American Indian Unit Part 1 Stories, Songs, & Poems

Every November, we do an  American Indian Unit. If you are wondering why I do not give it a "politically correct" title, it is due to the fact that if one is born on American soil, one is indeed a "Native American" regardless of the century, year, etc. The correct address is "American Indian", "First Nations" or "First Peoples". You will find many American Indian celebs and the like acknowledge this publicly as grammatically correct.

As usual, we begin our unit with our FAV American Indian records.

The first one is such a cute record. 

On a 45 RPM from Peter Pan Records accompanied with a book, this song will surprise you. Expecting the traditional song, you will find this record contains a surprisingly different take. The song is quite different and it starts with the number 10, counting down to number one. 10 Little Indians features bright, colorful pictures along with authentic American Indian activities and symbols, check it out:

 See what I mean?! You will most DEF want to add this to your American Indian Unit curriculum for your younger children from Amazon:

or find a nice selection from eBay: 

10 Little Indians Peter Pan Record

If you are interested in the original 10 Little Indian counting song, we like this record from Peter Pan.

This record also features the following songs:

Lazy Mary

It's Raining, It's Pouring

Oh, Dear What Can the Matter Be?

Hickory Dickory Dock

I found this record on Amazon with a different cover. I am not sure what other songs accompany it:

 

eBay has quite a selection of 10 Little Indians on Peter Pan Records with different covers:

10 Little Indians Peter Pan Record

Our fav record company's also include Young People's Records. Grouped for ages 2-5 on 78 PRM, these records provide fully cast & orchestrated thematic stories for the young. Little Indian Drum has both the story and song to delight your preschooler:

Here is one you can get for your babes on Amazon:

You may have to scroll down a bit but eBay offers more than one copy: 

Little Indian Drum

Little Hawk the Indian Boy is a grand tale of young Little Hawk and his adventures:

Better SWOOP on these as Little Hawk is a bit rare. Here is one I found on Amazon:

eBay also has one currently but may have more in the future:

Little Indian Drum

Another FAV record company of our is the Children's Record Guild or CRG. These records came monthly in the mail. It was a record club for children sponsored and fulfilled by CRG. Filled with stories, poems and songs, the CRG 78 RPM records are an exciting and fun addition to any themeatic unit. CRG put out a delightful Hiawatha rendition on this 78 RPM:

I could not find one on Amazon as this is another RARE rendition, but eBay has one or two. Check carefully as this record may be found in a lot:  

Hiawatha CRG Record

Now this rendition by Disney is on a 33 1/3 speed record:

  

Amazon has one:

and eBay has quite a few to choose from:

Disney's Hiawatha Record

You can also get it on an LP with other stories from Disney:

Here is one from Amazon:

and again, eBay has a good selection to choose from: 

Hiawatha LP Record

Tale Spinners is another brand of children's records we favor. This Hiawatha LP record is a wonderful tale:

I could only find one on Amazon:

L@@ks like this is another RARE LP as currently, I only found two on eBay but there may be more listed in the future: 

Hiawatha Tale Spinners

We really like our Show-N-Tell series Hiawatha. This record is accompanied by a filmstrip to be played on the Show-N-Tell player:

Once again, NO find on Amazon but eBay has a selection:

Hiawatha Show-N-Tell

Bugs Bunny Meets Hiawatha on this 45 RPM Capitol Record. This record is approved by Bozo the Clown and features the voice of Mel Blank:

A hard find on Amazon:

A few on eBay:

Bugs Bunny Meets Hiawatha

Here is an audio edition narrated by Harry Fleetwood from Amazon:

If you would like to read the Hiawatha's Departure Poem from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to your class, here it is:




Hiawatha's Departure
from The Song of Hiawatha

By the shore of Gitchie Gumee,
By the shining Big-Sea-Water,
At the doorway of his wigwam,
In the pleasant Summer morning,
Hiawatha stood and waited.
All the air was full of freshness,
All the earth was bright and joyous,
And before him through the sunshine,
Westward toward the neighboring forest
Passed in golden swarms the Ahmo,
Passed the bees, the honey-makers,
Burning, singing in the sunshine.
Bright above him shown the heavens,
Level spread the lake before him;
From its bosom leaped the sturgeon,
Aparkling, flashing in the sunshine;
On its margin the great forest
Stood reflected in the water,
Every tree-top had its shadow,
Motionless beneath the water.
From the brow of Hiawatha
Gone was every trace of sorrow,
As the fog from off the water,
And the mist from off the meadow.
With a smile of joy and triumph,
With a look of exultation,
As of one who in a vision
Sees what is to be, but is not,
Stood and waited Hiawatha. 

