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WISDOM OF THE ELDERS RADIO: SERIES 3, PROGRAM 6
HONORING WARM SPRINGS
Lesson plan written by Esther Stutzman.
SUBJECT AREAS
Language arts Writing
Art Speech
History
SKILLS
Analysis Oral skills
Research Interpretation
Writing Drawing conclusions
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of the activities and lessons, students will:
- Understand importance of storytelling
- Learn about the oral traditions of the Warm Springs
- Learn about a selection of Warm Springs histories
INTRODUCTION
A rich culture developed along the Columbia River, centering on the economy of trade. Because the people of the Warm Springs nation were fishermen and traders they established a network of trade that stretched from the Pacific Northwest far into the interior of America.
Along the Columbia River, when people gathered together, friendships were renewed and stories were told. Just as with other tribes across America, the Warm Springs told stories of the ancestors and of great adventures.
Overview
The following five lessons will include activities to enhance the standards of literature, writing, speaking, listening and reading.
Lesson 1: Remembering by Storytelling
Lesson 2: Stories of the Land
Lesson 3: European Contact and the Stories of that Era
Lesson 4: Individuals Who Had an Impact on the Tribal Way of Life
Lesson 5: Stories of Today
GUIDING QUESTIONS
- Who tells stories?
- Why are stories important?
- Why are stories told?
- Why should stories be preserved?
- What is the difference between family stories and tribal stories?
PREPARING TO TEACH THIS LESSON
- Go to http://www.nwrel.org/indianed/indianreading/1/book01.pdf to download the Warm Springs story, Coyote and the Stars
- ASK THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP TO SUGGEST RESOURCES OTHER THAN NWREL IF NEEDED
- Make available pictures of Warm Springs baskets
- OBTAIN PICTURES FROM THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP
- Listen to the Turtle Island Storytellers segment of Wisdom of the Elders Series 3, Program 6
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
Lesson 1: Remembering by Storytelling
Standards
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
- EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
- EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
- EL.CM.WR.04—Choose the form of writing that best suits the intended purpose.
CD Segments to Play
Background
Many Indian tribes tell stories of what is known as “the time before.” This was a time when the world was different; a time when animals could talk and also a time when things were different. Tribal stories tell of how the landscape changed through an action of an animal or a person in the time before. Other stories relate why animals look like they do or have certain characteristic markings.
Coyote is a prominent figure in many stories across America. Sometimes he’s a wise man, sometimes he has powerful medicine and often he is a trickster and fool who causes things to happen by accident.
It is believed that the animals taught many lessons to people and even today, tribal people point to examples of old stories to teach children the proper way to behave.
Suggested Strategies
Activities
1. Read
Read the story of Coyote and the Stars.
Ask the following questions:
- Why did Coyote think he could dance like the girl-stars?
- Why did he get tired and the girl-stars didn’t?
- What lesson is taught in the story?
- Why is the story told?
2. Writing exercise
Ask each person in the class to write down the subject of a good lesson (example: tell the truth; don’t steal; respect your parents). Then have the class write a short, one-page story. It can be from tribal times or it can be “modern.”
- At least two characters must be used to develop the story.
- Describe a situation in which the main character will make decisions.
- These decisions will result in the teaching of a story.
- Read several of the stories and discuss how actions can sometimes teach lessons.
USE ANOTHER APPROVED TRADITIONAL STORY AFTER TALKING TO THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP.
3. Play a game
The following is a game to illustrate how a story might be remembered:
- Have the class make two circles, sitting down in chairs or desks.
- Select one person in each circle group to start the game by saying “This is my story” and at the same time, clapping hands once.
- The second person says the same thing, clapping hands once and then adding another motion such as crossing their arms.
- The next person says the same thing and repeats the two previous motions… clapping, crossing the arms and then adds another simple motion.
- See how far the circle goes around before someone forgets all the previous motions.
- An extra challenge is to make a circle of the entire class to see how far the “story” can be told before forgetting the sequence.
This is a good example of how much effort it takes to remember a story. It must be repetition and concentration to make a good storyteller.
Lesson 2: Stories of the Land
Standards
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
- EL.CM.SL.10—Formulate judgments about ideas under discussion, and support those judgments with convincing evidence.
- EL.CM.WR.02—Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.
- EL.CM.WR.04—Choose the form of writing that best suits the intended purpose.
