4Elementary School News

Fourth graders get a first hand look at Native American culture

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Fourth grader Aaidyn Cook brought something special to class for "show-and-tell"—her grandfather Clifford Cook. Mr. Cook is a descendent of the Cherokee people and visited Mrs. Zajaceskowski's fourth grade class to share a little of the Cherokee and Native American culture.

Mr. Cook, who uses his Native American name Woakus (meaning Gray Fox) for ceremonies and native gatherings, brought a collection of clothing and objects from various tribes. As he described each item, he explained a little about his ancestry and the history of the people who inhabited our area before Europeans first arrived.

Children learned that Native American tribes were broken down into clans, clans into villages, and villages into family units. Our local Mohawk families were matriarchal meaning that they were headed by women. Grandmothers and mothers were the head of the families. They owned all of the family's possessions. In fact, when a man married a woman, he left his own clan and moved in with hers. Women cared for the children, prepared food, cleaned, made clothes, and kept the garden. Men were hunters and warriors and occasionally helped with the garden.

He spoke of his heritage how his male ancestor (great-grandfather or maybe older) had married a Cherokee woman.

When he finished his formal presentation, he encouraged students to look at and touch the many items that included men and women's clothing, dance sticks, rattles, and toys.

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