Here is my FAV Hiawatha cartoon. Done by Disney during his early years and featured as a "Silly Symphony."

 

Our Black Buffalo Favorite Indian Storyteller LP record is a real hard find on both Amazon and eBay...practically non-existant:

but it would not hurt to give eBay a try:

Black Buffalo Story Teller LP

The Legend of 12 Moons by Richard Kiley is another FAV LP of ours:

Found one on Amazon:

Quite a few on eBay: 

The Legend of 12 Moons Richard Kiley

After listening to our records, we do some American Indian Fingerplays, Songs Poems and the like. Here are some for your class to recite:

A Cherokee Good Morning Song - Meda Nix - Cherokee Nation Immersion School

When a Cherokee word is written phonetically, the following pronunciations are how they sound:

A   as in 'father'

E   an 'a' sound, as in 'way'

I   an 'e' sound, as in 'bee'

O   as in 'oh'

U   as in 'ooh'

V   sounds like 'uh'

Ts   makes a 'j' sound)

 

Sing to:  Where Is Thumbkin?

O si yo                                    Hello

O si yo                                    Hello

To hi tsu ko higa                               How are you today

O si yo                                    Hello

Ni gad a quu                                 All of you

O si yo                                    Hello

O si yo                                    Hello

Here are some Cherokee Greetings and Courtesies:

Hello   O si yo
How are you?   To hi tsu?
Fine   O s da
And you?   Ni hi na
Okay   Ho wa
Thank you   Wa do
Yes   vv ii
No   Thla
I don't know   Thla ya gwan ta

5 LITTLE INDIANS

Five little Indians, on a nice fall day (dance around)
Jumped on their ponies and rode far away(hands on next child,pretend to be ponies)
They galloped in the meadow,and they galloped up a hill,(pretend to gallop)
They galloped so fast,they all took a spill.(pretend to fall off the ponies)

Another Version:
5 Little Indians running through a door
(raise 5 fingers)
One fell down and then there were 4
(lower 1 finger)
4 Little Indians climbing in a tree
(raise 4 fingers)
One fell down and then there were 3
(lower 1 finger) 3 little Indians stewing a pot of stew
(raise 3 fingers)
One went to play and then there were 2
(lower 1 finger)
2 little Indians playing in the sun
(raise 2 fingers)
One went inside and then there was 1
(lower 1 finger)
One little Indian left all alone.
He went home and then there were none.
(lower finger and shake head) 

Going Crazy  - Cherokee Nation Language Immersion School

Tohigesd(i)   agilulotsv                          Go slowly    crazy

Nigalisdino                                                 I am going

Sawu tal tso nvg hisg sudal(i)              1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Ditsadanetli yv n(a)                                 Everybody switch

Nigalisdino tohiges                                  I am going   go slowly

D(i)agilulotsv                                             crazy

Sudal hisg nvg tso tal sawu                         6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Ditsadanetliyvn(a)                                    Everybody switch

Great Big Indian

This is the way the great big Indian

beats upon his drum.

(Pretend to beat a drum.)

He-a, He-a, He-a, Hum.

This is the way the great big Indian

rides in his canoe.

(Fold arms in front of you as you are balancing)

He-a, He-a, He-a, Hum.

Indian Children

Where we walk to school each day Indian children used to play ----             All about our native land, where now the stores and houses stand.

And the trees were very tall and there were no streets at all.

Not a church and not a steeple only woods and Indian people.

Only wigwams on the ground and at night bears prowling round-----

What a different place today where we live and work and play.  

Annatte Wynne (Lippincatt: 1947)

  

I Am A Little Indian 

Sing to: I Am a Little Teapot
I am a little Indian on the go,
Here is my arrow, here is my bow,
When I go a hunting, hear me shout
Bears and Buffalo better watch out!

Sitting Like an Indian

Sitting like an Indian (arms crossed)

Sitting like an Indian, just like an Indian.

Sitting like an Indian, just like an Indian.

Sitting like an Indian, just like an Indian.

Just like an Indian brave. (fingers behind head for feathers)

 More Verses:

Beating my tom-tom just like an Indian...

Showing my feathers just like an Indian...

Sitting up straight just like an Indian...

Just like an Indian CHIEF! (use fingers of both hands for feathers)

A Navajo Prayer                               

There shall be happiness before us.

(Arms stretched in front)

There shall be happiness behind us.

