The Boy Who Snared the Sun – Activities

Discussion Questions

1. Describe Morning Glory.
2. Describe Eagle Feather.
3. What did Eagle Feather “desire”?
4. Why didn’t the animal friends think the Dormouse could help out?
5. What traits did Mai possess that made the animals think he would be a good leader?
6. Name some heroes or leaders that you know. What characteristics do they possess? Do they all possess the same characteristics?
7. Can a leader be small? Young? Wear glasses?
8. Is it okay to be weird even when you are a leader?
9. In the end, how did the Dormouse become the hero?

Activities

Love Your Mother Earth
Supplies:  Various recyclable materials (cans, jars, bottles, etc.), construction paper, and markers.
This activity takes four to six hours to complete, so it’s a good idea to do each step on different days.

The first stage in this activity is making puppets.  Each student chooses a different, recyclable item and names it.  For example, a glass jar could have a catchy name like Plex E. Glass.
The second step is to decorate the item like their character.  You can use a variety of materials besides construction paper and markers.  Yarn for hair, pipe cleaners for arms, and googly eyes add a special touch.
Finally, the group will come together with their invented characters and will create a skit.  The skit can emphasize the importance of recycling or can teach kids what harms the environment.  You’ll be surprised with the message your group produces.
A different spin:  Children can work on poems individually, instead of the group skit.

Buffalo Hide Drawing
Take a piece of brown construction paper (the side of a paper grocery sack works really well, too). Draw a scene of Native American life: a hunt, a teepee,village life, a battle, fishing, ceremonial dance. Go online to find images to inspire your drawing. When you are finished with your drawing, rip off the edges of your paper (like removing the crust from a sandwich). This will make it look irregular like a real animal hide.
Optional: This step requires the help of an adult!
You can slightly burn the edges to make the hide look more authentic.

Paper Wampum
Wampum are Native American beads made from seashells and were used as currency.
You can make your own wampum necklaces using pages from old magazines. The top and bottom of each page needs to be marked. On top, mark every inch. On bottom, mark at a half inch first, and then every inch after.
Next, take a ruler and draw a line from the first mark at the bottom to the first mark at the top of the page. Then, draw a line from the first mark at the top to the second mark at the bottom. (You have drawn one long, skinny triangle and this strip will be used for one bead.) Draw a line from the second mark at the bottom to the second mark at the top and continue to make this “zig-zag” pattern all the way across the page.
Cut along the lines on the page, to make 16-20 long strips of paper. Put a line of glue down the middle of a strip of paper. With the glue side facing out, tightly roll the strip around a pen, starting from the wide end of the triangle. Let dry for a minute, then slide the paper bead off of the pen. Repeat with every strip of paper and you will have 16-20 beads for your necklace.

Sand Painting
Native people around the world make art using sand.
First, draw a design on a piece of construction paper. Search the internet for images to inspire your painting.
Second, carefully brush your picture with glue. If you want to be more precise, only put glue on sections that will have the same color.
Third, sprinkle the glue areas with colorful sand and/or glitter.

Wait for it to dry, and apply other colors to other portions of the picture. Or, if you chose to apply all the sand colors in one sitting, display your masterpiece when it dries!

Native American Recipes

Bannock Recipe
Source: http://www.dltk-kids.com/recipesdb/view.asp?rid=35
Bannock is a Native American fry bread favored by nomadic tribes because the dry mixture stayed fresh for long periods. The fat or oil was added at cooking time.

Ingredients:
• 4 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons oil

Directions:
Mix ingredients and add water until you have a doughy consistency. Knead approximately 10 minutes. Grease and heat a frying pan. Form the dough into cakes (like pancakes) about ½ inch thick and dust lightly with flour. Lay the bannock in the frying pan and gently shake the pan occasionally to keep the bannock from sticking. Once a bottom crust has formed and the dough has hardened enough to hold together, turn them. Cooking takes 12-15 minutes.
Cinnamon and brown sugar can also be added to the dough for a sweeter flavor.

Blueberry Bannock (Indian Biscuits)
24 ounces of fresh blueberries
5 cups flour
1 cup maple sugar (available at food co-ops)
4 teaspoons baking powder
3-1/2 cups shortening
6 eggs

Recipes for Blueberry Bannock can be found in many American Indian cookbooks. This can be eaten as a dessert or as bread with a meal. Squeeze blueberries to make approximately 1/2 cup juice. Mix dry ingredients. Put shortening in a frying pan and heat. Beat eggs with blueberry juice to get a cream. Mix cream with dry ingredients and add blueberries. Drop this dough in hot oil, one tablespoon at a time, and brown. Flip over and lightly brown on all sides. Place dough ball on paper towel and allow oil to drain. Serve hot. Makes about 4 dozen.
Pemmican
This traditional Native American food could be preserved for long periods of time in the form of pressed cakes. The meat used was usually bison, moose, elk, or deer. It was especially useful on long journeys or hunting expeditions.

2 ounces dried beef jerky
4 dried apple slices
handful of raisins, dried cranberries, or dried cherries

Put the beef jerky in the blender until it is finely chopped. Add the dried fruit. Grind meat and fruit together until fine. Take the blended mixture and lay it on a sheet of waxed paper. Lay another sheet of wax paper on top and roll over with a rolling pin until mixture is approximately 1/8 inch thick. Flip the mixture from the wax paper onto a pie tin. Bake in the tin at 350 F for 2 hours, turning several times until the mixture is dry. Another option is to let the mixture dry between the wax paper a day or two in the sun.
When dry, break off pieces of Pemmican to eat as a snack. Keep leftovers refridgerated in a air tight container or plastic bag.

Boiled Corn
30 cornhusks, green or dried
1 or 2 cups of boiling water
3-quart pot, 3/4 filled with water
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup honey

Put cornhusks in baking pan and cover with hot water. Fill 3 quart pot ¾ full with water, bring to a boil. Pour cornmeal flour into a separate bowl and mix in 1 cup boiling water. Stir until it is the consistency of oatmeal. If too thick, add more boiling water and keep stirring. Add honey. Open one of the wet cornhusks and drop 2 spoonfuls of the corn mix into the center. Fold the sides of the husk over the corn mix and fold over the ends to form a packet. Tear off a strip of another husk to use as a string. Tie the husk packet together. Repeat with other husks. Gently drop the packets into the boiling water. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Lift them out with a slotted spoon. Cut the husk string, open the packets, and enjoy!