Reading Skill - Following Directions
Cynthia DeFelice describes the
stranger as wearing a shirt, leggings, and moccasins from buckskin, as well as a
pouch that hung around his neck. His moccasins were beaded with porcupine quills
which were held together with strips of hide. Around his neck he wore a necklace
made from rawhide strung with teeth and claws of animals and another one
threaded with blue glass beads.
Try making a pouch or medicine bag
like the stranger wore.
₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪
Medicine Bag
Background Information
Native Americans carried
bags filled with such things as animal and bird skins, pipes, dried herbs,
and tobacco. They believed these objects to have special powers. Two of
the most important bundles were the pipe bundle and the beaver bundle. The
beaver bundle always contained the skin of the beaver along with skins of
other animals. Some had feathers of birds, rattles, and other objects. The
bundles were used in healing and opened at certain times such as when the
first thunder was heard in the spring. The pipe bundle contained tobacco
to be used in pipes. |
 |
₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪
Directions for Making a
Medicine Bag
- Cut felt into pieces approximately 8
inches wide by 18 inches tall.
- Fold the bottom edge of the felt up 6
1/2 inches forming a pocket.
- Machine or hand sew the sides together
at the 6 1/2 inch fold to form a pocket. Leave the top open.
- Fold the extra material from the top
down to form a flap. (The medicine bag is folded similar to an envelop.)
- Sew an 18 to 30 inch piece of ribbon to
the top sides of the medicine bag to form a handle.
- Students may need to plan a design on
paper before sewing it into the top flap portion of the medicine bag with
beads.