CD Segments to Play
Background
Besides the stories of the time before, in which people, animals or landscapes were changed, many stories exist about landmarks and resources. As we travel and notice mountains or lakes or rivers, there is no doubt a tribal story connected to that place.
ASK ABOUT APPROPRIATENESS OF USING ELIZABETH WOODY’S RECOLLECTIONS, Recalling Celilo AT THIS WEBSITE http://www.ecotrust.org/community/recalling_celilo.html
Stories of food gathering, root-digging and fishing are also a part of the traditional stories that come to us from ancestors.
Adeline Miller learned about feasts from her relatives. Each happens at a certain time of year when certain foods are ready to harvest. The Celery Feast is first, then the Root Feast and then Salmon Feast. In late summer, there is a Huckleberry Feast. These feasts are part of cultural traditions that have been carried on for thousands of years. In performing these feasts today, the people of Warm Springs remember the ancestors. With each feast, thanks is given for the abundance of that certain food.
Suggested Strategies
Activities
1. Writing exercise
Ask each student to write down their favorite landmark such as Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Mt. Hood or any other place, even a place that’s not “famous.”
On the basis of this, ask each student to write why they think that certain landmark looks like it does. Encourage the students to use imagination in a way that they use animals to make the land change.
Choose a representative number of responses and have the students read them in front of the class.
Ask the following questions:
- Why did you choose that certain landmark?
- Does writing a story about it make it more special? Why?
2. Discuss
Discuss the concepts of feasts. Relate to the class that for the Warm Springs people, it is important to drink water before each feast and meal. It symbolizes the thanks given to the Creator for providing water to the people.
Ask the class what “feasts” are important to them and why? Is the feast simply a celebration of food or is there a meaning behind the occasion?
- What “feasts” do we observe?
- Is there a “feast” for every holiday we have now? Why?
- Is there a story about something that happened at a “feast” such as Thanksgiving? (for example, the time mom dropped the turkey).
Lesson 3: European Contact and the Stories of that Era
Standards
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
- EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
- EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
- EL.CM.RE.35—Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
- EL.CM.SL.05—Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience, and choose effective verbal techniques and language.
- EL.CM.SL.10—Formulate judgments about ideas under discussion, and support those judgments with convincing evidence.
CD Segments to Play
Background
Many people visited the Columbia River long before the coming of the Corps of Discovery. The Spanish, French and English all sent explorers to the west to learn about the inhabitants and the land. Many of these countries eyed the land as a possible possession. But Lewis and Clark were sent west before other countries could lay claim to the land and so the “Corps of Discovery” was dispatched.
Lewis and Clark were amazed by the power of the Columbia River. In October of 1805, they came down the Columbia River toward Celilo Falls. The local Indian tribes observed them and told stories of what they saw. Later, as the pioneers came, the people told stories of observations and encounters.
“And so they watched the people from the wagon train lower their wagons. And it wasn’t until one of them broke away and tumbled and fell and a woman and child were killed, that the men grabbed their horsehair ropes and they went up and they helped lower the wagons down. And then they helped float them across the Deschutes River there in that area known as Shears Bridge. And they had a bridge that they would put across the river and take down, kind of like a drawbridge for their own protection…….. Anyway it took a day and a half to get all of the pioneers from one side to the other because that bridge could only hold one adult and one child.
And then our people, our ancestors, fed the pioneers because they felt so sorry for them because a lot of them had rags on their feet, tied to their feet. And a lot of the women had torn and tattered dresses on. And they had hardly any food. A lot of their provisions that were left were like the coffee beans and the macaroni and I think, some flour. But anyway, our ancestors rolled out their tule mats, miles and miles of tule mat. And they fed these pioneers the salmon and the eels and the roots and the berries. And they, in turn, the pioneers, gave our people the coffee beans and the macaroni.”
Darlene Foster Wisdom of the Elders Radio Series 3, Program 6
Many tribal families had stories of the first time they saw the Europeans. Many of these stories have been passed down for generations to become a part of the oral traditions of the people.
Suggested Strategies
Activities
1. Read
Read and discuss Darlene Foster’s story about helping the pioneers. Ask the following questions:
- Why were the Indian people watching the pioneers?
- Do you think they wanted to stay hidden? Why?
- Why did the Indians help the pioneers?
- Why did they feed the pioneers?
