Keepers of the Word Slides Keepers of the Word
How we remember history without writing it down.
The Message Shift
When we pass a message from person to person, what usually happens?
Details are forgotten.
New facts are added.
The meaning changes entirely.
"The fire burned bright in the valley."
"The tire was white and silly."
Not Just a Game
The Discipline
For many Native nations, oral history was a highly trained profession . Storytellers weren't just entertainers; they were the community's hard drives and libraries.
Precision
Historians were trained from childhood to memorize thousands of lines, details, and genealogies with perfect accuracy.
"The story must be told exactly as it was told to me, so the truth remains for the children."
A Shared Responsibility
Community
Everyone listens together to verify the story.
Repetition
Stories are told often so they are never forgotten.
Connection
The speaker and listener are connected in the moment.
Big Idea: History isn't just a book on a shelf. It is a living performance that requires a teller and a witness.
Ready to Listen?
We are going to practice the skill of the Legend Listener . You must focus not just on the plot, but on the wisdom inside the story.
No distractions
Focus on the teller
Hold the words
Storyteller Secrets Teacher Guide Storyteller Secrets
Teacher Lesson Guide & Scripts
Lesson 1: Oral Tradition
Instructional Goal
Students will understand that oral history is a disciplined, accurate method of record-keeping. They will contrast the fragility of casual speech (Telephone Game) with the formal training of traditional Native storytellers.
Materials Needed
• Keepers of the Word Slides
• Legend Listeners Worksheet
• Audio of a Native Legend
• Student "Tokens" (small stones)
The Hook: The Trained Message
Step 1: The Casual Round
Whisper a simple, descriptive sentence to one student (e.g., "The red hawk circled the silver river three times before the sun dipped behind the mountain." ). Let it pass quickly around the room. Compare the final result to the original.
Step 2: The Disciplined Round
Select 4 "Historians." Give them 1 minute to "train" together. Tell them the story 3 times. They must repeat it back to you exactly. Then, they tell it to the class. Show how the process of repetition and verification ensures accuracy.
Read-Aloud Script: The Gift of the Tree
"Listen closely, for this breath I use to speak is the same breath that carried this story to my grandfather, and his grandmother before him. This is not just a story; it is a map of how we became who we are."
"Long ago, the Great Spirit saw that the people were cold and had no shelter. He called upon the spirits of the forest. The Oak stood tall but was too hard to carve. The Pine was soft but leaked sticky sap. Finally, the Western Red Cedar stepped forward. 'My wood is soft and straight,' the Cedar said. 'My bark is strong for weaving. My roots will hold your baskets.' "
"The people honored the Cedar. They never took more than they needed. They spoke to the tree before they carved it. They remembered that the tree was a living relative, not just a thing. This is why we carve our history into its wood today—to remember the promise we made."
Discussion Guide
Check for Understanding:
Why was it important for the story to be told 'exactly' as it was heard? What might happen if a storyteller changed the ending of a legend?
Critical Thinking:
Is a story told by a person less 'true' than a story written in a book? Why or why not? How does hearing a voice change the way you feel about the facts?
Legend Listeners Worksheet Legend Listeners
Name:
Date:
Living History Practice
In many Native cultures, listeners had a job just as important as the storyteller. They had to witness the truth. As you listen to the legend today, focus your mind. Imagine the images in your head as if they were being painted.
1. The Anchor Event
Every legend has a central event that changes everything. What was the most important moment in the story you just heard?
2. Exact Details
Historians must be precise. List three specific details from the story (colors, numbers, names).
A.
B.
C.
Memory Trick
"I listen with my ears, I hold with my heart, I speak with my truth."
3. The Wisdom
Native American oral histories often teach a lesson or explain why something in nature is the way it is. What was the "wisdom" or lesson in this story?
4. Passing it On
If you had to tell this story to a first grader tomorrow, what is the ONE sentence you MUST get exactly right so the meaning isn't lost?
"The truth is..."
Symbols in the Snow Slides Symbols in the Snow
Exploring Lakota Winter Counts
A Community Calendar
For the Lakota people of the Great Plains, a Winter Count was a pictorial calendar recorded on a large animal hide.
One symbol = One year
Records community history
Painted in a spiral
History flows like a circle, starting from the center and moving out.
