United
States of America
(North
American Indians)
O’siyo,
Today we are visiting North America, more specifically, the Native American
group of people also known as Indians.
v The
capital of the United States is Washington D.C.
v Around 328.2 million people live in the U.S.
v 1.6
% of Americans are Indians.
v Indian
people used porcupine bristles for brushes and sticks for toothbrushes
v A
lot of the names for the states in the U.S. come from Indian words.
*
* * * * * * * * * *
When
Columbus landed in America he thought he had landed in India so he called the
natives Indians. Even after the mistake
was discovered the people continued to be known as Indians. The Indians history
has been a hard one since foreigners came and chased them from their homes and
land westward until they were put in reservations. I remember when I was in school playing
Indian in the woods. We girls would build tepee's and gathers sticks, leaves
and bark, etc for food and dishes. Once our teacher even took us to the neighbor's
pond to make pottery with mud. We acted
like we were on the "Trail of Tears” as we walked there.
To
me Indian was a fun game. I never really thought about how life actually would've
been for them other than the "fun" parts.
One summer mom built us a tepee with trees and sheets and we girls
played in it a lot. We would make
pottery and look in the encyclopedia to decide which "kind" we were going to
be. We tried to copy the things they
used to hunt, etc.
We
read every book about Indians we could find and chose names for ourselves and
our families. We roamed the woods and
tried to cook over the fire. This
included popcorn, which was terribly black and greasy, and mint tea that had a
peculiar taste, but we served it, (the tea) to our company anyways. (I think the popcorn got dumped.)
But
back to the Indians, let's imagine for a little bit what their lives must have
really been like. They had a routine, a
time to be here and then, when the snow falls, move there. They were content living freely and the
way that they wanted. Then here come strangers, strangers with
strange ways.
They
believe in owning land and since the land doesn't "belong" to you, you are
kicked out. Forced to move, perhaps into
enemy land. The strangers trade with you
and usually they get the best end of the deal.
Wouldn't you feel like fighting against those stranger?
Sometimes
there are missionaries who tell you about Jesus. Some are nice, but some try to force their
religion on you. You might even be
killed if you aren’t baptized. The
strange white people slowly chase you further and farther west until all of
your people are in reservations. How
would you feel about that? Think about
having to adjust to a new place, new food, new climate, and maybe even new
people. Many of your family and friends have died along the way which you now
call the “Trail of Tears”.
Now
Native Americans still live in reservations.
Nearly 80% of them have never heard the good news about Jesus. Native Ministry is working to help take the gospel
to the Native Americans. Their goal is
to reach every reservation in North America.
To learn more about them or to help support the furthering of God’s
kingdom through them CLICK HERE. Let's
pray that the Native Americans would hear the gospel and come to Christ.
* * * * * * *
This is the picture I’m looking off
of for my Native American doll today.
* * * * * * * * *
What you’ll need:
Clothespin
Scissors
Ruler
Needles
Black thread
Hot glue and gun (Not Pictured)
Black paint and paint brush
White fabric
Red, Blue, and White Friendship thread
Tan Fabric
Brown fringe
We’ll
start with her hair. First cover the whole back of the head with hot glue. Once that has dried put a strip of wax paper
around her head and add the glob of hot glue to the top of her head. Once that
is dried add the hair under the strip.
Do one line of hot glue at a time, adding hair until it looks
right. Remove the wax paper strip. When
the hot glue is hard paint it over with two layers of black paint.
To make
the headband cut a strip of white fabric 2 ¼” long and ¼” wide. Melt the edges so it won’t fray. Use red friendship
thread to make a small triangle in the front of the headband and then add lines
every so often all the way around. Now
add blue friendship thread beside the red thread.
(Optional
idea: use markers or paint to make the
stripes instead of thread.)
Cut two pieces of
tan fabric 2 inches tall and about 1 ¾” wide at the top with the bottoms of the
pant legs getting a little narrower.
Melt the edges of
the fabric. Fold the pant leg in half
outside in and sew about 1 ½” up the leg.
Once you have done this to both pant legs. Sew the remaining parts to each other to form
the pants. Experiment a little with how
you are going to do it before you actually sew it. Once that is done flip the
pants so the right side is out.
Pull the pants
onto your doll and add a gathering stitch about a ¼” from the top and pull it
in folding the edge of the fabric in as you go.
Add a few
stitches to make sure the pants will stay gathered and then tie a knot and cut
off the extra thread. The pants are
done.
Next we will make the dress.
1.
Cut a piece of brown
fringe about 2 ¼” wide. If you don’t have brown fringe you can use brown
fabric and cut strips and then try to melt them so that it won’t fray. Also cut
a white piece 1” x 2 ¼”
2.
Sew the two pieces
together
3.
Sew the back shut and then
sew shut partway down in each fringe. ( see
#4)
4.
Take off the pants and put
on the dress, then put the pants back on.
5.
Cut each fringe up the
middle. Use blue, white, and red friendship thread to add the fancy row of
thread. Take the blue first and weave it
in and out over one under two. Next take
the white and start right beside the where the blue thread started and do the
same pattern with it and then the red thread.
Use hot glue to hold the thread in place and to secure the ends to the
back of the fringe.
6.
Add some embroidery with
red and blue friendship on the top of her dress.
7.
The dress is now done.
It’s time to add the arms.
The arms
are optional. If you decide to do them
cut two bent pieces about 3 cm. long or whatever length seems right. Sand them
down very skinny since they will be seen and then hot glue them to the sides of
your doll.
Cut a
piece of the brown fringe or fabric about 2 ¼” wide and wrap it around the
dolls shoulders. Glue it fast on both
ends.
The
doll is done. Now all you need to do is
pick a Native American name for you doll.
I chose the name Otaweka for our new doll. Have a good day!
Toksa, see you
later.
Native Ministry.org
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