Traditional Uses of Wood

Summary
Students explore properties of wood used to make cultural items and make a ring and stick game.

Grade level  
First

Time required  
Two 45 - minute classes, plus a fieldtrip

Goals
By completing this lesson, students will

1. explore the properties of wood from trees indigenous to the Flathead Reservation,
2. learn how the Kootenai, Pend O'Reille and Salish people use wood to make cultural items,
3. learn about the importance of the forests to the people of the Flathead Reservation today and
4. gain experience in using the process skills to conduct research.

Science standards addressed
National Science Standards

• Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry
• Properties of objects and materials
• Types of resources
• Science as a human endeavor
• Science and technology in local challenges

American Indian Science Standards

• Various forms of scientific and technological work currently engaged in by American Indian men and woman and in what ways their fields require the process of problem identification, design and solution
• Problem solving skills demonstrated by historical American Indians in the development and improvement of tools and technologies, such as in pottery technology
• The innate properties of objects and materials that were (and are) recognized by traditional Native American cultures in the manufacture and use of specific tools and material objects that capitalize upon those properties

Teacher tips
For the exploration phase of the lesson, obtain chunks of wood from at least three types of indigenous trees, preferably with the bark intact.   Try to get wood from trees known to be used in making the cultural items students will examine.   Label the wood pieces with the name of the tree it came from.   The "Trees of the Flathead Reservation" document lists the uses of various types of wood in making items from the Salish, Pend d' Oreille and Kootenai cultures.   Make exploration equipment (e.g., magnifying glasses, microscopes, hammer and nails, and tubs of water) available, and encourage students to use it to test wood properties such as density, buoyancy, flexibility, and hardness.   Use words in context like bendable, hard, light and heavy, and buoyant and encourage students to use them also.

The People's Center has beautiful exhibits of traditional wooden cultural items, and a video on the making of a Kootenai canoe from start to finish.   The video begins with tribal people obtaining the wood from the forest and goes through each step of canoe making, so it is quite long; the teacher should preview it and choose sections to show students.   The People's Center also has traditional game equipment made from wood, such as hoop and dart, and shinny, available for students to use.   The museum personnel are very good at working with students.   Call ahead and ask them to give the students a free tour of the museum and to teach them to play the games.

The ring and stick game is a traditional Salish child's toy.   Instructions for making it are found at the end of this lesson and a photo of the game is included with the lesson as well.   Consult the People's Center personnel for additional assistance.

Background information
Wood is a plentiful and renewable resource in the northwest.   The Kootenai, Pend d' Oreille, and Salish people, who have lived in this area and beyond for thousands of years, made many different items of wood and continue to do so today.   Tipi poles, cradleboards, eating utensils, musical instruments, arrows, games equipment, and canoes are a sample of the many traditional items made from wood.   Kootenais had a strong tradition as fishermen, and had a very distinctive design for their handmade canoes.   The type of wood used for each item was based on cultural knowledge of the characteristics of the indigenous tree species available.   For more information about specific woods used in making each item, please refer to the "Trees of the Flathead Reservation" document.

Forests and wood are major resources used throughout the world.   The CS and K Tribes harvest an average of 28 million board feet per year from Flathead Reservation forests.   Tribal foresters work with wildlife managers, elders and others to manage the 425,000 acres of reservation forest as a renewable forest to meet a variety of needs, including cultural, esthetic, recreational, economic, and hunting.

Procedure
Engagement

1. Show students a satellite image of the reservation and ask them to identify specific landmarks and habitats.   Point out the forested areas on the image.   Ask students about their experience in the forest and with trees.   Ask how many have relatives who work in the woods.   Show pictures of and discuss indigenous trees.
2. Ask students to make a list of all the items they can think of that are made from wood.
3. Invite an elder to talk about the forests and the use of wood to make cultural items.   Show students traditional items made from wood and discuss.

Exploration

1. Ask students to think about the types of wood a person would need to make each of the different cultural items.   Ask them to write ideas about the wood properties required for each of the three items on the Wood Properties Investigation Sheet.   Use words like hard, bendable, light and heavy, and buoyant.
2. Encourage students to explore the properties of wood using the available equipment (magnifying glass, tub of water, hammer and nails, etc.).   Ask them to draw pictures of the wood pieces, and to write a prediction on the investigation sheet of which of the woods was used to make each cultural item.

Explanation
Ask students to share their observations and explain their predictions from their exploration.

Elaboration

1. Visit The People's Center tribal museum in Pablo.   Ask personnel there to talk with students and show them cultural items made from wood.   Watch the video there on the making of a Kootenai canoe.
2. Play traditional games with equipment that is made from wood, such as shinny, and hoop and dart, with museum personnel.
3. Have each student make a ring and stick game.   Allow them to try it out then take it home.

Evaluation
Observe students and talk with them as they conduct the exploration for evidence of higher level thinking and the use of process skills.   Review their investigation sheet.   Assess their explanation of their predictions that they give to the class.

Vocabulary
indigenous                        properties                       prediction

Follow up activities

• Visit the Kootenai Culture Committee to view and learn about the Kootenai canoe.
• Invite a tribal forester on a fieldtrip or to visit your classroom to talk about forest management.

Resources
Satellite image of the Flathead Reservation
http://yoda.cec.umt.edu/sid/bin/show_newjava.plx?image=flatheadres.sid&client=
Native_Lands&section=Flathead%20Reservation&title=Native%20Lands

Making and using a ring and stick game
For each game you will need:

• A thin willow, mountain maple, or dogwood branch, free of side twigs, from 1 to 2' long and 3/8 to ½" in diameter
• A piece of sinew about 3' long
• A flexible willow, maple or dogwood twig about 1/8" in diameter and about 20" long
• Tie one end of the sinew to the twig.   Bend the twig into a circle about 3" in diameter.   Wrap the sinew around the circle, spreading the wraps evenly about a dozen or more times around the circle as necessary to keep its shape.   Tie the sinew in a knot on the circle.
• Take the free end of the sinew and tie it to the larger stick.
• Using one hand, hold the stick, flip the circle up and try to catch it on the end of the stick.

Wood Properties Investigation Sheet

Draw pictures of the three woods here.   Write the names of the woods on the lines.

1) ______________      2) ______________      3) _______________