Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, fourth-grade students at Barnum Woods Elementary School engaged in educational workshops hosted by Journeys into American Indian Territory, a cultural arts group that offers educational programs on Native American culture to schools in the New York tri-state area.
Presenters Maddi Cheers and Uaian Bruno kicked off the two-day program on Nov. 26 with an introductory film called “The Eastern Woodlands,” which clarified a variety of questions still asked about Native American culture today and focused on how Native Americans used to live years ago. During the program, students learned that Native Americans are spiritual people and as part of their culture, they always give thanks on a continual basis. In recognition of Thanksgiving, students were asked to name three people who have made their lives better, and to give thanks for their friends, families and loved ones.
A number of workshops were held over the course of the program, with classes focused on Native American art, storytelling and cultural games. Students were also offered the opportunity to visit an in-school Native American “museum,” where they were able to handle authentic artifacts and learn of their historical importance. The fourth-graders took away a wealth of knowledge from the workshops and look forward to a return visit from Journeys into American Indian Territory.
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