Indian Texans - Institute of Texan Cultures

Indian Texans
Indian Texans highlights the diversity of Indian groups in Texas. This
chapter also suggests that the "make do, can do" philosophy of Texans
dates from the early Indians, who made their food, clothing, homes,
tools, and art from natural materials in their environment.
M ake and Use a Grinding Tool (pg. 8)
Social Studies-geography, skills: constructing visuals (artifacts); Science
Food for Thought (pg. 8)
Social Studies- history, geography, skills: analyzing and discussing information,
problem-solving, drawing conclusions; Language Arts; Science
What kinds of things did the Indians grind? Acorns, grass seeds,
mesquite beans, pecans and other nuts, seeds, and dried plants for food;
rocks and charcoal for paints. What kinds of foods are ground today?
Wheat, corn, spices, sugar, etc. How might the Indians of east Texas
have made a grinding tool? By hollowing out a log for a container and
using a thick stick as a grinder. What hand grinders do we see today?
Pepper grinders, coffee mills, and metates. What has replaced hand
grinders? First, mills powered by water. More recently, mills powered
by electricity and electrical appliances.
Why do people grind materials? To change their form so that they
can be m ixed with other substances. Why has the grinder been such
an important tool for thousands of years? To grind grains to make basic
foods like bread.
Invite an Arch aeologist to Class (pgs. 7-8)
Social Studies- history, geography, skills: analyzing, discussing, and evaluating
information; Language Arts; Science
Invite an expert to share slides and information about archaeology
and early Texas Indians . To find a speaker, contact a local college or
the Office of the State Archeologist, Texas Historical Commission, P.O.
Box 12276, Capitol Station, Austin, TX 78711/(512-463-6090), or the
Texas Archeological Society, c/o Archaeological Research Center,
UTSA, San Antonio, TX 78249-0658/(210-691-4378) . These organizations can give you names of qualified amateur or professional archaeologists in your area .
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Experience the Rock Art of Texas Indians (pg. 8)
Social Studies- geography, skills: interpreting visuals, drawing conclusions,
differentiating between primary and secondary sources; Fine Arts
Visit Seminole Canyon State Historical Park near Del Rio or Hueco
Tanks State Historical Park near El Paso or other sites of Indian art.
Study the paintings. Notice what kinds of things are depicted. Notice
the colors, the shapes, and the designs in the paintings.
Write about the Indian Paintings (pg. 8)
Social Studies- group influences, skills: interpreting visuals, d rawing
conclusions; Language Arts; Fine Arts
Look at the paintings on page 8. Imagine that you are the painter
and write about your paintings . W hy would you paint them? How
would you paint them and for whom? How would you explain y our
paintings to people of today?
Archaeologists put themselves in the place of the Indians just as
you are doing. It helps them learn more about how the Indians might
have lived.
Paint like the Indians D id (pg. 9)
Social Studies-history, geography, skills: constructing visuals (artifacts),
modeling cultural behavior; Fine Arts
These pebbles were painted by Indians who lived in the Lower
Pecos region. They date from about 6000 B.C. to about A .D . 1400 .
The designs were painted with black pigment on elongated river pebbles .
It is thought that the pebbles were used in rituals, but we do not
really know their meanings. You might want to paint some symbols
or logos of today on your pebbles. Would people a thousand years from
now know what they mean?
Visit a Reconstruction of a Caddo Home (pg. 10)
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Social Studies- history, geography, skills: analyzing information , interpreting
visuals (artifacts), differentiating between primary and secondary sources;
Science; Fine Arts
Visit the Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site near Alto and see
a Caddo horne. Archaeologists built this Caddo horne the same way
their research indicated the Caddos built them. You can also see Caddo
pots, pipes, and tools in the museum at the site. The picture of the Caddo
horne on page 10 is part of a mural in the museum.
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Look and Learn (pg. 10)
Social Studies - civic responsibilities, history, geography, skills: interpreting
and discussing visuals, drawing conclusions, problem-solving; Language Arts;
Fine Arts
From the picture, figure out the steps taken to build the Caddo
house. First, the Indians probably cut long grasses for thatch and strands
of bark for cord. They made holes for poles in a circle in the ground
and cut trees for poles. They would have used materials that were available in the area.
Next, they set in the poles. How would they have fastened the poles
together at the top? Men climbed up a center pole and, from the top,
lassoed the poles in the circle, pulled them into the center, and lashed
them together. (Later, they removed the center pole.) Next, they lashed
crosspieces to the poles to make a frame. Finally, they tied bundles of
grass onto the frame.
Why did they put on the grass starting at the bottom? So that the
bundles of grass above would overlap the lower bundles, like shingles,
and rainwater could run off the surface of the house. How tall do you
think this unfinished building is? Possibly 25 feet. How does this compare with the ceiling of your classroom? Why were the houses so high?
We don't know; we can only guess. We do know that food was stored
on racks high up on the inside walls of the h ouse.
Do you think it took planning to build this house?
Cook Indian Corn Soup (pg. 10)
Social Studies- group influences, skills: modeling cultural behavior; Math;
Science; Health
Dry Foods like the Indians (pg. 10)
Social Studies- geography, skills: predicting outcomes, modeling cultural
behavior; Science
The Indians used dried corn and deer meat in their soup. You can
dry foods too. Pull the shucks away from an ear of corn (but don't
remove) and tie them together. Hang the ear by the shucks in a dry,
shady place. In a week or two, the ear should be dry . Then you can
break the kernels off and store them in a jar. Or hang strings of hot
peppers, green beans, or sprigs of parsley in a corner of your classroom
to dry. When thoroughly dried, store in a closed container.
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Food for Thought (pg . 10)
Social Studies-geography, skills: gathering, discussing, and analyzing
information, problem-solving, drawing conclusions; Language Arts; Science
Why did the Indians dry foods? To keep them for a long time
without their spoiling, before there was refrigeration. What dried foods
can you find in stores today?
Find a picture in another chapter of food being dried (pg. 55) .
How is the meat being dried? By smoking it. What other ways are there
to keep foods from spoiling? Pickling, canning, cooling, freezing. Can
you imagine a new way to preserve foods?
Sing to a Corn Dance Song (pg. 11)
Social Studies- history, geography, skills: modeling cultural behavior; Fine Arts
FOR FUN
Play a Game like the Mission Indians Did
Social Studies-group influences, history, skills: constructing visuals (artifacts),
modeling cultural behavior; Physical Education
Coahuiltecan Indians at Mission San Juan Capistrano played a
game with cuartos. Cuartos are flat, round disks made out of sandstone.
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Find or chip a stone for a cuarto. Then make a hole in the ground.
Stand a few feet away and try to pitch your cuarto into the hole. Many
games were first played with sticks and stones. Think of others . Jacks,
marbles, and pick-up-sticks are a few.
Make a Necklace like the Lower Pecos Indians Did
Social Studies- geography, skills: constructing visuals (artifacts), modeling
cultural behavior; Science; Fine Arts
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Collect the little, white land snail shells that can be found in gardens
and under trees, particularly in south Texas. Punch a little hole in each
shell with a needle. String the shells on a cord .
Make a Pot like a Caddo Pot
Social Studies- geography, skills: constructing visuals (artifacts, modeling
cultural behavior; Science; Fine Arts
Make a small pinch pot by pushing your thumbs into a ball of clay
(about 2" in diameter). Shape the clay between your thumbs and fingers
into a pot. Copy a Caddo design (see pg. 7) on your pot, using a sharp
stick or a piece of broken shell. Is the design on the Caddo pot like
the design on the Lower Pecos pebble?
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