Totem Pole

Totem poles were made and used by Native Americans. Usually totem poles would symbolize the past about a tribe. The totem pole above symbolizes peace, nature, fruits, the moon and the sun, and the stars. The name of this totem pole is red fox. The reason this totem pole was named Red Fox is because there is a fox on it. Also, it is is called Red Fox because the Native Americans would name people animal names based on their personality. Red Fox would most likely mean quick, sly, and courageous. totem poles were a very important part of Native Americans lives.

Longhouse

This is a model of a Longhouse that was made by 5th grade students. The Longhouse was a house that the Native Americans lived in. The Longhouse region was found in the Northwest Woodlands. My group got to research the Longhouse. Then we made a model of a Longhouse. We made our model out of clay, sticks, rocks, grass,hot glue, and paint. The Native Americans made their Longhouses out of bark, wood poles, berry paint, animal skins, mud, and sap. Making a model of a Longhouse is very fun!

Sources

I obtained all my information from the following sources:

www.afn.org/~native/

www.fs.fed.us/npnht/life/

Nez Perce Tribe Story

Picture by Smithsonian
Hello, my name is Evelyn, which means beauty, radiance, and Little Eve in my foreign language, Native American. I am 23 and I am from the Nez Perce tribe. My tribe name means those with pierced noses. My tribe is from Idaho, eastern Oregon and eastern Washington in the North West. I am going to tell you a story about my life.

As my daughters, Nina and Sokanon, played with their puppies in their cradleboards, mini tipis, and small baskets, and my son Achak played with his bow and arrow, I made us a meal of salmon, potatoes, and wild grapes. My husband, Huritt, was out hunting and my sister Huyana was sewing just outside our tipi.

Just then my husband Huritt came in from hunting, and my sister Huyana came in our tipi from sewing. Huritt said that today while he was hunting with the other hunters, Gaba’s horse Starlight had been hurt in the leg. Gaba stayed with Starlight to keep her safe while Huritt and Goopa went to the village to get bandages and healing medicine. The other hunters had gone on hunting for food.

As Huritt was telling me this, he suddenly said “Ow!” I asked him what the matter was. He said his ankle hurt badly. He was afraid he had sprained his ankle when he jumped off his horse, fell flat on the ground, and ran all the way to the tipi to get help. He was afraid that he may not be able to go back to help Starlight and Gaba. He asked me if I would go back for him. I said yes, I would love to go. I left the tipi and I met up Goopa. He asked me where Herrit was. I told him that I was going to travel back with him. I told him that Huritt had hurt his ankle badly and that I was going in his place. Then we set off toward Gaba and Starlight. We had to hurry to get there before the horse’s wounds got worse.

When we got there, Gaba was asleep and so was Starlight. Just then, we saw a snake near Gaba and Starlight. The snake looked like it was about to attack them. Goopa and I rode up toward the serpent and killed it with our spears before it could attack Gaba and Starlight. Gaba and Starlight suddenly woke up. They were startled at what had happened while they had been asleep. We had the healing medicine and bandages for Starlight. The men and I put healing medicine on the wound on Starlight’s leg, and wrapped it in bandages. Then we helped Starlight get up and stand on her feet. Then Goopa got on his horse, Mystic, and I got on my horse Shadow. Gaba held onto Starlight’s mane and led her home with us.

When we got home, everybody cheered for us and for our bravery. When I got back to my tipi, Huritt, Huyana, Nina, Sokana, and Achak were all sitting down to eat. When I asked Huritt how his leg was, he said it was much better. Everybody in our tipi was very glad that I had returned home safely. After we had eaten our dinner, we all sat down in front of the fire and I told them about my great journey.

This is the end of my story. I hope it made you want to go and find out more about my tribe, the Nez Perce.

Nez Perce Facts

Nez Perce Facts

I learned that the food the Nez Perce tribe ate were the following things: potatoes, corn, tomatoes, melon, beans, squash, pumpkin, salmon, huckleberries, camas roots, service berries, currants, strawberries, blueberries, wild grapes and cranberries.

I learned that some of the toys that the Nez Perce children played with were small baskets, pots, bows and arrows, horses, teepees, real puppies, cradleboards, and travois’s.

I learned that some traditional activities that the Nez Perce people would do were hunting, sewing, and fishing.

I learned that one of their games was the stick game. Some games were played at just a certain time of the year. Also, some games were just for certain people like only for girls, or only for warriors. The Nez Perce spent lots of time learning the rules, making the pieces, and practicing. In all of their games, there was no winner or loser, but teamwork was the most important thing.

I learned that traditionally the Nez Perce people traveled as far as the
Great Plains during the hunting season. I also learned that Nez Perce means ‘those with pierced noses.’

I learned that 17 million acres of the Nez Perce land was taken by white settlers that were moving westward. That left the Nez Perce with only about 138, 000 acres left.

I learned that Huyana means falling rain, that Nina means fire and that Sokanon means rain (in Native American language). I also learned that Huritt means handsome that Achak means spirit, and that Evelyn means Beauty, radiance, and Little Eve (in Native American language).


I learned a lot about the Nez Perce tribe.

How To Make A Tipi

How To Make A Tipi


Today I will be teaching you how to make a toy tipi so you can have a tipi of your own just like the Nez Perce Indians did (even though yours will be much smaller and not as realistic).

The supplies you will need:

• Paint, markers, or crayons
• Glue or tape
• Scissors
• Plate or bowl
• Construction paper


Step 1. You get a bowl or plate and piece of paper.

Step 2. Use your bowl or plate’s rim to trace a large circle on your piece of paper.

Step 3. Cut the circle out. Then draw a line trough the middle of it.

Step 4. When you are done drawing your line through the middle of the circle, you should have two halves of your circle. On one of the halves of your circle draw decorations.

Suggestion: When you decorate the half of your circle that you decided to decorate, you may want to draw or paint animal symbols since Nez Perce Indian tepees usually had animals on them. Traditionally, the Nez Perce Indians had triangles on their tepees. You could also try putting geometric shapes, feathers, or suns and moons on your tepees too.


Step 5. Roll your circle up in a cone shape. Then tape or glue the edges together.


Step 6. Cut a slit in the front of your cone and fold back a flap on each side of the slit to make a door.


If you want you can make Indian figures out of clay or paper or something else.

Then you are done making your tipi.

If you are wondering what kinds of furniture the Indians used, the Nez Perce Indian’s furniture was very different from what we have today. For furniture the Nez Perce Indians would use very lightweight things. They would make their tables and chairs out of bent wood or sticks, laced up with rawhide or covered with pelts or hides of animals. Some chairs and tables were decorated beautifully. Their beds usually were made out of soft tree boughs that were piled up soft and thick and were covered with buffalo hides.

If you wanted you could make a whole entire spring camp full of tepees and Indians.

I hope you have enjoyed learned how to make a toy tipi. I also hope that you liked the rest of my website. If you haven’t looked at it yet I think you should, and that you will like it a lot. Thanks!