The totem pole and shelter

My group- The Northeastern Woodlands- made a totem pole and named ourselves the Frozen Bear Clan. We also had to construct a longhouse. Here are some pictures!

The outside of our longhouse

The Frozen Bear Clan's totem pole

How Niagara Falls Came To Be

An eagle

      Once upon a time, in the South Pole, Father Earth was tending to some of the penguins. His son, Brother Land was at the North Pole. His friend, Wabsacuck (Eagle) had given him the wind feather. It has the power to take you anywhere, but only once. He had a love, a pain in his heart when he left her. Her name was Daughter Meda, which means princess. When she twirled around, jewels fell to her feet, and she glistened with sparkles. When she looked at you with her gleaming green eyes, you would feel a sense of warmth and comfort. He went to see her,with the wind feather. They stayed together for a month, feasting and dancing. And then he had to leave. Father Earth had needed him to build a glacier for the penguins.
     The Creators of the Earth were so large, it only took 2 steps to get to the South Pole to the North Pole and the other way around. The problem was, if Brother Land stepped in the water, he would create a tsunami or a hurricane, but if he stepped on land, his weight would crush the earth into a canyon or ditch, and probably cause an earthquake of mass destruction . Sister Water remembered when Brother Land had made a wall of stone to stop a hurricane that she made on accident. She had never showed her brother any gratitude for the great deed he had done, so she decided to help him. She agreed that if Brother Land stepped on the land, she would fill the crevice with water. He took a week, a day, a hour, and a minute to figure out where to step. He finally chose the spot, right by where his friend Wabsacuck lived. As soon as he stepped, the canyon filled with water. He got back to his father and tended to the penguins, and every time he went to see Daughter Meda, he stepped in what is now Niagara Falls. When he stepped, the water fell into the crevice and created a beautiful waterfall.




Eagle Photo
belgainchocolate's photo via Getty Images

Women's Rights

A deer's silhouette 

      Today, I am going to the first thanksgiving with Chief Massasoit. I am his daughter, Ottucke, which means deer in Wampanoag. My father says I am swift, and I would be a good warrior. The counselors do not think a girl should risk her life to hunt and to fight  because she would be useful in the homes. I sometimes do target practice with Nammos, fish. She would also like to be a warrior, so we both go hunting with the men to skin the deer and other animals. I sometime bring my bow and arrow, that my father gave me. I want to find other girls that are skilled enough to be warriors so we can stand up to the counselors. I have a plan to be respected, a plan for women to be more than housekeepers and mothers.

     We are inside the English Settlement. I found another girl that is also brave and strong. Her name is Ontoquas, which means wolf. We went to the settlement with my father, who brought along 90 warriors. The pilgrims were surprised at the number of people and the scarce amount of food they had. Ontoquas, Nammos, and I ran off as soon as we saw the surprised look on the pilgrim's white faces. My plan is to bring back deer before the warriors, so we could be noticed and praised as good hunters. The woods were near by, so we got five deer quickly. Each of us took one or two deer, and we headed back. It didn't seem like anybody left yet, and my father saw us immediately. When he looked at us, the others swiveled their heads and bodies. One of the counselors, Wewes, which means owl, started clapping as we made our way to Massasoit. Others caught on and soon there was applause, something I was not expecting. The word got back to the mothers and children in the longhouses, and our mothers-Shannucke, squirrel,Wawpatucke which means goose , and my mother, Motuckquas, which means rabbit- came rushing over. They started to cry joyful tears, and I asked them if they wanted to skin the deer, and they happily obliged. After the deed we had done, Massasoit gave us all bows and arrows from other great warriors that had passed. The warriors invited us to eat with the pilgrims, and we definitely said yes. I had always wanted to taste the food of the settlers, and so did my friends. We are warriors now, and showed that women can do anything men can, if they are given a chance.



Deer photo
TheAlieness GiselaGiardino's photos via Getty Images