Lakota toybuffalo,ca. 1870.6/7936

FIND thetoy buffalo

The Lakota believe that life is a sacred circle inwhich all things are connected—nature, animals,and humans. Lakota people feel a strong connec-tion to the buffalo and refer to them as the TatankaOyate, or Buffalo Nation. They respect the buffalobecause it provided food, clothing, and shelter.Its soft hair was once used to stuff things such astoy dolls.

All parts of the buffalo were used because theywere—and still are—seen as a gift from the Creator.Having toys that were made from the animal helpedLakota kids understand the importance of thebuffalo.

Look more closely. What other objects do you seethat are made from buffalo?

What is your favorite toy to play with?

FIND the women’sbasket hats

The Hupa use plants tomake both baskets andmedicine. Ceremonialdancing is seen as a wayof healing. These baskethats are worn during theBrush Dance, a ceremonyto bring the blessing ofgood health to newborns.

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Hupa women’sbasket hat,

California, ca. 190022/2619

What hats might you wear during a specialceremony?

What are ways that you can celebrate the arrivalof a new baby?

Yup’ik dogsalmon-skin

parka, ca. 1910.9/7029

FIND theparka

Today many Yup’ik people fish, hunt, and gatherfood and clothing materials from the land. Theywear both contemporary and traditional clothing,depending on the occasion. Some Yup’ik peoplestill wear traditional animal-skin parkas, whichprovide much better protection against the cold,wet Alaskan environment than store-bought coats.

Many Yup’ik people rely on hunting and fishing formuch of their families’ food. It is expensive to shipmanufactured foods to their remote communitiesin Alaska.

What are the benefits of using fish skin to make aparka?

What other kinds of items do the Yup’ik use animalhides for besides clothing?

Ed Archie NoiseCat (Salish), Raven Steals the Moon, 2003.Cast glass. 26/3228

FIND the sculptureof the moon

Native American histories are recounted as begin-ning before the arrival of humans, in a time whenplants, animals, and nature were making the worldready for people. In many stories, the moon guidesthe behavior of plants, animals, and the weather.Native astronomers tracked the moon’s phases andcycles, using them to serve as the basis for culturaland agricultural practices which continue today.

Look closely at the sculpture. Do you see thephases of the moon? How many are there?

For many Northwest Coast tribes, like the Salish,the July moon is known as the Salmon Moon.What do you think might happen during this time?

Do you have morequestions about NativeAmerican cultures?

Check out the museum’s bookDo All Indians Live in Tipis?Questions and Answers fromthe National Museum of theAmerican Indian. Available inthe Roanoke Museum Store or online.

The museum’s imagiNATIONS ActivityCenter on the third level providesinteractive, hands-on learning forcurious visitors ages 12 and under.

Open Tuesday through Sunday.

Cover: Crow horseornament decorated withbeadwork and horsehair,Montana, ca. 1890.18/9240

OurUniverses

FAMILY GUIDE

SmithsonianNational Museum of the American Indian

We inviteyou to usethis guideto explorethe Our

Universes gallery with theentire family. Use theprompts to find connectionsand similarities among youand your family and NativeAmerican families.

FINDFIND

TTALKALK

DISCDISCOOVERVER

LLOOKOOK

Let’s Look Together

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian reflects the diversity of American Indianpeople in the Western Hemisphere. In this guide, we introduce seven different communities—Tlingit,Santa Clara, Anishinaabe, Lakota, Hupa, Yup’ik, and Salish—and learn about their cultures, languages,values, and beliefs. The communities represented are living modern lives while still maintaining strongbonds to long-held traditions.

Do you ever wonder what it means to beNative American?

n Native peoples lived and continue to live through-out the Americas, which reaches from the Arctic inthe north to the tip of Tierra del Fuego in SouthAmerica. They were the first settlers of the WesternHemisphere, arriving long before Europeans; thus,the term Native American.

n Native Americans are citizens of tribes or nationsbased on the area they live in and their culture.There are hundreds of tribes in the United Statesand tens of millions of Indigenous peoples through-out the Americas. Each community has its ownlanguage, religion, clothing, and culture.

What is culture?Being Native American means belonging to a tribeor nation and participating in its distinct culturaltraditions.

FIND the sculptureof Raven

Creation stories tell thehistories of Native cul-

Preston Singletary (Tlingit),Raven Steals the Sun, 2003.

Blown glass. 26/3273

tures. They are the foundation on which Nativepeoples’ identities are built. Each Native commu-nity has its own creation story. In the Tlingit oralhistories, Raven symbolizes creation. His long,straight beak often holds a round image of thesun. Raven is known as a “trickster,” a mischie-vous character. He steals the sun to end the realmof darkness.

Share a story that originated where you live orwhere you are from.

Name some animals that havebeen depicted as trickstersin stories.

FIND the symbolof Avanyu

“The evil spirit ofdrought had come andstayed too long! All of thepeople, the animals, the birdsand the plants were in abject misery! As the dayscame and passed, the birds sang only sad songs;the plants drooped lower and lower; the animalswalked slower and the people were haunted withdespair! The earth’s rhythm was out of step!”

—“How and Why Stories: Why Rivers Never RunStraight.” In Indian Life. Pablita Velarde (SantaClara Pueblo), 1961

While Native people usually prefer to be called bytheir tribe’s or nation’s name, the museum uses the terms

Native American, American Indian, and Indigenousto refer to Native people as a whole.

Watch and listen to the SevenGrandfathers and Little Boyvideo. Since long ago, theAnishinaabe people have com-municated to younger genera-tions via an oral tradition. Oraltradition required listeners toopen their minds and hearts inorder to fully understand the les-son being taught. When eldersshare their stories, they teach us.

The retelling of the SevenTeachings is a way for the Anishinaabe to educatetheir children. The Seven Teachings remind theAnishinaabe of their responsibility to the world, toothers around them, and to themselves.

How many of the Seven Teachings can you find inthe birchbark illustration?

What values are you being taughtin order to be a good person?Are these values similar to theSeven Teachings?

more

Water is important inNew Mexico’s hot, dryclimate. Rain gives lifeto people, plants, andanimals. It also pro-vides the water, whichis mixed with clay tomake pottery andmaterial for adobehouses.

Look at the differentpieces of potteryand find the Avanyusymbol.

How many timescan you find theAvanyu symbol inthe exhibition?

FIND theSeven Teachings