Wintercount: Timeline
As part of the My School, My Museum Program the 4th grade class visited the Museum of Native American History (MONAH) during the month of November for Native American History Month. Museum educators introduced students to the history, daily life, games and ceremonies from several different North American tribes.
As part of the My School, My Museum Program the 4th grade class visited the Museum of Native American History (MONAH) during the month of November for Native American History Month. Museum educators introduced students to the history, daily life, games and ceremonies from several different North American tribes.
One of the key artifacts the classes learned about was the Lone Dog Winter Count. Serving as a tribal timeline for the Nokata tribe, 4th grade teachers saw this as an opportunity for students to compare and contrast how different cultures document history and events as the over arching theme are timelines.
One of the key artifacts the classes learned about was the Lone Dog Winter Count. Serving as a tribal timeline for the Nokata tribe, 4th grade teachers saw this as an opportunity for students to compare and contrast how different cultures document history and events as the over arching theme are timelines.
What is a Winter Count?
What is a Winter Count?
A winter count is a pictorial calendar or history in which tribal records and events were recorded by Native Americans in North America. For generations, Plains Indians drew pictographs to document their daily experiences. The Lakota term for winter count is wniyetu wowapi. The word Wowapi translates as “anything that can be read or counted.” Waniyetu is the Lakota word for year, which is measured from first snow to first snow.
A winter count is a pictorial calendar or history in which tribal records and events were recorded by Native Americans in North America. For generations, Plains Indians drew pictographs to document their daily experiences. The Lakota term for winter count is wniyetu wowapi. The word Wowapi translates as “anything that can be read or counted.” Waniyetu is the Lakota word for year, which is measured from first snow to first snow.
Usually illustrated on bison or deer hide, Lakota winter counts are composed of pictographs organized in spiral or horizontal rows. Each pictograph represents a year in history of a Lakota community. The pictographs were organized in chronological order so that the winter count provided an outline of events for the community’s Keeper or historian.
Usually illustrated on bison or deer hide, Lakota winter counts are composed of pictographs organized in spiral or horizontal rows. Each pictograph represents a year in history of a Lakota community. The pictographs were organized in chronological order so that the winter count provided an outline of events for the community’s Keeper or historian.
Lone Dog Winter Count
Lone Dog Winter Count
Lone Dog’s winter count. Tanned hide, paint 1801-1876, South Dakota
VISITING THE MUSEUM
VISITING THE MUSEUM
Charlotte Buchanon-Yale, Executive Director of MONAH, and her amazing team of Museum Educators turned the Museum into a multi-sensory educational classroom. Four different cultural stations were set up for our students to experience and learn about the many different tribes in North America each with a Museum Educator to provide information, answer questions and encourage to explore further.
Charlotte Buchanon-Yale, Executive Director of MONAH, and her amazing team of Museum Educators turned the Museum into a multi-sensory educational classroom. Four different cultural stations were set up for our students to experience and learn about the many different tribes in North America each with a Museum Educator to provide information, answer questions and encourage to explore further.
Games/ Artifact touch station
Daily Life/ Weaving station
Scavenger Hunt Station
Winter count station
RESOURCES
RESOURCES
lakotaTG_full.pdfARTS INTEGRATION PROJECT
ARTS INTEGRATION PROJECT
To help students retain information from their Museum visit and the connections with the Social Studies lessons in learning about historical timelines, the fourth grade teachers and Arts Integration Director Aaron Jones developed an arts integration project. Students have been learning about timelines and how they are used to document history and events. This project combines the European method of a timeline with the Native American winter count approach.
To help students retain information from their Museum visit and the connections with the Social Studies lessons in learning about historical timelines, the fourth grade teachers and Arts Integration Director Aaron Jones developed an arts integration project. Students have been learning about timelines and how they are used to document history and events. This project combines the European method of a timeline with the Native American winter count approach.
Students were provided an overview of the project.
Students were provided an overview of the project.
Make timelines of their lives using both a traditional linear format as well as creating a Native American inspired wintercount that used a spiral. Students were asked to research and think about specific events (historical or personal) that took place during each year that they have lived. The average age of a fourth grader is ten, therefore students would have to come up with ten chronological events ranging from roughly 2009 to 2019.
Make timelines of their lives using both a traditional linear format as well as creating a Native American inspired wintercount that used a spiral. Students were asked to research and think about specific events (historical or personal) that took place during each year that they have lived. The average age of a fourth grader is ten, therefore students would have to come up with ten chronological events ranging from roughly 2009 to 2019.
For the linear students created a line with designated points of time, each containing a written documentation of the event. For the winter count, students created a form in the shape of a hide. Then beginning of the center of the hide create pictographs that illustrated the timeline of their lives in a clockwise spiral. Students also had to create a legend for each of the illustrations on the winter count.
For the linear students created a line with designated points of time, each containing a written documentation of the event. For the winter count, students created a form in the shape of a hide. Then beginning of the center of the hide create pictographs that illustrated the timeline of their lives in a clockwise spiral. Students also had to create a legend for each of the illustrations on the winter count.
Thank you to Crayola for sponsoring supplies for this arts integration project!
Thank you to Crayola for sponsoring supplies for this arts integration project!
Examples of finished student work of a winter count inspired timeline.
Examples of finished student work of a winter count inspired timeline.
