In this human culture and history class, students will be introduced to Ojibwe history, seasonal lifestyle and use of natural resources. After learning the basics of snowshoes, they will travel on snowshoes to a recreated Ojibwe site of 200 years ago, learning about the value and uses of five different kinds of trees along the way. They tour a summer home, then settle into a winter home to view tools, listen to legends and practice the simple skills of making twine from basswood bark. Another snowshoe hike returns them to the classroom for a short conclusion.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the Ojibwe Snowshoe class, students will be able to:

• Compare and contrast different materials and styles of snowshoes.
• Show ability to maneuver across the snow on snowshoes.
• Identify some of the natural resources used by the Ojibwe of 200 years ago.
• Give examples of some techniques used by the Ojibwe to cope with winter.
• Compare the seasonal lifestyle of the Ojibwe with the student’s own.
• Evaluate and choose aspects of traditional Ojibwe lifestyle to combine with their own, and incorporate into their daily lives.