Katie T. Assignment #4c

Learning about Native Americans in class on Monday was very informational. I learned all about Pow Wow celebrations, Native American Boarding Schools, Non-verbal communication among Native American tribes, and much more.
What I found most interesting about Pow Wow celebrations is that the drum is considered the "heartbeat" of the music. It is also fascinating that during the War Dance, the body movements tell a story of the warrior's journey through battle. That is an incredible way to show family and friends, upon their return, what the warrior had experienced on the battle field.
The Native American boarding schools was a whole new topic that I had never heard of before. I found it incredibly sad that the children had to leave their families unwillingly, cut their hair, and suppress their natural heritage.
Overall, learning about Native American culture through the numerous presentations in class was very informative and fun!

A couple of ideas for activities in the classroom would be to construct a drum out of paper and possibly wood, and have the students create their own Native American beats. It would also be interesting to have the students research about the Native American boarding schools in Montana and have a discussion about what that would be like.

Katie Thompson