The Keeper of History
The "Winter Man"
The Winter Man was the community's historian. He was responsible for:
Deciding which event was the most important that year.
Designing the symbol to represent it.
Remembering the full story behind the symbol.
"The symbol is the key that unlocks the memory of the story."
Decoding History
Black Circle
Represented a solar eclipse.
Fire
A year of a great prairie fire.
Cold Wind
A year of a very harsh winter.
Tree
A year of moving to new forests.
The symbols had to be simple enough to draw on hide, but unique enough to remember the specific year!
Your Turn
You are now the Winter Man (or Winter Woman) of your own life. You will create a Winter Count for the last 5 years of your history.
1. Choose the Event
2. Create a Symbol
3. Paint the Spiral
My Winter Count Project Personal Winter Count
Project: Recording Your Own History with Pictographs
Historian Name
Winter Record of
Step 1: The Timeline
Think back over the last 5 years. What was the most important event for YOU or your FAMILY in each year? Write it down first.
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Step 2: The Pictograph Spiral
Draw your symbols in the spiral below. Start with 2021 in the very center and move outward clockwise. Use no words —only pictures!
Newest History (Outer)
Oldest History (Center)
Oral History Connection:
When someone looks at your Winter Count, they won't know exactly what happened unless YOU tell them. Be ready to narrate the story of each symbol to your class!
Lakota Symbols Key Lakota Symbols Key
Common Pictographs found on Great Plains Winter Counts
Solar Eclipse
Used to record years when the sun was blocked, often seen as a significant spiritual event.
Prairie Fire
Marks a year where a massive fire swept the grasslands, affecting hunting and camp movement.
Hard Winter
A year of extreme cold or deep snow where survival was the main community story.
Peace Treaty
Two figures shaking hands or holding a pipe, representing an agreement between nations.
New Campsite
Indicates a year the nation moved their main camp to a significant new location.
Bison Return
Used for years with successful hunts or the return of the herds after a long absence.
Stylistic Tip
Notice that these symbols are line drawings . They don't use much shading or fine detail. This made them easier to paint with natural dyes using a bone brush or a stick on a rough hide surface. When you design your own symbols, think about clarity !
Native Symbol
Pictograph
English Word
Written Record
Beaded Treaties Slides Threads of Agreement
Wampum Belts of the Eastern Woodlands
Beads with Meaning
Wampum are tubular beads made from the shells of sea animals (like the quahog clam).
White
Peace, purity, and good news.
Purple
Laws, treaties, and serious events.
"The beads are not just decorations. They are the legal documents of the Haudenosaunee and other nations."
Case Study: The Hiawatha Belt
Seneca
Cayuga
Onondaga
Oneida
Mohawk
This belt records the Great Law of Peace . Each shape represents a nation. The lines connect them in a path of peace.
The center tree (Onondaga) is where the fire of the confederacy is kept.
Reading the Beads
Memory Aids
The patterns help the "Wampum Keeper" remember the specific words of a treaty.
Promises
Exchanging a belt was like signing a contract. It meant "I speak the truth."
Preservation
Belts were kept for hundreds of years to remind the people of their laws.
Today, we will design our own "Classroom Wampum" pattern to represent our shared rules and peace!
Wampum Weaver Worksheet Wampum Weaver
Design a Symbolic Agreement for Your Class
Name: ____________________
Date: ____________________
The Mission
Wampum belts use geometry to represent ideas. Your goal is to design a pattern that represents a Class Rule or a Promise of Peace between students.
White: Goodness
Purple: Truth/Law
Common Shapes
• Square: A Nation or Home
• Diamond: A Council Fire
• Line: A Path or Connection
• Humanoid: A Person or Witness
• Triangle: A Mountain or Landmark
• Rectangle: A Building or Territory
Part 1: The Wampum Pattern
Use the grid below to color your design. Each box represents one shell bead. Remember: most belts only use two colors !
Part 2: The Meaning
What is the "Rule" or "Agreement" being recorded?
Explain your symbols. (Example: "The purple square is my desk...")
Cedar Stories Slides Carved in Cedar
The Totem Poles of the Pacific Northwest
Cedar Stories
Native nations like the Haida , Tlingit , and Tsimshian carved massive poles from Western Red Cedar.
They were NOT worshipped.
