Native Americans and Cowboys

Our Native American unit is going well. The kids are really interested in all the different tribes and chiefs. We started our unit out by mapping out North America and roughly drawing in where the various tribes lived. So far we have covered some of the tribes of the Pacific Northeast and Southwest regions. Found a cool site that give lots of great information about the ancient tribes and costumes. So for the tribes of Pacific Northeast we talked about and designed totem poles, and wampum. They were very creative and did a great job.

Today we moved on to Southwest tribes, the Pueblos, and talked about the pottery of the Hopi and the Zuni as well as Kachina dolls. Our pots are in the oven drying now and the Styrofoam is waiting to be carved for their Kachinas. Maybe tomorrow.

With all this talk I have been trying my best to use correct vocabulary. I have to admit I find this hard since things have changed since I was little. When we studied this stuff, which I don't think we studied the Native American culture very much in depth, we called them Indians or American Indian. I really want the kids to be sensitive and considerate of other cultures so I have been careful to refer to them as Native Americans. I slip once in a while but I think I am doing pretty good.

Seth and Josh were at their friends house this weekend and apparently his family is about to have a garage sale. So of coarse, in come the boys with their arms filled with toys that this other family is trying to get rid of. They were so delighted though because they got a whole handful of "Native Americans and Cowboys" to play with.

I had to laugh to myself a little.

Kristen