extension of learning
Photograph by Robin Nelson (2015)
Materials: Construction paper, Ruler, Markers (crayons or colored pencils), hole punch, and yarn or string
Photograph by Robin Nelson. 2015.
Parfeche Bags
Dakota name – Ozuha
Has your family ever gone on vacation? Was there any discussion on what you would bring with you? Did you pack all those things in a suitcase or some kind of luggage? How did you know what piece of luggage belonged to you?
Long ago the Dakota people moved with the seasons so traveling was a way of life. Each time the families moved they needed to take everything with them, not just their clothes and beach towels. They needed to pack food, clothing, tools and even their house!
Dakota name – Ozuha
Has your family ever gone on vacation? Was there any discussion on what you would bring with you? Did you pack all those things in a suitcase or some kind of luggage? How did you know what piece of luggage belonged to you?
Long ago the Dakota people moved with the seasons so traveling was a way of life. Each time the families moved they needed to take everything with them, not just their clothes and beach towels. They needed to pack food, clothing, tools and even their house!
For luggage, the Dakota would take rawhide (buffalo hide with all the hair removed, cleaned and stretched) and form it into many containers of different shapes and sizes. Everything was packed into these containers and traveled with the family.
The women of the family decorated these containers with special designs to show that they belonged to a particular family or person. These designs could not be copied by anyone else. These designs were so special that they were passed down from mother to daughter in each family. Just by looking at a container you could tell who it belonged to.
The Dakota people made geometric designs that symbolized things in nature. They would use special brushes made out of buffalo bones or tree twigs and paints made out of minerals from the earth.
On some Dakota containers the design was symmetrical, the same on both sides of the folded piece of rawhide. The following directions are for a similar container that students can make out of construction paper:
The women of the family decorated these containers with special designs to show that they belonged to a particular family or person. These designs could not be copied by anyone else. These designs were so special that they were passed down from mother to daughter in each family. Just by looking at a container you could tell who it belonged to.
The Dakota people made geometric designs that symbolized things in nature. They would use special brushes made out of buffalo bones or tree twigs and paints made out of minerals from the earth.
On some Dakota containers the design was symmetrical, the same on both sides of the folded piece of rawhide. The following directions are for a similar container that students can make out of construction paper:
Step#1 – Measure the width of the construction paper into four equal parts and mark with pencil (for example if the width of your paper is 12 inches …you would divide it into three 4 inch marks at the triangles. Fold each end (width) of the paper at the 4” mark (green triangles) to come together in the middle (red triangles).
Step#2 - Now fold the length of the paper to meet at the middle mark.
Step#3 – Using your hole punch, make two holes in each of the flaps (shown on design)
Step#4 – Create a design and place that same design on each of the flaps
Step#5 – Take a small amount of yarn (or string) and tie the two flaps together (Just as you would lace a shoe)
Language Arts Connection
To Students:
What if you had to carry everything you owned to a place your family was moving. Would your luggage become very heavy? Think about all the things that you would have to have in order to live. Think of the things that you would like to have but maybe not have room for.
On the inside of your new OZUHA make two lists, one for items that you would NEED (necessities) the other for items that you would WANT to bring but may not have room for.
Share some examples from both lists with the class.
Page Jump
1 Essential Questions
2 Learning Goal
3 Vocabulary Words
4 Pronunciation of Dakota Seasons Video
5 Housing/Summer
6 Summer Planting Foods
7 Watcher Stage/Summer
8 Video – Dream of Wild Health
9 Wild Plants/Summer
10 Fishing – Animation of Spearing
11 Hunting/Fall
12 Buffalo – Importance of the Buffalo
13 Slide show – Buffalo as a walking store
14 Video – Prairie Island Buffalo Project
15 Dakota on the Move /Fall
16 Tipi – Tent vs. Tipi
17 Tipi – 14 Buffalo Hides Image
18 Video – Setting up a Tipi
19 Tipi - Inside a Tipi
20 Tipi – Quiz
21 Tipi – Answers
22 Essential Question Review
23 Learning Goal Review
24 Extension of Learning & Constructing a Parflech Bag
1 Essential Questions
2 Learning Goal
3 Vocabulary Words
4 Pronunciation of Dakota Seasons Video
5 Housing/Summer
6 Summer Planting Foods
7 Watcher Stage/Summer
8 Video – Dream of Wild Health
9 Wild Plants/Summer
10 Fishing – Animation of Spearing
11 Hunting/Fall
12 Buffalo – Importance of the Buffalo
13 Slide show – Buffalo as a walking store
14 Video – Prairie Island Buffalo Project
15 Dakota on the Move /Fall
16 Tipi – Tent vs. Tipi
17 Tipi – 14 Buffalo Hides Image
18 Video – Setting up a Tipi
19 Tipi - Inside a Tipi
20 Tipi – Quiz
21 Tipi – Answers
22 Essential Question Review
23 Learning Goal Review
24 Extension of Learning & Constructing a Parflech Bag