collecting as described by Joel Parker Whitney, an early settler in the Roseville area. “These Indians often engaged in gathering grasshoppers when they were plentiful, in the following matter: First, by sinking a well-hole in a convenient locality, of some five or six feet in depth and of equal width, keeping it half full of water: then engaging all hands with bushes and tree branches in beating forward the grasshoppers on the ground toward and into the well, where they were soon drowned; then heating some large stones on a fire made for the purpose, from which the stones were rolled forward when sufficiently heated into the well, and the water, heating up, cooked the grasshoppers. When accounting done by the head chief, the hoppers were raked out upon the adjoining ground to dry; the latter effect being reached, they were then packed away in skins for use." What do you use to spice your food? Salt, perhaps? The Maidu did, too. A big salt spring/flat was known to exist in the Lincoln area that the Auburn Maidu controlled. This was probably an important trade item and prized commodity. This is a good reference article on our local Maidu and their culture. It includes pictures from the article Norm Wilson wrote titles, “Nisenan”, from the Handbook of North American Indians Vol. 8. http://www.calfire.ca.gov/resource_mgt/archaeology/downloads/18.pdf MAIDU CREATION STORY As you listen to “Maidu Creation Story,” see if you can construct in your mind the imaginary layers of fossils and rocks that would have been left behind from these events, were they true.