With such abundant resources, Native Americans thrived in the region for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans. The two main language groups in this region are Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) and Algonquian. Engage and educate students with premade activities and lesson plans!
Create a plot summary storyboard for a story relating to the First Nations of the Eastern Woodlands!
Storyboard Text
13 MOONS ON TURTLES BACK
BABY BEAR MOON
BUDDING MOON
MOON OF WILD RICE
Sozap watched Grandfather carve a beautiful wooden turtle. Grandfather showed Sozap how there are 13 scales on Old Turtle's back as there are 13 moons each year. The Abenaki have a name and a legend for each of the moons.
MOON OF FALLING LEAVES
The Baby Bear Moon is the second moon of the year. The Abenaki know to never bother a mother bear hibernating with her babies. They imagine those small bears are precious like their own children.
MOON WHEN DEER DROP THEIR HORNS
The 5th moon is the Budding Moon. One year, Old Man Winter would not leave the land. The Sun God, Ju-ske-ha, sent an owl to carry winter away. The snow began to melt and the birds began to sing.
MOON WHEN WOLVES RUN TOGETHER
The 8th moon is the Moon of Wild Rice. This moon arrives when it is time to harvest this food. Legend says wild rice was given by the Creator as a gift to the two peoples he created from the Great Bear and the Thunder Eagle so that they may harvest it together and live in harmony.
BIG MOON
The 10th moon is the Moon of Falling Leaves, which comes when the leaves turn beautiful colors and fall to the ground. The fallen leaves give their strength back to the earth, continuing the great circle of life.
The 11th moon is the Moon when Deer Drop their Horns. The Deer would fight with their horns to prove who should be chief. The Creator saw this suffering and sent his helper to loosen their horns in late autumn. Now their horns peacefully drop to the snow at the start of winter.
The 12th Moon is the moon when Wolves Run Together. When wolves lift their heads to sing to the moon, their song is stronger when they are singing together. Just as people are stronger when they work together.
The Big Moon is the 13th moon, one final moon at the end of the cycle to mark the circle of the seasons, just as the Creator made the circle of life. Those are the thirteen moons on Old Turtle's Back.