Archaeology and Social Justice in Education: Haudenosaunee Lesson Plans

Authors: Sarah Perl, Alysha Kuhn, Allison Bonaventura

Field of Study: Anthropology

Faculty Mentors: Kathleen Sterling

Easel: 15

Timeslot: Afternoon

Abstract: Archaeological and cultural heritage education are foundational to educate students about Native American Nations as a whole, but even more important is the inclusion of Indigenous voices, perspectives, and knowledge. This project centers itself around education on the five Haudenosaunee Nations, and three lesson plans about their culture were created with those tenets in mind. Lessons focused on Haudenosaunee crafts and objects, such as corn husk dolls, Wampum belts, and pottery; it explored historical contexts of colonialism, alongside the cultural values of individual Haudenosaunee tribes. The lesson on corn and the Three Sisters crops reveals truths about Native values and agricultural practices. The Wampum Belt lesson focuses on treaties and storytelling and the potter lesson centers on Haudenosaunee interactions with the natural environment to produce art. All lessons attempt to engage younger students, highlighting Haudenosaunee perspectives and tradition. The goal is not to bind Haudenosaunee to the past; rather, they attempt to recognize how these nations function and exist in the modern-day, using meaningful, archaeologically-grounded lesson plans to engage students.