P.G. YMCA Indian Guides and Princesses
Bowie, Maryland

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December 2002                                         Patuxent Nation
 

Wow, it seems like it was yesterday that we celebrated Thanksgiving!  And now Christmas has come.  I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  We were all surprised to see some snow Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Did you know it’s been 30 years since we’ve had an inch of snow of Christmas Day.  For me, it brought back so many memories of my childhood with fresh snow on Christmas Day.  I can’t wait for us to get some more!!!
 
We had a wonderful Christmas morning at our house.  Everyone was so surprised in the morning.  Princess Morning Dove woke up at 6:00 in the morning so anxious to go downstairs and see what was waiting for her.  I can’t wait to hear what everyone got for Christmas.  

Just around the corner is New Years!  2002 is almost over and the new year is almost upon us.  What was the best thing that happened to you this year?  It is a tradition to make a resolution every year.  That means you think about something you want to change about yourself and you try very hard to make that change.



Here are some kids resolutions that I came across:

New years resolution: 

To help and be kind, before I was a snob.                            from Ditz (age 11), New Zealand

My New Year's Resolution is to be a nicer person and learn to forgive when someone does wrong.                                                                                   from Heather (age 10), USA

My new years resolutions are:                                                  from Blade (age 12), England
1)  Do Homework before the day it's due in 
2)  Be able to sit still (like that will ever happen) 
3)  to find another way of getting money 
4)  not to spend as much money. 
 
My new year resolution is to help get WORLD PEACE!!!!!  from Sarah (age 15), USA

To be nicer to my little brother.                                                  from Caroline (age 10), USA 
 

What is your resolution going to be?



Upcoming Nation Event

Our January Nation event will be Ice Skating at Allen Pond on 

 Saturday, January 18th   from  1:00 - 3:00 pm.  

Bring the whole family out and come skating with all of us.

As we are a large group, we will get a discount.  

Admission will be $3.50 for adults and $3.00 for kids.  
If you need skate rentals, they are $2.50 per pair.




Here are some Wintery ones!

What do snowmen wear on their heads ?.....................................................................Ice caps !

What do snowmen eat for lunch ? .............................................................................Icebergers !

What do snowmen eat for breakfast? ................................................................Frosted Flakes!

What do you get if cross a snowman and a shark ? ...............................................Frost bite !

Where do snowmen keep their money? ............................................................In snow banks!

What kind of bird can write?  ......................................................................................A Pen-Guin!


The Wampanoag Tribes

Long before the Pilgrims landed in New England and settled in Plymouth, the area was home to the Wampanoag, called "people of the dawn" because they lived in the east. 

These Indians believed in a Great Spirit and that all things in Nature had a part of the Great Spirit in them. They had spritual beliefs about animals, and the cycle of life.  They sat together in circles and told stories of the cycle of life and the Great Spirit.  In the past, these Indians made houses called a wigwam or a wetu. A wetu is a round building with a round roof.  The men made this type of house by tying sticks and branches together, they covered it by putting grass and tree bark on it.  These Indians also built long houses , these houses were used for tribal meetings.  Since their homes were often made of woven mats stretched with wood frames, they could carry the mats with them and leave the wooden structures behind for their return.  In the fall and winter they moved inland to the forests of oak, maple and pine where they hunted deer, wolf, bear, beaver, moose, wild turkey, raccoon, otter, and wildcat. 

The Wamanpoag lived by farming, fishing, hunting and gathering.  In the spring, whole villages, moved to the seashore to fish and plant crops - corn, squash and beans.  Since their homes were often made of woven mats stretched with wood frames, they could carry the mats with them and leave the wooden structures behind for their return.  In the fall and winter they moved inland to the forests of oak, maple and pine where they hunted deer, wolf, bear, beaver, moose, wild turkey, raccoon, otter, and wildcat.  From the streams, rivers, lakes and ocean they took fresh and salt water fish; in winter they fished through the holes of the ice.

The dress for the men was the breech cloth, a length of deerskin looped over a belt in back and in front.  Women wore deerskin wrap-around skirts.  Deerskin leggings and fur capes made from deer, beaver, otter, and bear skins gave protection during the cold seasons.  They wore deerskin moccasins on their feet.   Both men and women usually braided their hair. The men often wore a single feather in the back of their hair. 



INDIANCORN

Corn was a very important crop for the people of the northeast woodlands.  It was the main food and was eaten at every meal.  There were many varieties of corn -- white, blue, yellow and red. 

 Some of the corn was dried to preserve and keep it for food throughout the winter months.  Dried corn could be made into a food called hominy.  To make hominy, the dried corn was soaked in a mixture of water and ashed for two days.  When the kernels had puffed up and split open, they were drained and rinsed in cold water.  Then the hominy was stir-fried over a fire.  You can buy canned hominy in most grocery stores.  Perhaps someone in your class would like to bring some for everyone to sample. 

 Corn was often ground into corn meal, using wooden mortars and pestles. The mortars were made of short logs which were turned upright and hollowed out on the top end.  The corn was put in the hollow part and ground by pounding up and down with a long piece of wood which was rounded on both ends.  This was called a pestle.  Corn meal could be used to make cornbread, corn pudding, corn syrup, or could be mixed with beans to make succotash.  A special dessert was made by boiling corn meal and maple syrup. 

 All parts of the corn plant were used.  Nothing was thrown away.  The husks were braided and woven to make masks, moccasins, sleeping mats, baskets, and cornhusk dolls.  Corncobs were used for fuel, to make darts for a game, and were tied onto a stick to make a rattle for ceremonies. 

 Corn was unknown to the Europeans before they met the Indians.  Indians gave them the seeds and taught them how to grow it.  Today in the U.S.A., more farm land is used to grow corn (60 million acres) than any other grain.