Native American Camp
We have just wrapped up this week-long camp in our house, and I am certain it could have lasted for weeks! Since we live in Oklahoma, there is so much rich Native American History available. We were not able to fit in any museums this week, but plan to add them over the course of this upcoming school year!
You can find all of the DIY Summer Camp At Home Series here.
In the days leading up to our first Summer Camp of 2020, the kids and I both brainstormed lists of things to do. Now that we live in the country on 20 acres, we can really explore and do a lot more of the outdoorsy things we love. Unfortunately though, our new country library is not the same as our city one, which means we did not get to read any books on our topic.
Day 1: We took advantage of our upper, overgrown field to explore, identify and collect wildflowers. We used a wildflower field guide and an app on my phone to determine the names of the various flowers.
After we gathered plenty of flowers and grasses, we returned to the house to create! We made weavings, drawings, collages, etc..
Day 2: We used natural items to dye fabric and yarn. While I had planned on using plants found around our property, I opted to use food items bought at the store.
For each food, except the black beans, I chopped and boiled it in water for about 20-30 minutes, then allowed it to come to room temperature as it steeped. The black beans were soaked over night, and then boiled and steeped. The carrots were blended after the steeping, and the juice was squeezed out. Both the cabbage and beets were just removed from the liquid and left plenty of color.
To prepare the shirts, I washed them and then soaked them in water for an hour.
Once we were ready to begin dying, I brought each pot up to a simmer and added 1 tablespoon of alum. Then, I turned off the heat and added the fabric. The shirts soaked for 2 hours in each color (two at a time, so this part of the process took about 4 hours.)
I squeezed out the shirts and allowed them to dry. Then, ironed them. Finally, I hand washed the shirts. (Not sure how they will do in the wash machine…)
They turned out lovely, but it was a very time consuming process! They also were much more faded after the first wash.
Day 3: I signed up to make over 200 pancakes for a community event, so I knew this day had to be simple! Lola made a dream catcher using the yarn we dyed and a fresh-cut tree branch. Then, we watched a few short videos on Youtube about Native American history and the Trail of Tears.
Day 4: I printed Totem Pole pictures for the kids to color and cut out. Then, I helped assemble the pictures on a dowel rod.
A few years ago, we visited a Totem Pole park. We discussed what we had learned then.
The kids were inspired by the stories of the poles, so they decided to write their own stories using Native American symbols.
Day 5: We had penciled in a Pow-wow for this day, but my husband had to work this weekend. A late night bonfire doesn’t go well if you have to get up at 4:30! Also, the winds have been really strong over the past few days. I assume the fire danger is pretty high right now.
The kids also had planned to swim across the pond. (You know, like Pocahontas!) but they each have been dealing with (I’m not even sure I can insert a fake cough anymore) a cold sinus congestion. We will postpone the swim until their heads have finished draining!
So, we actually only did 4 days of camp this week.
We are truly fascinated by the rich heritage, the meaningful stories and the beautiful art of the Native American culture.
