Widening the Perspective
Basket Making and The Native People of the Northeast
Studying the Wabanaki Confederacy and other pre colonial peoples of the current day Northeast United States during the Covid-19 pandemic brings-to-life some of their struggles, in a way that we may have not been able to grasp in the past. Known as the "people of the dawn" the five tribes that made up this confederacy; Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Mi'kmaq, Maliseet & Abenaki, lived in a colder environment and relied upon snow to hunt animals. Snowshoes gave them the advantage over animals in the snow. Because of their great ability to manipulate branches, bark, reeds, and other natural materials they were able to survive in this harsh Northeastern environment, today known as Maine, Vermont & neighboring Canada.
It is said of the Penobscot's ability to fashion birchbark baskets, that it was so great the baskets could hold water without loosing a drop. Their basketry skills were far superior to that of their peers; the Europeans of the Iron Age. Of course this was a skill that took practice. Children began weaving these baskets with their grandparents and through stories and practice, character was built along with the years it took to master basketry.
While our baskets are not watertight birchbark, we too wove story and experience into our baskets. Following along with the book A kid's Guide to Native American History by Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder, we had fun creating our own Penobscot baskets with watercolor paper and paints, toilet paper and glue.
Like Penobscot children we are at the very beginning of our basket making journey. This year we hope to become solid beginners in basketmaking. Part of our learning will be skills-based basketry, along with patience & perseverance (I hope) and part will be cultural: The cultures that once wove and the cultures that continue to weave.
One of those cultures we read about was highlighted in the book Morning Girl by Michael Dorris. A Historical Fiction Novel, it is from a young person's perspective, the story of a Taino family with 2 children (& 1 lost before birth) living in the Caribbean just prior to the arrival of Columbus. Morning Girl's brother Star Boy, who stays out at night with the stars, is nearly lost during a great wind and tide. But, he is saved in the arms of his ancestoral grandfather who held him in the arms of a great tree. When the family finds Star Boy they rejoice with a great feast. They are just beginning to rebuild the community when a strange, round, and rather stinky boatload of men arrive in a funny looking boat. This all according to Morning Girl, who is the first of her people to greet them as she is swimming in the sea at first light. Needless to say, the story doesn’t end well ~ though it’s softened for children. The story ends with the reading of the account given by Christopher Columbus upon his arrival in 'India'.
In the book Before Columbus, The Americas of 1491 by Charles C. Mann we learned that the pilgrims of the Mayflower arrived in November 1620 just before the harsh Northeastern Winter; completely unprepared for winter with no food or shelter. And "Despite this unbelievable lack of preparation, half of them managed not to die in the ice and snow."
How was this possible?
The pilgrims met an Indian who spoke English. Apparently the story of “our great nation” began before the arrival of the pilgrims! Tisquantum (Squanto in our history books) was an escapee slave, who 6 years earlier had been kidnapped from the now Delaware region (Wampanoag Alliance)and brought to Europe. He was "Rescued" by anti-slavery priest in Spain and somehow became a sort of living museum exhibit in Britain (where he learned English). Through a series of events, possibly involving another kidnapping, he managed to get back to his people. Which, sadly, he found in near ruins from disease. His motives for helping the new pilgrims, cryptic at best.
Over the years of unschooling we have studied history from literally, the rocks beneath our feet. This was where curiosity first sparked my kids interests in history. It led them to the discovery of place, then people. And to ask the question: Who are we? It has led them to study maps, diagrams & story, and to make their own.
As a river running family, we have read “rock books” in the form of canyons; discovering along the way fossils, dinosaurs, gems, minerals and the archeology of a people who inhabited this land long before the days of Christopher Columbus.
Rafting the Arkansas river we learned of the divide that happened in present day Colorado between French and Spanish designated lands. Our curiosity led us to the Spanish conquistadors, The Louisiana Purchace, Lewis and Clark, French-Canadian Fur trappers, the Gold Rush, the Frontiers people and their wagons, and the Native Indians just to name a few.
Over and over again we have heard the stories of destruction; some in the form of natural disasters, climate change (dinosaurs), broken treaties, war & ravishing disease.
As I stated earlier, learning the history of the original inhabitants of this continent during a pandemic brings into focus one of the major struggles these cultures endured, or worse, did not survive: The realization that the lands Christopher Columbus 'discovered' were in a state of ruin when the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock because of the introduction of viruses and disease.
Here was a very different narrative than that which I learned in school, which sheds light on the current culture clash in the Americas today.
While we are peacefully building baskets and reading stories like Morning Girl, we studied these cultures that came before, we are at once curious and in awe about the people who have survived and maintained their cultural identity.
Having grown up in rural upstate New York, the daughter of a single Mom who, with her immigrant family, grew-up living off the land with a kerosene heater and generator.
The lands of the area that I am from are of the Iroquois confederacy, specifically between the Onondaga and Oneida nations. I grew up with both a curiosity about and an admiration for these people. (Learn more here). The Onondaga and Oneida nations are part of five (now 6) nations comprising the original Iroquois confederacy. For generations the Iroquois lived together in peace, hunting and farming. They were excellent farmers utilizing "the three sisters" technique of planting corn, bean and squash. They were also excellent boatsmen, making long river journeys in the fall and winter to hunt.
Beginning c. 900, the Iroquois lived under The Great Law of Peace which is "a constitution that spells out rules for governing. Each nation of the Iroquois Confederation is independent and governs its own internal affairs. The Great Law of peace established the Grand Council, with members representing all of the member nations, to deal with problems that affect all of the nations within the confederacy". (The Kids Guide to Native American History pg. 13)
Studied and admired by Benjamin Franklin, it is a Grand Council that is still in existence today both in the Iroquois Nation, and as adapted to the US government as a representative form of government. It was also an influence for the US Constitution. Find out more about the Iroquois's Great Law of Peace here.
And so, it's been a full couple of weeks exploring this first lesson from: A River of Voices, The History of the United States; Lesson 1: Native People of the Northeast ...and it's many rabbit holes! The kids and I enjoyed listening to Morning Girl, making baskets and other crafts...we still have plans for some cranberry dishes! The whole family has enjoyed immersing ourselves in the Native culture of the Northeast: from music and language to documentaries. Thank you to the people of these great nations for sharing with us their culture. May our children come together and create a better way of life for all, and for this great planet, our home.
Thank you to Kristina Garner for supplying us with so many relatable 'rabbit holes' in one source 💛 We're really enjoying reading about US history from a 'river of voices'!