(Arms stretched behind body)    

There shall be happiness above us.  

(Arms stretched above head)              

There shall be happiness below us.

(Bend and touch the floor)

There shall be happiness all around us.

(Turn around with arms spread out)

Words of happiness shall extend from our mouths.

(Touch lips with both hands and stretch arms outward)

Rain Dance

To start the rain, have the children rub their fingers together to make a mist, then rub their hands together to make a drizzle, next, pat knees to make a downpour, and to finish, stomp the floor to make thunder. Now do the movements in reverse to make the rain stop.

Ten Days of Thanksgiving

On the first day of Thanksgiving the Natives gave to me...

     a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

On the second day of Thanksgiving the Natives gave to me..

     Two turkey gobblers,

     and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

On the third day of Thanksgiving the Natives gave to me...

     Three Native headdresses,

     two turkey gobblers,

     and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

On the fourth day of Thanksgiving, the Natives gave to me..

     four cornucopias,

     three Native headdresses,

     two turkey gobblers,

     and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

On the fifth day of Thanksgiving, the Natives gave to me...

     five bows and arrows,

     four cornucopias,

     three Native headdresses,

     two turkey gobblers,

     and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

On the sixth day of Thanksgiving, the Natives gave to me...

     six pairs of moccasins,

     five bows and arrows,

     four cornucopias,

     three Native headdresses,

     two turkey gobblers,

     and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

On the seventh day of Thanksgiving, the Natives gave to me.

     seven Native teepees,

     six pairs of moccasins,

     five bows and arrows,

     four cornucopias,

     three Native headdresses,

     two turkey gobblers,

     and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

On the eighth day of Thanksgiving, the Natives gave to me..

     eight woven blankets,

     seven Native teepees,

     six pairs of moccasins,

     five bows and arrows,

     four cornucopias,

     three Native headdresses,

     two turkey gobblers,

     and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

On the ninth day of Thanksgiving, the Natives gave to me...

     Nine ears of corn,

     eight woven blankets,

     seven Native teepees,

     six pairs of moccasins,

     five bows and arrows,

     four cornucopias,

     three Native headdresses,

     two turkey gobblers,

     and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch.

On the tenth day of Thanksgiving, the Natives gave to me...

     ten native tom-toms,

     nine ears of corn,

     eight woven blankets,

     seven Native teepees,

     six pairs of moccasins,

     five bows and arrows,

     four cornucopias,

     three Native headdresses,

     two turkey gobblers,

     and a pumpkin in a pumpkin patch!

The Indians are Creeping

The Indians are creeping.

Sh! Sh!

The Indians are creeping.

Sh! Sh!

They don't make a sound

as their feet touch the ground.

The Indians are creeping.

Sh! Sh!

You can get these American Indian Fingerplays, Songs and Poems to print out for FREE from our Teacher's Notebook Store:

 American Indian Fingerplays, Songs and Poems

We learned all about Squanto and the first Thanksgiving with this filmstrip & record. Please excuse the picture as these vintage films are hard to get a good picture of:

Finding this filmstrip is nearly impossible but thanks to Disney, you can find it on DVD:

Lots of choices on eBay for this DVD: 

Disney's Squanto DVD

This version is Narrated by Graham Greene:

Here are some fun theater plays about Squanto you may want to do with your class:

Joyful Heart's Squanto Script Link 

Thanksgiving Day Play PDF from Wise Owl Factory  

Squanto Sent of God 

Squanto Transcript from PBS 

Here is a vintage Squanto Paper Doll FREEBIE from our Teacher's Dojo Store to go along with your play:

Vintage Squanto Paper Doll

Pocahontas is another popular American Indian in our history. The Homeschool Den went to visit her I do not know how many greats granddaughter. Check it out:

Visit with A Granddaughter of Pocahontas

If you are interested in some Pocahontas DVD's, here are a few different versions:

And speaking of Pocahontas, here is a FREEBIE story with pictures to read to your babes from our Teacher's Dojo Store:

Vintage Pocahontus Story and Poem

My babes really DIG this "Start the Day With a Song" "Heap Hep Injuns" NTA cartoon from Famous Studios. I DIG it too. The "Start the Day With a Song" cartoons were one of my FAV'S as a child. 

Well, that just about wraps up our American Indian Unit Part 1. Come back soon for part 2! Here is a quick link:

 American Indian Unit Part 2 - Homes

See you there!!!

C.S. Calkins

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Elementary Matters Looking at November

Share the Wealth

Social Butterfly Sunday

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