· Miwok Sociologist

CULTURE

•Culture is defined as “the way of life of a group of people including that group’s language, music, foods, holidays, and beliefs.” •Explore what Native American culture is.  Explore this site and look for  Miwok Indians. There may be other sites that your teacher will assign.

"The Miwok were neither a tribe or a group of tribes. They were an aggregation of villages, speaking a common language, contracting intermarriages, and, where too much difficult country did not intervene, joining in the  celebration of ceremonies; but in other respects having practically no relations with one another." (from http://curtis-collection.com/tribe%20data/miwok.html )

 

–CALIFORNIA INDIANS: This site focuses on the Native Americans of the California- Intermountain Culture.  It gives information on food, fertile land, as well as, hunting and gathering habits.
http://www.germantown.k12.il.us/html/California.html

http://www.sierra.parks.state.ca.us/cbt/Natv2Am.htm 

Miwok Specific Site: http://www.sierra.parks.state.ca.us/igr/igr_wayom.htm 

 

•Write your notes from this site (and others, if assigned) in your journal.
•

MUSIC

•Music is an important part of Native American culture.  It is integral to their religion, ceremonies, and celebrations. •Respond to each selection that your teacher plays in your journal and answer the following questions:
–        How the music made them feel?
–        What pictures did the music make?
–        For what purpose do they think this music would be used?

Miwok music can be heard at the following site....

http://library.thinkquest.org/J001677/miwoksongs.html

(If this link will not respond try going to http://library.thinkquest.org/J001677/go_to.htm and click on the SONGS link)

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS (Source: Pacific West Traders - http://www.pacwesttraders.com/musical2.html  )

FLUTES of elderberry pierced by a row of holes, are played at a
45-degree angle or nearly vertical and to one side of the mouth,
the player blowing across the thin end, opening and closing the
finger holes to form the notes. Flute playing was a favorite
pastime of young men and served as an aid to courtship. Styles
varied from group to group. Four versions are illustrated above. 

 Approximately thirty deer toes, each attached to separate buckskin thongs and secured to a wooden handle by wrapped sinew; about 10" long. 
Lens-shaped buckskin 
rawhide rattle bound onto willow handle
with buckskin thong; about 10" long.		 Molded bulbous rawhide
rattle stitched with sinew, bound onto
willow handle with buckskin thong;
painted with red and black earth
pigments; about 12" long.
The MUSICAL BOW is the only stringed instrument of Native California. It is tapped as a restful amusement in the manner of a Jews’ harp. It is recorded among the Pomo, Yokuts, Miwok, Maidu and Diegueρo. The POMO type illustrated below is shaped of ash or other wood, painted with red and black designs, and strung with two twisted sinew strings. It is about 24” long. The YOKUTS type is made of undecorated elderberry wood and but one sinew string. It is sometimes up to 30” in length.

 

STORYTELLING & TRADITIONS

•Storytelling is an important part of Native American life.  It is a way of recording their history.  Before there was formal written language, these aboriginal people told their stories over and over to pass their history, folklore, and traditions form one generation to another.  They would literally memorize the stories.
•As systems of writing developed, some tribes would have a recorder who would paint stories on hides, cave walls, or whatever they could utilize to paint, draw or write their own stories.
•Explore the different sites on the Links page about Native American storytelling. 
•Respond in your journal to the following questions:
–        Why is storytelling such an important part of Native American life?
–        What is a legend?
         –Why were they important to the Native Americans?
INTERACTIVE STORIES
– http://www.glenbow.org/srobe/srobe.ht m
•GREAT INDIAN LEGENDS
– http://www.germantown.k12.il.us/html/legends.html
•
As the Earth filled with water, Coyote got together with Frog to make a place to live.   Frog dove deep and brought up two handfuls of sand. Then Coyote scattered the sand all around and created land. Next he created pine nuts and acorns and all the other kinds of food. When he finished, he said to Frog: 'This is a good earth, and now I'll create the People to make it their home.' - Mountain Miwok creation story

http://www.museumca.org/goldrush/fever04-ci.html 

 http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/grade3/literature/02.html 

Grade 3 Literature 

3.2 You will describe the American Indian nations in their local region long ago and in the recent past, in terms of:

  1. the national identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions 

  2. how physical geography including climate influenced the way the local Indian nation(s) adapted to their natural
    environment (e.g., how they obtained their food, clothing, tools) 

  3. the economy and systems of government, particularly those with tribal constitutions, and their relationship to federal and state governments 

  4. the interaction of new settlers with the already established Indians of the region 

BOOKS about the Miwok . . .

Bone Man, The: An Adaptation of a Modoc Folktale by Laura Simms, Disney, 1997.
In this Modoc legend, the story told is similar to Jack and the Beanstalk.

Chumash Through a Child's Eyes, The by John Wilcox, Pacific, 1997.
Depicts Chumash daily life before the mission period.

Day With Tupi by Fran Hubbard, Awani Press, 1940.
This story of Tupi, a Yosemite Miwok boy describes the life of his people and includes two Miwok legends.

Dog Who Walked With God, The by Michael J. Rosen, Candlewick, 1998.
A Kato Indian creation story begins after the people and animals of the world have been swept away by water and the Great Traveler, accompanied by a dog, begins fashioning a new earth.

 

Fire Race: A Karuk Coyote Tale About How Fire Came to the People by Jonathan London, Chronicle, 1993. This charming tale is a Karuk story which tells how animals in the early days outsmarted some mean yellow jackets to get fire.


Lord of the Animals: A Miwok Indian Creation Myth by Fiona French, Millbrook, 1997.
Coyote gathers a council of animals and invites them to create a "Lord of the Animals" who will rule over them all. Each animal thinks the lord should be in its image, and the arguments begin
until, in the end, Coyote combines the best traits of all animals to form a man.

Miwok Indians, The by Kim Covert, Children's Press, Inc., 1998.
Description of the Miwok Indians for children from ages four to eight.

Rainbow Bridge, The: Inspired by a Chumash Tale by Audrey Wood, Harcourt Brace, 1995. This story is based on the Chumash Indian legend about the origin of dolphins.

When the Animals Were People by Kay Sanger, Malki Press, 1983.
A collection of nine legends about Coyote and his friends as told by the Chumash Indians.

All of these books are available at borders.com (pictures of books acquired from borders.com)

 

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Last Revised: 01/03/01