Cultural traditions shared with school children
Karen Peterson
Students learn about harvesting a deer from start to finish.
Karen Peterson
Scraping deer hide is hard work.
Karen Peterson
CSKT Biologists asks students questions about nature.
Karen Peterson
Kids play traditional games at one of the stations.
Karen Peterson
Twine is made from sticks.
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
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PABLO — Children watched with wide eyes at the process of harvesting a deer during one of the stations at the People’s Center in celebration of Native American Awareness Week which started Sept. 13.
Hundreds of elementary students from several different schools arrived on different days in the morning hours and spent the day traveling to 15 different stations around the center to learn about Native American culture with volunteers including assistance from the Kicking Horse Job Corps.
“We are showing the kids how Indians lived historically and contemporarily,” said Dana Hewankorn, educational director for the center. “If anyone didn’t make it this week, we can schedule an educational visit to the museum.”
Volunteer Matt Torosian turned pieces of deer meat over as they dried on a rack over smoking flames. Each child was given a piece of dried meat to try. The kids said it was pretty good with a smoky flavor.
“We are teaching them not only about dried meat but how to take care of a deer,” Torosian said. “We try not to waste anything. The bones are used for soup, antlers make tool handles, and the brain is used to tan hide.” Torosian said kids asked several interesting questions about Native American culture including how deer were transported before trucks were invented. He said Indians used horses. And how was a deer killed without a gun? The bow and arrow, spear, and buffalo jumps were used.
Students learned about local wildlife from Confederated Salish and Kootenai biologists Steph Gillin and Kari Eneas. In this station, the volunteers asked the questions. “We asked them to figure out if a turtle was a reptile or amphibian,” Gillin said of one of the questions.
Damien Durglo, 10, said he learned how to make twine at another station where Frank Finley was pulling back the bark on several sticks, taking long strands of fiber, and twisting it together.
“You can use natural stuff to make it,” Damien said. “Even grass if you need to.”
Students played stick game with Barney Finley, tried fry bread, made bracelets and necklaces, ran around playing shinney, listened to the Salish language, visited Stipn Smallsalmon to see his dance regalia, decorated miniature paper tipis, and listened to drumming songs.
