This week, as part of cultural studies, all five of our Lower Elementary classrooms were visited by a native Wampanoag educator from Plimoth Plantation. This program was generously funded by the Friends of Tobin.
Students have been studying the Wampanoag people and culture and considering the question, "Who were the Wampanoag and how did they live in the land we call Massachusetts?"
Students learned about the daily life of the Wampanoag in the 17th century, as well as their current lives and communities. Students heard about the connection the Wampanoag and other Native People have to Mother Earth, their seasonal way of life and their respect for all living beings. The Native American Museum Teachers shared colorful photographs from Plimoth Plantation’s Wampanoag Homesite and passed around artifacts of traditional life, such as wooden bowls and spoons, animal furs and tools. The Native Museum Teachers wore modern clothing and spoke from a modern perspective, so that they could discuss the story of their people in both past and present times.