FRES Fourth Graders Learn About Native American Culture

Perry Ground, a Turtle Clan member of the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, visited French Road Elementary School in March. He led fourth graders through three days of lessons about Native American culture.

Fourth graders made a corn husk doll, a traditional craft of the Haudenosaunee, and learned about the history of the dolls and the Three Sisters.

Ground is a master storyteller and taught students about “The People of the Longhouse.” Students learned about traditional Haudenosaunee legends that have been told for hundreds of years. Ground also gave an artifact-filled presentation about “Life in a Longhouse Village,” providing students with a broad overview of the history, culture, and traditions of the Haudenosaunee people.

Lastly, students participated in a Wampum Workshop, where they learned about the wampum belt and created a "Friendship Wampum" of their own.