Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Chumash Challenge!

Today we had an opportunity to experience
what it might have been like to be a Chumash Indian!

Our friends Karen and Ross from 
Camino Real Historical
and Historical Interpreters 
provided us with activities from  
The Natural World of the Chumash!

Please enjoy the slide show, and leave a comment to tell about 
what you enjoyed doing and what you learned!
Photos by Mrs. Ranney!


The Creative Hard-working Chumash! on PhotoPeach



What activity did you most enjoy and why?

What facts did you learn?

Do you know some other Chumash facts that you can share? 

11 comments:

  1. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    It was very interesting to learn how hard work the Chumash Indians had to do. I learned that it would take a long time to make a acorn cake. That is my favorite because cracking the acorns made me feel that I was Chumash Indian.

    In the book Badger Claws Badger Claws had to kill an living thing for the village. He killed the grizzly bear Old Silver Tip, who had killed his father. It took Badger Claws awhile because the bear was so strong and big. What was your Favorite part in Badger Claws?

    Sincerely,

    Sean

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    Replies
    1. Dear Sean,

      You are right. Being a Chumash Indian is not as easy as it seems. When I heard we were smashing acorns into flour, I thought we would have enough for all three of the classes to have acorn cakes, but we barely had enough to make a cookie. :(

      My favorite part of the assembly was making stone bowls because I never got to experience anything like it.

      I also loved reading Badger Claws. My favorite part was when he rescued the orphan raccoon and took care of it.

      Have you ever rescued something?

      Sincerely,
      Collin

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  2. @ Sean and Collin,

    I am so pleased that you enjoyed the hands-on Chumash assembly. Reading about something is completely different than trying to do something for yourself! Can you name something else that was difficult or harder than you imagined?

    I saw how much acorn meal the group had produced. Collin is right, we would not have enough for even a cookie!

    What sort of plants did they talk about? I remember the Chumash used one type of plant for soap and another plant to relieve a headache. Does anyone remember the names of those plants?

    Your Chumash-loving teacher,
    Mrs. Y♥llis

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    Replies
    1. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

      They were Chia and the other one Yucca. The Yucca is used for making rope and soap. When water gets on it. Bubbles show up and it looks like soap. The Chia is medicine. It also gets you full and it helps give you energy. What is your favorite plant and why?

      Sincerely,

      Sean

      Delete
  3. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I had a lot of fun learning about the Chumash Indian's work. My favorite activity they had at our school, was the bowl making. In my opinion I thought making the bowl was the hardest activity there. I liked making the bowl because it was cool to put on the powder that was in the bowl. You asked what facts we learned. I learned that making fire, rope, acorn cakes and bowls are very hard, but making the necklaces was very easy. I'm glad I did not live back then because it was a lot of hard work and I like playing video games.

    Have you ever made a necklace out of stone?

    From,
    Ryan

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  4. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I enjoyed the Chumash assembly today. I showed the video to my mom this afternoon and she was fascinated. She asked me what we were doing with the green plants and I explained how we made string out of yucca plants.

    My favorite activity was the necklace decorating because I got to draw Native American pictures and it was the most relaxing.

    I learned so many facts about the Chumash. Now I know that the Chumash Indians made bowls out of rock by using another rock to shape it. I also learned that when a messenger went from place to place, he would take chia seeds with him because they are very filling.

    Which seeds did you like better, the pine nuts or the chia seeds?

    Your student,
    Mallory

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  5. Dear Mrs. Yollis' class,
    I lived in Santa Barbara for seven years and attended UCSB. During my time in college, I participated in a restoration project on campus restoring native vegetation. While doing this project, I was lucky enough to meet a local Chumash Indian. Years ago, the Chumash Indians were prevalent in Santa Barbara and had a tribal community on the plateau near UCSB overlooking the ocean. My new friend taught me about his ancestors and the numerous agricultural (as well as scientific), spiritual, and cultural activities within that local area. I learned a lot about their tribal customs and visited the Chumash burial grounds and artifacts site near UCSB. I love learning about new cultures, especially in my own backyard!
    Thank you Mrs. Yollis for sharing this video!
    Take Care,
    Wendy Hagan

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  6. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    I liked making the bowls the best because there was powder, and we got to paint our hands with the powder if we wanted to. I learned that the months had reasons. Like April meant that you are careful and respectful to the community. I am happy my birthday is in April. Their were lots of fascinating tools! These are some facts about Chumash people. They called them selves "the first people", and the Chumash women ground acorn into meal for bread and gathered nuts, fruits, and herbs. What was the most famous food for the Chumash Indians?

    Your blogging loving student,
    Parsa

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  7. Dear Mrs. Yollis,

    My favorite activity was the acorn grinding. It really made me think about how the Chumash used this technique to make acorn cakes. It made me feel like I was a Chumash Indian learning how to cook.

    It made me appreciate how our modern times are so different and easier. I like that we have stoves instead of fires, technology, houses instead of alfalfa huts. I also like that we have cars now instead of walking or running and we can buy our clothes in stores. My mom calls these things "modern conveniences".

    Sincerely,
    Grace

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  8. Dear Mrs Yollis,

    I remember that the Chumash Indians used a rock called soapstone to make soap. They used an herb called yarrow for headaches.

    Sincerely,
    Grace

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  9. Dear Miss Yollis.
    Your video is amazing!
    I learned how the Chumash people made everything from nature.
    Lots of love Keira*

    ReplyDelete

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