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Snapshot of Adventure
Most Americans have ancestors who came here from other
parts of the world. But American Indians have always been
here—or at least they’ve been here since around 12,000 B.C.,
which is a long, long time ago!
American Indian culture is an important part of our
country’s traditions. In this adventure, you will learn about
American Indian tribes in your area and about customs like
crafts, music, and dancing. You’ll also get a chance to make
some of these traditions your own.
REQUIREMENT 1 | Learn about the history and
culture of American Indians who lived in your area at
the time of European colonization.
When Christopher Columbus first came to North America in
1492, people had already been living here for tens of thousands of
years. These American Indians lived off the land, planting crops
and hunting for food. They also did some pretty amazing things,
like building huge pyramids in M exico, developing new types of
crops, and inventing the number zero.
Why are the native peoples of the United S tates often
called American Indians? At first, Christopher
Columbus thought he’d sailed all the way around the
world and reached India.
Groups of American Indians with similar family backgrounds
and cultures are referred to as tribes, and there are many of them.
Today, the United States government recognizes more than 500
tribes. Every tribe is unique, but history and customs are very
important to all of them.
For this requirement, see what you can learn about the
American Indians who lived in your area before the European
explorers arrived. Did they stay in one place or move around all the
time? Did they hunt, fish, or grow crops? Were they peaceful or
warlike? Do they still have a presence in your part of the country?
Do any cities or rivers in your area have names based on their
words?
MY AMERICAN INDIAN NEIGHBORS
One tribe that lived or lives in my area:
__________________________________________________
What I learned about them:
_________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
REQUIREMENT 2 | Write a legend.
A legend is a story that is passed down from generation to
generation. Some legends tell about famous characters like King
Arthur or people like Pocahontas. Others explain why things are a
certain way. American Indian tribes have legends that they have
preserved for thousands of years.
Here is a legend from the Cherokee tribe that explains how the
M ilky Way came to be:
Once upon a time, there weren’t many stars in the
sky. In those days, people grew a lot of corn, which they
dried and turned into cornmeal. One day, the people in
a Cherokee village discovered that something had
stolen some of their cornmeal. They saw dog prints
around the bag. The prints were huge, far too big to be
from an ordinary dog. The elders of the village said it
must be a spirit dog.
That night, the people all got together to guard their
cornmeal. After darkness fell, the spirit dog swooped
down from the sky and stole some cornmeal. The
villagers chased the dog away with noisemakers and
loud shouts. It ran out of the village, up a hill, and
leaped into the sky. As it flew across the sky, kernels of
cornmeal fell out of its mouth and became the stars of
the Milky Way.
For this requirement, make up your own legend. It could
explain how something came to be, like the Cherokee story does.
Or it could be based on something that happened in your family a
long time ago. It could even describe how a character you admire
visited your town.
REQUIREMENT 3 | Make a dream catcher.
Long ago, the Ojibwe (pronounced o-JIB-way) people created
dream catchers to hang over the beds of people who were sleeping,
especially children. They believed that the night air held dreams,
both good ones and bad ones. The dream catcher would let good
dreams get through to the sleepers. Bad dreams would be caught in
the dream catcher’s web and would disappear at daybreak.
Other tribes adopted the dream catcher. Today, many people
see the dream catcher as a symbol of American Indians across the
country.
A dream catcher has three main parts: a round ring, a web of
thread that looks like a spider’s web, and feathers. You can imagine
good dreams sliding down the feathers onto the sleeper.
Dream Catcher
Materials and Tools
Paper plate
Scissors
About 7 feet of yarn
Hole punch
Beads
Feathers
Instructions
1. Using the scissors, cut out the center of the plate so you have a
ring that’s about 2 inches wide.
2. Using the hole punch, punch holes every inch or so around the
ring.
3. Cut a piece of yarn about 5 feet long. Tie one end of the yarn to
one of the holes you just made. Run the other end through one
of the holes on the other side of the ring and pull it snug (but
not so snug that it warps the ring).
