Journey Into American Indian Territory

 As part of their study of the history of New York State, fourth-graders at Lynbrook’s Marion Street School received a visit from a traveling museum show titled “Journey into American Indian Territory.” Guest lecturers gave students an introduction to the physical environment of our region prior to European contact and an understanding of how the Algonquian- and Iroquoian-speaking Indians of the area developed ways to survive. Through group projects, students learned the role that cooperation plays in survival. An interactive museum included dozens of Native American artifacts. In their travels through the museum, students were able to visit a replica of a longhouse, grind corn using a mortar and pestle, bang a Native American drum and more. Students also learned native games, arts and crafts, and song and dance, all geared toward giving them a chance to view everyday life from a Native American perspective.