They were visual records of family history, ancestry, and important community events.
Ancestry
Displaying which family lived in a house.
Legends
Telling stories of the Raven or other beings.
Memorials
Honoring a leader who passed away.
The Language of Animals
The Bear
Strength, Protection, and Motherhood.
The Eagle
Wisdom, Vision, and Power.
The Raven
Creation, Knowledge, and Trickery.
"Every carve, every line, and every color has a specific meaning in the story."
A Common Myth
Lowest Figure
The Reality
In many traditions, the figure at the bottom of the pole is actually the most important .
Why? Because the bottom figure is at eye-level. It's the one that people see first and clearest when they walk by.
Crest Carver Design Sheet Crest Carver
Designing Your Personal Historical Pole
Clan Name: _________________
Station: _________________
The Carving Plan
Draw three figures that represent your history or family strengths. Think about which one goes on the bottom (eye-level)!
Top Segment
Middle Segment
Eye-Level Segment
The Oral History
Explain the "carving" of your history. Why did you choose these specific figures?
TOP FIGURE:
MIDDLE FIGURE:
BOTTOM FIGURE:
Color Symbolism Guide
• Red: Life, Blood, War or Celebration
• Black: Power, Certainty, or Victory
• Green/Blue: Water, Sky, or Nature
• White: Peace, Purity, or Spirits
Gallery Night Facilitator Guide Gallery Night Facilitator Guide
The Living History Museum Finale
The Mission
The goal of this final lesson is for students to act as trained oral historians . They will use their symbolic artifacts (Winter Counts, Wampum, or Totems) as tools to speak their history into the room.
Museum Setup
The Museum without Plaques: Arrange student desks or tables in a circle. Each student displays their artifact. Do NOT include written explanations.
The Witnesses: Divide the class in half. Group A are the "Keepers" (presenters). Group B are the "Witnesses" (listeners). Switch halfway through.
Facilitator Script
"Welcome to our Gallery of Echoes. Today, these objects are silent, but they are full of memory. To read them, you do not need an alphabet. You need a voice and an ear. When you approach a Keeper, they will speak the truth of the beads, the hide, and the wood."
What to Look For
Precision
Does the student remember the specific details of each symbol without hesitation?
Story-Voice
Does the student speak with authority and a narrative flow (rather than just listing facts)?
Connection
Does the student maintain eye contact with their "witnesses" while speaking?
Pro Tip: Dim the lights and play soft flute music or nature sounds to set the atmosphere of a sacred or historical space.
Oral Historian Script Oral Historian Script
Historian:
Presentation Scaffold
1. The Opening
A storyteller always begins by inviting the listeners into the history. Choose an opening or write your own.
"Listen closely to the words I have been given..."
"I bring you the history of my people/life..."
2. Decoding the Artifact
You will show your artifact to the witnesses. Use these "bridging" sentences to explain your symbols.
"Look here at this [symbol name]. This represents the time when..."
"Next, I carved/painted this [symbol name] to record..."
"The most important part is the [symbol name] because..."
3. The Closing Ceremony
End your presentation with a powerful statement about the importance of memory.
Example: "I have spoken my truth, and now it is yours to remember."
Speaker Tip: Do NOT read this script like a robot! Practice saying these lines until they feel natural. A true historian looks their audience in the eye.
Storyteller Mastery Rubric Storyteller Mastery Rubric
Skill Area 3 - Master Keeper 2 - Apprentice 1 - Novice Listener Symbolic Accuracy The artifact clearly represents 3+ specific historical events with unique, thoughtful symbols. The artifact has 2-3 symbols, but some might be unclear or simple. The artifact is missing symbols or doesn't represent history. Oral Precision Narrates the history fluently without reading from a paper. Every symbol is explained with detail. Narrates history but relies on notes occasionally. Most symbols explained. Unsure of what symbols represent or reads exactly from a paper. Voice & Presence Maintains strong eye contact and projects voice. Uses a "storyteller's tone." Occasional eye contact and clear voice. Mostly conversational. Speaks very quietly or avoids eye contact with the witnesses. Witness Respect Actively listens to others when not presenting. Asks thoughtful questions. Listens to others but doesn't engage with their history. Distracted or talking while others are sharing their history.
Keeper's Feedback
Strength:
Growth:
Final Mastery Level
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