Cultural Uses of Wood
Driftwood Journey Curriculum
Lesson Summary
Objective: Students will understand the importance of wood in the lives of their ancestors.
Outcomes:
- Students will appreciate the ingenuity of the Alutiiq people and their dependence and application of the available resources to their needs.
- Students will understand the connection between the characteristics of a certain wood and its purpose.
Materials needed:
- artifacts from local museums or from local people
- journals
- pictures of artifacts and tools
People to be included: Elders, museum curator
Process
Gear up: Check with museum if a visit or a kit can be shared with the students. Also check with local people to bring in wooden tools.
Explore:
- What could this be used for?
- Compare weight of the wood to another tool. Based on your observations the other day, what kind of wood do you think this is?
- Look at the shape and design. Draw a picture of it in your journal.
- What is the Alutiiq name of the tool?
- Wood uses:
- Fur stretchers
- Trapping (weasels or tummuk – introduce Alutiiq words whenever possible
- Dory knees
- Sod houses / barabras / ciqlluaq
- Smoking fish
- Steam bath / banya / magiwik
- Heat – for personal use and cooking
- Weapons and other tools
- Utensils (bowls, spoons, ulus, etc.)
- Recreation (drums)
- Burial boards
- Ceremonial masks
- Wenneke (alder branches with leaves used in banya)
- Hats (spruce root hats, bentwood hats)
- Baskets
- Fish hooks
- Dolls
- Drying rack for fish
- Tent frames
- Decorations and personal enjoyment
- Ash for cleaning purposes
- Yokes for carrying water
Generalize:
- Name the different past uses of wood that you’ve learned.
- What are some of the things made from wood in your house?
- Are different woods used for different things?
- Could we make all those things from driftwood?
- What do we use driftwood for today?
