Macy Easterly, Springfield, MO

Tracy Easterly sent us some photos of her daughter Macy's Native American school project. Her assignment required Macy to model of a Native American village for a tribe that once lived in Missouri. The village had to include buildings and/or shelters, crafts, weapons, foods the Indians would have grown or eaten and anything else the student would like to tell about the tribe's lifestyle and culture. Macy is very proud of her well-deserved "A" and described for us how she made her project.

"First I did the research on the Indian Tribe to select. Then I had my dad cut me a 2'x2' board. I had to figure out what items to put on my board and where to put them. I gathered my supplies and was ready to start putting my project together with the supervision of my Aunt Tina."

"I painted the water with the different colors of blue paint across one side of the board and while that was drying, we cut the ReadyGrass wavy. When my paint dried I glued on the ReadyGrass. I added some fish stickers to make it look real and that is also what the Indians ate. Then I added a top coat of Realistic Water to make the water glossy."

"While the water was drying, we used clay and made pumpkins and beans for the garden and pottery bowls. When they were dry, I painted them. I glued down the vegetables and added dirt. I used rocks to line the shoreline and placed the trees on my project. I made the longhouse next, using an oatmeal container cut in half and covered with clay. Then I smushed grass into the clay."

"Next I made the religious house. We used the Tepee template from the Structure and Building Kit to form the house. Then put clay over it, added twigs and grass and placed it on the project. I placed a beaded mat and arrowhead near the house."

"Since the Indians used travois to move their supplies, I used tepee sticks, scrap leather, twine and small twigs and hot glued it to a dog. I added a porcupine roach that the Indians wore in hair. It is made out of deer fur and a feather."

"As a finishing touch, I used acorn hats as Indian baskets. Next we used the Building and Structure Kit to make the tepee and added a beaded decoration to it. Last, we added the Indians themselves and the deer and buffalo."