` Onikolha (wampum) Belts

DESCRIPTORS

Curriculum Areas: Oneida Language and Culture, tribal history, oral tradition

Recommended Levels: 7^th and 8^th grade

Time Frame: 2 weeks / 45 minutes daily

Tribal Affiliation: Oneida Nation

Geographic Location: Oneida, Wisconsin

Developed by: Gail Danforth, Turtle School, P.O. Box 365, Oneida, WI 54155

Email addresses of developers: gdanfort@oneidanation.org

Date lesson was developed: 7/26/01

American Indian Standards:

American Indian Language and Oral History

Standard 1.2: Interpretive Communication

Standard 1.3: Presentational Communication

Standard 2.1: Practices of Culture

Standard 3.2: Acquiring New Information

Standard 4.1: Language Comparisons

Standard 5.1: School and Community

Standard 5.2: Lifelong Learning

INSTRUCTION

Goal: To acquire new cultural information about wampum belts

Behavioral Objectives: Students will:

• Visually recognize the seven wampum belts displayed on the outside of the Turtle School.
• Create a team project using HyperStudioÔ on wampum belts.
• Learn about the important historical role and significant details of the wampum belts.
• Become familiar with the On<yote>a=k@ Onik%lha (Oneida Wampum) speech.

Prior Knowledge Needed:

• Basic understanding of HyperStudioÔ, Internet, digital camera, and scanner.
• Basic understanding of the Oneida sound system.
• Basic reading skills

Materials and Resources Needed:

• Computer lab with HyperStudioÔ
• Wampum belts on the outside of the Turtle School (link to website)
• Colored pencils, notebook, disks
• Materials on wampum belts. (Books, sites, interviews)
• Speech book
• Oneida Font

Culture Content and Strategies:

Wampum belts convey important cultural information for the Oneida/Iroquois people. Through oral tradition the belts hold the historical details of agreements made between two parties. The belts represented on the school are; the Invitational Belt, the George Washington Belt, the Oneida Belt, the Thatatalho Belt, the Five Nations Belt, The Evergrowing Tree Belt, and Two-row Belt. The Oneida Belt speech can be read in conjunction with each belt.

The original belts are made from cylindrical white and purple beads. The beads are made from the quahog clamshell.

Lesson Summary and Performance Tasks:

The students will draw a sketch of each belt as the teacher gives the background information. Students will then divide into teams and begin to research and compile their information into a HyperStudioÔ, format. Each team will present their finished project to the class.

Assessment:

· A matching quiz with wampum belts and names of the belts.

· Rubric

· Oral presentation

EXTENSION

Technology Integration:

Students will reinforce knowledge of technology applications: HyperStudioÔ,, scanner, digital camera, Internet and appropriate software.

Enrichment/Remediation:

There are many more wampum belts and wampum used in other forms among Iroquois people. Students could create replicas of the belts and strings and further investigate the agreements that they represent.

Teacher Reflections

To keep students focused, a checklist can be put up in the classroom and referred to on a daily basis.