4. Keep weaving the yarn between all the holes. Along the way,
you can string beads on to the yarn if you like.
5. When you get to the end of the yarn, tie it off in the nearest
hole.
6. Cut three pieces of yarn 5 inches long. Tie a feather to one end
of each piece. Tie the other end of each piece to a hole on the
bottom of the ring. (Punch extra holes if you need to.)
7. Cut one more piece of yarn about 5 inches long. Run it through a
hole at the top of the ring and tie it in a knot to form a loop.
Use this loop to hang your dream catcher on the wall or from
the ceiling.
REQUIREMENT 4 | Make a craft similar to one made
by American Indians.
Crafts are a very important part of American Indian culture
(and many other cultures). Crafts are pretty to look at, but they
also record history, show which tribe someone belongs to, and
meet daily needs like providing clothing and shelter. American
Indian crafts include beadwork, baskets, cornhusk dolls, moccasins,
totem poles, rattles, rain sticks, and more.
For this requirement, pick a craft and make it. You can find
ideas for crafts from your library or the Internet with the help of
an adult.
There are also kits available from many sources,
including your local Scout shop and the S coutS tuff.org
website.
A talking stick is an easy craft to make. American Indians in
many parts of the country have used talking sticks for centuries.
During special meetings, a talking stick helps speakers take turns
and encourages respectful listening.
Talking Stick
Materials and Tools
Stick or dowel rod, approximately one-half inch by 24
inches
Yarn
Scraps of felt or fur
Leather or suede cord
Craft glue
Scissors
Jingle bells, pony beads, feather, or shells
Instructions
1. Cut a piece of 1-inch-by-2-inch felt.
2. Wrap it around the end of the stick. Glue it in place.
3. Wrap yarn tightly around the stick, adding more glue as needed.
Cover about 5 inches of the stick, changing color if desired.
4. Tie the suede lace near the bottom of the yarn wrap. Thread the
lace through bells, beads, feathers, or shells to decorate it as
you want. Then knot the lace again.
REQUIREMENT 5 | Make a drum. Once your drum is
complete, create a ceremonial song.
Drums are very important in many American Indian ceremonies
and ceremonial dances. In some tribes, several drummers will gather
around a big drum and hit it all at the same time as they sing.
Dancers move in time with the rhythm of the drum, which
represents the heartbeat of the American Indian people.
Authentic American Indian drums are usually made of wooden
frames or hollow logs covered with animal skin. You can make your
own drum out of a large empty container like a coffee can or
oatmeal canister. Cover the outside with construction paper and
decorate it. Work with your den leader or family to choose a
material to stretch across the opening and attach. M ake up your
own song to sing as you beat your drum.
REQUIREMENT 6 | Visit an Order of the Arrow
dance ceremony or American Indian event within
your community.
M any groups work to preserve American Indian traditions.
One of them is the Order of the Arrow, which is the national honor
society of the Boy Scouts of America. M any Order of the Arrow
lodges have ceremony teams and dance teams that study and
preserve the traditions of specific tribes. They often perform at
camporees, summer camps, Cub Scout pack meetings, and other
Scouting events.
Some communities also have powwows where American
Indians and people who want to learn about their culture get
together. Powwows usually include dancing, ceremonies, craft
demonstrations, and traditional food.
To find out about powwows in your area, check with local
parks, museums, and cultural centers.
The PowWows.com website, which you can visit with
help from an adult, includes a calendar of powwows
across the United States and Canada.
REQUIREMENT 7 | Learn and demonstrate
ceremonial dance steps.
Ceremonial dancing is an important part of American Indian
culture. Some dances have religious significance. Some re-enact
great events in a tribe’s history. Some celebrate successful hunts,
harvests, or important times like the summer solstice (the longest
day of the year).
Talk with a member of the Order of the Arrow or someone at an
American Indian powwow. Find out about the dancing that they
do. Learn about the significance of the dances. Learn a few dance
steps.
