World of Naaya - Teacher's Guide - Environment 1: The Woodlands

Part 2: Native American Life


Introduction: Long before the Europeans arrived, North America was filled with people. Millions of Native Americans lived in different societies from coast to coast, some in small groups, some in huge cities. Northeastern tribes came in contact with the settlers from Europe... and everything changed.
Areas: River's Edge
Pocahontas

Portraits

Historical Figure: Pocahontas

Date Story (told by Pocahontas)
1595-1617 "I'm Pocahontas. I was a princess of the Powhatan Nation. I am known for building peace and understanding between my people and the Europeans. Captain John Smith said that I saved his colony from "death, famine, and utter confusion."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
Pocahontas was the daughter of the emperor of the Powhatan, a tribe of 9,000 subjects. When she was 12, Pocahontas convinced her father not to kill the leader of the Jamestown Colony. Later, she married an Englishman, changed her name to Rebecca, and moved to London.  Her real name was Matoaka.  Pocahontas was a nickname that means "playful child."

Time Tokens

The Founding of The Five Nations

Date Story (told by Pocahontas)
1500s "Before the Great Law of Peace, the Iroquos fought brutally with each other. What a relief it must have been for the northern tribes to be able to focus on fishing , hunting and trading instead of war."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The Iroqoui Federation brought together five tribes who had be fighting with each other for centuries. The Oneida, Mohawk, Cayuga, Seneca and Onondaga tried became known as the Five Nations. The spoken agreement between the tribes became known as "The Great Law of Peace." A "Great Council" made decisions for the the Five Nations.  The council was a group of men… chosen by elder women.

The Pilgrim-Wampanoag Peace Treaty

Date Story (told by Pocahontas)
1621 "According to the treaty, if a Wampanoag broke the peace, he would be sent to Plymouth for punishment. If a colonist broke the law,then he would be sent to the Wampanoags."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The Wampanoag tribe signed a peace treaty with the Mayflower Pilgrims. The agreement promised that neither sides would do any harm to the other. It was signed by Massasoit, Chief of Wampanoag Tribe. It was the first treaty between Native Americans and European settlers.

Manhattan Island Sold

Date Story (told by Pocahontas)
1626 "Native Americans didn't believe that people could own land the way that Europeans did. Because of this, Europeans were able to claim a lot of the land in North America as their own."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The Dutch governor of the New Amsterdam Colony arranged a trade with local Native Americans. For a few beads and goods, the Dutch got the island of Manhattan. The island grew to become the center of New York City, the biggest and most populous city in the USA for many years. The items the tribe received was worth about 24 dollars.

King Phillip's War

Date Story (told by Pocahontas)
1675-1676 "The war was a disaster for both sides, but especially for the Native Americans. Thousands of them were killed or starved. Some were sold into slavery. The Wapanoag civilization was never the same again."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
After 50 years of peace between the Wampanoags and the European settlers, competition and differences between their ways of life led to trouble… and war. The colonists captured the leader of the Wampanoagst to try to force the tribe to hand over more of their land and  give more power to the settlers. The leader's brother, King Phillip, led the Native Americans in a war to try to preserve their way of life. After two years of terrible fighting, the tribes were defeated.

Fact Files

Title Fact Story (told by Pocahontas)
You don't say! Across North America, native people spoke 143 completely different languages. "Many words we use today come from Native American languages, such as chipmunk, skunk and barbeque."
Three Sisters Gardens Native Americans planted corn, beans and squash together in one place, so they all helped each other grow. "In a three sisters garden, the beans grew up the cornstalk. Below, the squash kept the soil moist and free from weeds, and stopped pests from reaching the corn. Each plant benefited from the others."
Longhouse The Iroquois lived in large structures that were home to many families at the same time. Longhouses were up to 25 feet wide and 150 feet long. "Inside an Iroquois longhouse, there were sleeping platforms, cooking fires and storage pits for up to twelve families. Longhouses were built near each other to form small villiages protected by a fence."
Popcorn Native Americans popped popcorn in clay pots by pouring heated sand in with the kernels. They also held ears of corn on sticks over a fire. "Some tribes believed that a spirit lived inside each corn seed. When its house heated up, the spirit became angry and popped out!"
Lacrosse Lacrosse is the oldest team sport in North America. Sometimes, major games were held to settle territory disputes between tribes. "Lacrosse games could be huge events that lasted for days. From one hundred to one thousand men from many tribes competed against each other.
Guns vs. Bows In the 1600s, guns were not better weapons than bows and arrows. Guns were not as accurate as arrows, and arrows could farther than bullets. But guns were more frightening to most to people, because of the loud noises they made. "Everyone believed that guns were more powerful than Native American weapons. This belief helped the Europeans to intimidate people and get what they wanted."

Nature Frames

Box Turtle

Story (told by Pocahontas)
"The Mohawks of the Iroquoi Nation ate turtle meat. Then they would put pebbles inside the dried turtle shells to make rattles."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The box turtle can be found all over North American.  It has a domed shell that closes tight whenever it is in danger. It can live to be as much as 100 years old. The box turtle moves around in the day, then scoop a shallow pit in the ground to rest in at night. Turtle shells have nerves in them.  If you touch the shell, the turtle will feel it.

White Birch

Story (told by Pocahontas)
"Native Americans used Birch Bark to make wigwams for shelter, canoes for transportation, as well as rattles, torches, dishes, bucket and cooking pots. They used the strong and flexible wood to make spears, bows and arrows, snowshoes and sleds."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The white birch can be found from New England to North Carolina.  It prefers to grow in cold climates. It can grow to be 70 to 80 feet in height. It often used for lumber. After woodpeckers poke holes in a birch tree's bark, hummingbirds and squirrels will come and drink the sap.

Black Bear

Story (told by Pocahontas)
"Native Americans had dozens of uses for bear fat. They used it as mosquito repellant and put it on their faces for protection against sunburn. They used it as cooking oil, and they rubbed bear grease on their clothes to soften the leather."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3 Fact 4
The black bear is the smallest and most common bear in North America. It lives mostly in forests, but will travel to other places in search of food. Full grown black bears are typically between 300 and 500 pounds. They often mark trees with their teeth and claws as a way to communicate with other bears.

Blackberry Bush

Story (told by Pocahontas)
"Native Americans used blackberry vines to make twine, and they used blackberry juice to make purple dye."
Fact 1 Fact 2 Fact 3  
The blackberry bush is a shrub with stiff sharp prickels. It is known for its sweet edible fruit. Blackberry bushes are often called "brambles."