Introduction                                                               Top

          The early people of California are often misunderstood.  They came to California over 5,000 years ago and have built their own tribe and cultures.  The tribes of the Native Californians have developed their own ways of speaking, behaving, and dressing.

           Can you imagine living the life of a Native California?  Could you survive with their tools and natural resources?

           The chiefs of all California tribes are meeting to share information on their tribes.  The chief needs to present a book that represents all aspects of your tribe.  The Lord of the Sky (leader of Chiefs, a.k.a your teacher) will be choosing the best book.  That tribe will receive tools, food, clothing, and supplies to build new housing.

Step 1: Background Information

            Each student will read the Native Californians section of the Social Studies textbooks for background information and for terms that will be used during this project.

 Step 2:  Organization of Tribes

            The tribe will consist of six class members, groups that will be chosen by the teacher.  Each tribe will choose a chief (leader) and a shaman (religious leader).  This can be done by: skill (who can throw the farthest), wealth (who has the most bonus bucks), or wisest (who is the oldest).  Your tribe will choose which method it would like to use.  After the chief and shaman are chosen, the other four classmates will become official tribe members.

            Each tribe will participate in a community drawing to select a tribe.  The possible tribes are the Chumash, Miwok, Maidu, Yurok, and Mojave.

            The chief will be responsible for their tribe.  Being a true tribe, the chief will be the only member allowed to talk to the Lord of the Sky (the teacher).  The chief will be responsible for carrying messages back and forth.  In the chief’s absence, the shaman will be in charge.

 Step 3:  Tribe Research and Notes

            Each tribe member will be responsible for taking notes on their tribe on the Note Taking Chart.  Each area should contain 3-5 facts about the tribe you are researching.  The areas are:  natural resource of the region the tribe lives in, clothing, housing, leadership, customs and ceremonies, food, and interesting acts.

            Information can be found on the Internet, in the Social Studies textbook, or in other specialty book found in the classroom library.

Resources

 Step 4:  Division of Labor

            After all of the research is finished, the tribe ill complete a division of labor.  Overall the tribe will need to write two paragraphs for each area on the note taking chart, make a book cover and a conclusion page.  Each tribe member should have an assigned area and this will be agreed upon by all tribe members.  The assignments should be written and signed.

            The paragraphs should not only include the information from the Note Taking Chart, but the process involved in each area.  For example, go though the steps of the acorn production or the step of building a house.

            The book cover will contain the name of your tribe, the names of all the tribe members and artwork that represents your tribe.  The conclusion of your book will contain information about your tribe members as the authors of your book.

            All will be typed using Microsoft Word.

 Step 5:  Artwork

            Each area of research should be represented by artwork.  This artwork can be drawn or found on one of the Internet Resources.  It should be in color.  The art will be put together with the paragraphs for a particular area and become one page in the tribe book.

 Step 6:  Organization of Books

            All paragraphs and artwork will be pasted under appropriate area heading on construction paper.  All pages, including the book cover and conclusion page will be placed in a desired order.  A table of contents is optional.

(The teacher will take the book to bind and laminate.)

 Step 7:  Presentation of Books

            During a storytelling hour, each tribe will read their books to the class.  This will be the “Chief’s Meeting” where the Lord of the Sky will choose the best book.

            Each book will be put on display on the classroom library for all to enjoy.

General Information

http://www.nps.gov.redw/area_amerind.htm

http://ceres.ca.gov/ceres/calweb/native.html

Chumash

http://www.expage.com/page/chumashindians

http://www.sbnature.org/research/anthro/chumash/index.htm

http://orcutts1.sbceo.K12.ca.us/public/nightingale/Chumash.htm

http://sbnature.org/research/anthro/chumash/daily.htm

Miwok

http://nps.gov/pore/history_miwok.htm

http://mariposa.yosemite.net/woodland/miwok.htm

http://angelisland.org/miwok.htm

http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/encanto/nativecal/miwokindex.htm

Maidu

http://virtual-markets.net/vme/ARNHA/acornepi.htm

http://www.middlemountain.org/indians.htm

http://www.maidu.com/maidu/

Yurok

http://www.geocities.com/biorrin/yuro.htm

http://emuseum.mnsu.edu/cultural/northamerica/yurok.html

http://www.cuca.k12.ca.us/la/students/yurok.html

http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~runnion/314/fall00/legends/Intro/Yurok/introduction/yurok_homepage.html

Mojave

http://www.nps.gov/mojahtm2.htm

http://www.blm.gov/education/00_resources/articles/mojave/mojaveposterback1a.html

http://www.mip.com/inside_mip/customer_profiles/fort_mpjave.htm

Textbook

Harcourt Brace Social Studies, 4^th Grade

Other Books

The Natural World of the California Indians by Robert F. Heizer and Albert B. Elsasser

Native Ways:  California Indian Stories and Memories Edited by Malcolm Margolin and Yolanda Montijo

           Native Californians laid a foundation for the settlers that came after them and the people of today.  Many of the processes we go through today have been adapted from their culture.

            Hopefully, through the creation of these books, you will have a greater respect for the people that inhabited the majority of California so long ago.