Native American Powwow and Field Trip Ideas

Author:
Shannon
Updated date:
Nov 6, 2014

I am a Christian. I was an 8th-grade American History teacher. I am currently a freelance writer, public speaker, & homeschooling mom of 9.

After our 4 part unit study on Native Americans, our culminating activity was a powwow. Each child presented on a different tribe and brought food from that tribe for us to share. I am also including where we went for field trips during this unit. My lessons are geared toward 3rd-4th grade level children and their siblings. These are lessons I created to do with a weekly homeschool co-op. We meet each week for 2 1/2 hours and have 17 children between the ages of 1-13. Use these fun lessons with your class, family, homeschool co-op group, camp, or after school program!

Please DO NOT copy this elsewhere without giving proper credit: http://iijuan12.hubpages.com/hub/native-american-presentations-and-field-trip-ideas

Order of Powwow Events

1) Feast around the campfire

2) Tribe Presenations

3) Song

Our powwow was our culminating activity for our 4 week hands-on unit on Native Americans. Children dressed as members from various tribes and brought along reports, paintings, house replicas, and more to help them as they presented on their assigned tribe. They also brought food from their tribe. We feasted around a campfire surrounded by our teepee totem poles. When the moon came out, children began telling their "legends" (tribal report presentations) followed by a friendship song (our Native American Tribes song).

Tribe Assignment

Our evening Powwow will be from 6:30-8:30PM on Friday. Please have each of your children dress up and be prepared to give a report on his/her tribe. Please also bring a food item similar to something that tribe may have eaten. If you have one child, please bring at least a main dish. If you have multiple children, please bring at least one main dish and the rest can be main dishes, side dishes, bread, or desserts. If desired, you can also make an example of your tribe's house and/or a craft.

This will be an outdoor event, so please bring camping chairs and/or blankets.

Each child was assigned one of the below tribes or tribal groups:

Iroquois

Algonquian

Cherokee

Seminole

Sioux

Comanche

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Pomo

Nez Perce

Tlingit (Northwest Coast)

Inuit/Eskimo

Apache

Pueblo

Navajo

Hopi

Helpful Links for Reports

The links may be helpful as your children prepare their reports and costumes:

Easy printable Tribe Report form for children to fill out

Drawings of clothing from each tribe

Information about each tribe

Photographs of each tribe

Food & Recipe Ideas

Our menu consisted of Iroquois rice, Algonquian fruit and nut salad, Powhatan deer and potato stew, Wampanoag corn casserole, Seminole Hominy and Chicken Stew, Cherokee Pepper Pot Soup, Seminole Cabbage and Wild Boar (bacon), Sioux Pemmican, Pueblo Popcorn, Apache Sunflower Cakes with Wild Dessert Fruit Jelly, Nez Perce Salmon with Wild Greens, Nez Perce Imitation Sweetened Dough Root (marshmallows), Inuit Sour Dough Bread, and Sweetened Aztec Xocoatl Bars (brownies).

Here are some links filled with authentic recipes to inspire you:

Native American Recipes from ocbtracker.com

Native Tech: Indigenous Food & Traditional Recipes

Native American Recipes from Food.com

Many Recipe Links

Field Trip Ideas

During this unit our family took many field trips. We visited our local Museum of Science and History, Museum of Natural History , and State Museum of History to see their exhibits on our state's Native American Tribes. We also visited our local Spanish mission, Indian Mounds, and Historic National Preserve.

Native American Tribes Song

After the children gave their individual reports, they sang the Native American Tribes Song that we've been learning during this unit. The youngest children accompanied us on homemade drums.

“Tribes of America” (tune “10 Little Indians”)

Eastern Woodlands/

Northeast, Southeast:

Iroquois, Algonquian,

Seminole/Creek & Cherokee

All lived in the East

Blackfoot, Lakota, Sioux, and Comanche

Cheyenne, Crow, and Pawnee

All hunted buffalo on the plains.

They are the Plains tribes!

On the Plateau-Basin is the Nez Perce

And Sacajawea’s Shoshoni.

Head to the Northwest to find the Haida

And the Inuit.

Pueblo (Hopi and the Zuni),

Apache and Navajo,

Housed in adobe in the desert

Wow, those Southwest tribes!

One little, two little, one-hundred little native tribes,

Covering the expanse of our land,

All created in God’s image

They are Native Americans.

Setting up a teepee during Lesson 2: Plains Native American Tribes Lesson

Hunt for arrowheads, build teepees, paint totem poles, draw Pueblo chalk drawings, present on specific Native American tribes, and more during this fun four week hands on study of Native Americans.

Northeast and Southeast Native Americans Lesson - This is part 1 of a 4 part hands-on unit on Native Americans. Make arrows, cook Three Sisters Stew, go on an “archeological dig” for arrowheads, create Iroquois Bowl games, bead Seminole necklaces, and more!
Plains Native American Tribes Lesson - This is part 2 of a 4 part hands-on unit on Native Americans. Create headdresses and war shields, build a teepee, eat dried “buffalo” and more!
Northwest and Plateau Native American Tribes Lesson - This is part 3 of a 4 part hands-on unit on Native Americans. Decorate parfleches, fry salmon cakes, create totem poles, dramatize a dramatize potlatch ceremony, and more!
Southwest Native American Tribes Lesson - This is part 4 of a 4 part hands-on unit on Native Americans. Make Navajo Fry Bread, draw Pueblo chalk drawings, create Navajo sand paintings and concho-style belts, weave Apache baskets, and more!
Native American Powwow and Field Trip Ideas - After our 4 part unit study on Native Americans, our culminating activity was a powwow. Each child presented on a different tribe and brought food from that tribe for us to share. I am also including where we went for field trips during this unit.

You could also add a Children's Powwow time of dancing

Homemade Indian Tacos and Indian Frybread Recipe

Konos Curriculum

Would you like to teach this way every day?

Konos Curriculum

I use Konos Curriculum as a springboard from which to plan my lessons. It's a wonderful curriculum and was created by moms with active boys!

Konos Home School Mentor

If you're new to homeschooling or in need of some fresh guidance, I highly recommend Konos' HomeSchoolMentor.com program! Watch videos on-line of what to do each day and how to teach it in this great hands-on format!