A Scout is courteous. Always show respect when you
learn about the traditions of a group of people.
REQUIREMENT 8 | Create a dance.
Some American Indian dances express thanks for good things
that have happened. For this requirement, create a ceremonial
dance to give thanks for something special to you. Create a
costume that you can wear as you do your ceremonial dance. Have
a friend or family member create a beat on the drum you made.
Snapshot of Adventure
Did you know that two-thirds of Americans have a pet dog,
cat, horse, bird, fish, hamster, or other animal? It’s true. In
fact, there are more pets than people in America!
Pets are fun, but they are also a big responsibility. Pets
need food, water, shelter, and exercise in order to stay
healthy. When you look after a pet, whether it belongs to you
or a neighbor, you learn a lot about love, loyalty, and caring.
Learning to look after pets—and having fun with them—is
what this adventure is all about.
REQUIREMENT 1 | Care for a pet for two weeks.
Make a list of tasks that you did to take care of the
pet. If you do not have a pet, research one that you
would like to have and write about the care it needs.
Does your cat open cans of food when it’s hungry? Does your
dog take itself for a walk? Of course not! Unlike people, pets can’t
take care of themselves. They need someone to take care of them.
Every kind of pet needs a clean, dry place to sleep (except for
fish, of course!). A dog might have a special place in your home
where it sleeps. A horse might live in a barn or out in a pasture. A
hamster lives in a cage. A cat will make its own bed in a sunny spot
by a window.
Nutritious food, clean water, and plenty of exercise help keep
pets healthy. Just like you, your pet will get sick if it eats nothing
but junk food and never gets any exercise. Your veterinarian can
suggest the right food and exercise for your pet.
Speaking of your veterinarian, most pets need regular checkups.
Your veterinarian can help you make sure your pet stays healthy.
He or she can also give your pet vaccinations to prevent serious
diseases. Your vet might even clean your pet’s teeth.
For this requirement, take care of a pet for two weeks. Write
down the things you did. If you do research on an animal you
would like, record your notes on a separate page.
MY PET
The pet I cared for is a _________________ (type of
animal).
Its name is
_________________________________________.
Things I did to care for it:
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
REQUIREMENT 2 | Learn more about your pet or a
pet you would like to have. List three interesting
facts that you learned about your pet.
Pets have amazing stories. Did you know that cats can see six
times better than humans at night? Did you know that dogs can
vary in size from 2 pounds (a Chihuahua) to more than 150
pounds (a Great Dane)? Did you know that hamsters bathe
themselves like cats? Did you know that horses produce 10 gallons
of sweat a day?
See what you can learn about your pet by reading a book or
exploring the Internet (with your parent’s or guardian’s
permission). Write down what you learned on this page.
WHAT I LEARNED ABOUT MY PET
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
REQUIREMENT 3 | Make a poster about your pet or a
pet you would like to own. S hare your poster with
your den, pack, or family.
Tell other people about your chosen pet by making a poster.
You could include pictures, the facts you learned in requirement 2,
and something about the toys your pet likes to play with or the
tricks it can do. If you own the pet, you might also include
information about where you got your pet and anything you know
about its lineage (its parents and family history).
REQUIREMENT 4 | Do your best to train a pet to
perform a trick or follow a simple command, and
explain how you trained it. (If your pet is a hermit
crab, fish, snake, or the like, you may skip this
requirement.)
M any pets, especially dogs, can learn tricks like sitting, rolling
over, and talking or barking on command. A good way to teach a
trick is to give the pet a treat each time it does the right thing. Offer
plenty of praise, too, and be patient!
Find out what tricks your type of pet can learn, and pick one
trick. Try to teach your pet that trick and explain how you taught
it.
You can also teach your pet to be courteous to others they may
meet. For example, a courteous pet will know what it means when
you say “no” or will come when called. Just like Bear Scouts, pets
need to learn to be courteous and friendly.
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