- Why is this a story that has been told through the generations?
- Why is it an important story to the Indian people?
- Do you think the story has been changed from the time it happened to the present?
2. Play a game
To illustrate how stories could change, play the game we know as “Telephone,” in which students are placed in a circle. One person whispers a phrase into the ear of the next person, and so on. Start the story with a phrase such as:
- “The settlers came in covered wagons”
- “They tried to cross the river”
- “The wagon broke down”
Since we know the story will change at the end of the game, ask the class how it would be possible to preserve a story so that it is accurate.
3. Discuss
Ask the class who is the “storyteller” in their family. Then ask these questions for discussion:
- Does your family “storyteller” tell the same story over and over?
- What do you do when this happens?
- Do you know a family story by heart? (Pick a few responses and have the students tell those stories)
- Do you repeat the stories to others? When?
- Why is the story repeated?
Lesson 4: Individuals Who Had an Impact on the Tribal Way of Life
Standards
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
- EL.CM.RE.02—Listen to, read, and understand a wide variety of informational and narrative text.
- EL.CM.RE.04—Demonstrate listening comprehension of more complex text through class and/or small group interpretive discussions across the subject areas.
- EL.CM.RE.35—Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
- EL.CM.SL.05—Analyze the occasion and the interests of the audience, and choose effective verbal techniques and language.
- EL.CM.WR.02—Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.
CD Segments to Play
Background
Within each tribal group there are stories of people who were heroes or otherwise important to the tribe. Sometimes individuals were remembered because of good deeds or good examples. Often, these people were pointed out as examples or inspiration of how people should live their lives.
Among the people of the Warm Springs, this is one of the stories that is told:
ASK THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP FOR AN ACCEPTABLE STORY ABOUT A PERSON WHO IS REMEMBERED.
Suggested Strategies
Activities
1.
THESE ACTIVITIES WILL BE BASED ON THE STORY FROM WARM SPRINGS
2. Reflect
Ask the class to think about a person in their family who is “famous” for something. The person does not have to be world-renowned, but can be someone who has done something that is talked about over and over. For example, “Uncle Joe hiked the Grand Canyon.”
3. Writing exercise
Each student will ask parents, grandparents or other relatives to tell a “story” about someone in the family. The student will write down the story and be prepared to tell the story to the class the next day. Encourage students to make the story as short as possible with as much pertinent information as possible.
Lesson 5: Stories of Today
Standards
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
- EL.CM.RE.35—Extend ideas presented in primary or secondary sources through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration.
- EL.CM.SL.10—Formulate judgments about ideas under discussion, and support those judgments with convincing evidence.
- EL.CM.WR.02—Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers, and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.
CD Segments to Play
Background
Although many stories exist about times long ago, contemporary stories of today also are a part of oral traditions. Sometimes these stories use themes and lessons from the past to emphasize what is important today.
The people of Warm Springs recognize that the huckleberries and other berries have always been an important part of a healthy diet. The huckleberries are considered to be one of the most important spiritual and cultural resources on the reservation. Drawing from this knowledge of the past, the people of Warm Springs still tell stories about the huckleberry as a way to remember and to encourage restoration of traditional huckleberry fields.
Songs are also stories. Traditional Warm Springs singers and drummers still remember songs they were taught by their ancestors. These songs and the traditions surrounding the songs tell of respect, honor, responsibility and pride. These are important lessons that have been carried from a time long ago into the present.
ASK THE WARM SPRINGS REVIEW GROUP ABOUT A MODERN DAY STORY
Suggested Strategies
Activities
1. Share
Devote a class period to listening to the family stories the students have researched. Ask the following questions:
- What family member tells the story most often?
- Why is that particular story important to the family?
- Is there a lesson to be learned from the story?
- Will you tell this story to other people?
2. Reflect
Ask the class if they have a story about some adventure they’ve had and would that story be something they would tell to other people? Why?
Select a few representative responses from the class and have them tell that story to the class.
EXTENDING THE LESSON/REFERENCES
1. Arrange a field trip to a local museum that has displays of Indian tribal history. Have the class write a report about what they see.
2. Check with the local ESD to see if there are films about American Indians, and especially films that are stories of the tribes.
3. Invite a member of the Warm Springs to visit the class.
Websites
Information about Celilo Falls
http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ohq/105.2/fisher.html
Indian Reading Series
