Native Alaskan Life and Culture

First you will be split into groups of 5.  Each group will be given a secret envelope containing pictures and other clues about your tribe.  Do not share this information with anyone other than your group members.  You will use the clues to help you determine which tribe your plane has landed near.  There will be a special prize for the group who can solve the mystery of their tribe name first.  Each person in your group will be assigned a different role, and it will be your job to gather evidence about your specific role and bring it back to the group to support the decision to be made about the tribe you have.  When you have determined the name of your tribe, your job will then be to learn about totem poles and how your tribe has traditionally made their totem poles, such as what animals they use and what they generally look like.  You will then construct your own miniature totem pole together as a group using paper towel roles, construction paper, and markers.  Feel free to bring in your own craft materials to use as well.  This totem pole should contain elements that are unique to the members of your group, but should also resemble totem poles that have been made by your tribe.  Finally, your group will present the totem pole to the class explaining how it represents your tribe and the members of your group.  You should be able to share with the class a basic overview of what you learned about your tribe in explaining your totem pole, so that they can learn about tribes other than theirs too.  You should be able to answer questions about your totem pole and your tribe for the teacher and the class. 

Here are the steps that you should follow:

1. Examine the clues in your packet as a group.
2. Each person should take the clues labeled with their assigned role to help with research.
3. Gather evidence based on your clues to support a decision for your tribe.
4. Bring any evidence and information found for each role back to the group and use everyone's findings to determine your tribe.
5. Confirm whether your decision for your tribe is correct or incorrect with the teacher.
   
6. Identify unique characteristics of your tribe to include in the totem pole.
7. Gather supplies for your totem pole.
8. Construct your totem pole.  Be creative but keep it true to your tribe.
9. Present the finished product to the class including an explanation of its significant features and how they relate to your tribe and your group. 

Roles:

Shelter/Living Environment/Region (use attached map)

Food/Gathering/Hunting

Clothing

Customs/Rituals/Traditons

Family Life

Websites:

Totem Pole Info:

http://www.native-languages.org/totem.htm

This is a link for American Indian totem poles including another link for Alaskan totem poles.

http://users.imag.net/~sry.jkramer/nativetotems/default.html

This is a link to a site about totem poles.  Students can use this site to help them with their final assignment to create their own personal totem poles.

Alaska Native Heritage Center Site:

http://www.alaskanative.net/en/home/

This is the site for the Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage, Alaska which is a museum dedicated to the lives, culture, and history of the native Alaskans.  It gives a wide variety of information on the different tribes, as well as education information (such as curriculum and resources) for teachers, and opportunities to plan a class field trip.

Educational Resources:

http://www.alaskanative.net/en/main_nav/education/

This is the Education/Programs link for the Alaska Native Heritage Center.  It provides educational information and other links to helpful resources.

Athabascan Tribe:

http://www.alaskanative.net/en/main_nav/education/culture_alaska/athabascan/

This is the link for the Athabascan tribe on the Alaska Native Heritage Center site.  It provides basic information about various aspects of the Athabascan culture, such as clothing, transportation, traditions, etc.  It also includes some pictures to show examples of Athabascan culture.

Aleut Tribe:

http://www.alaskanative.net/en/main_nav/education/culture_alaska/aleut_alutiiq/

This is the link for the Aleut and Alutiiq tribes on the Alaska Native Heritage Center site.  It provides basic information about various aspects of their culture, such as clothing, transportation, traditions, etc.  Pictures showing examples of the culture are also included here.

Yupik and Cupik Tribes:

http://www.alaskanative.net/en/main_nav/education/culture_alaska/yupik/

This is the link for the Yup’ik and Cup’ik tribes on the Alaska Native Heritage Center site.  It provides basic information about various aspects of the Yup’ik and Cup’ik culture, such as clothing, transportation, traditions, etc.  Pictures showing examples of the culture are also included here.

Inupiaq and St. Lawrence Island Yupik Tribes:

http://www.alaskanative.net/en/main_nav/education/culture_alaska/inupiaq/

This is the link for the Inupiaq and St. Lawrence Island Yupik tribes on the Alaska Native Heritage Center site.  It provides basic information about various aspects of the Inupiaq culture, such as clothing, transportation, traditions, etc.  Pictures showing examples of the culture are also included here.

Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian Tribes:

http://www.alaskanative.net/en/main_nav/education/culture_alaska/eyak/

This is the link for the Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian tribes on the Alaska Native Heritage Center site.  It provides basic information about various aspects of their culture, such as clothing, transportation, traditions, etc.  Pictures showing examples of the culture are also included here.

 http://www.aaanativearts.com/article1092.html

This is an additional link including basic information about the Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribes.

Pictures:

http://www.alaskanative.net/en/paranav/media_room/photo_gallery/

This is the link for the photo gallery on the Alaska Native Heritage Center site.  Here students can find a variety of pictures depicting different aspects of their assigned tribes’ culture.

Activities/Games:

http://www.anchoragemuseum.org/kids/KidsGrowingUp.aspx

This is a link to an educational game/quiz which teaches kids about what it was like to grow up Alaskan long ago.