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Tribal Tributes Patch

For Daisy, Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts and Girls 11-17

ThiS patch focuses on two federally recognized tribes of Native Americans in the Carolinas: Cherokee and Catawba, along with five state recognized tribes: Lumbee, Coharrie, Halowa-Saponi, Merrherin, and Waccamaw. This is suggested as a troop/group patch.

With this patch, Girl Scouts learn about the heritage and culture of these native peoples. Please approach this patch with respect and honor. Help to correct the common misconceptions often associated with the Native Americans such as, "all Indians live in teepees", "the war whoop", "Indians died out long ago," and others.

We are fortunate to live so close to our Native American neighbors and the culture they have carried through the ages. There is much to be learned from their past as well as their present.

This patch is prompted by the national Wider Opportunity, "Tribal Tributes to North Carolina," sponsored by the Girl Scouts of the Pioneer Council. A Tribal Tributes program box is available for check out at the MRT Service Center.

Patch Requirements

Complete the five requirements. You may do them in any order but you should probably do #1 first.

1. Give the history of one Indian tribe from the Carolinas. Tell about the following: dwellings, food preparation, dress, religious beliefs, lifestyle (hunting, gathering, farming, etc.), language, war, role of women, political structure, transportation, where the members (if any) now live, and how they live.
2. Visit a museum or historic site related to the Native American cultural history of the Carolinas. Bring back three interesting facts to share with others.
3. Choose two of the following:
1. Make an authentic model of a Carolinas Indian dwelling.
2. Learn more about the pastimes of the Carolina Indians. Make at least one toy and learn two Indian games. Share them with someone else.
3. Learn more about Indian-style cooking/foods and prepare a meal in that fashion.
4. Design and make a necklace of natural material. You might use shells, seeds, acorns, wood, or river cane.
4. Choose two of the following:
1. Listen to or learn a song from the Cherokee or Catawba tribes. Draw a picture or write a story of the image this music brings to mind. You could try making a musical instrument that these peoples might have used.
2. Learn a Cherokee or Catawba story. Continue the oral tradition and share it with someone else.
3. Learn 10 common terms in the Cherokee and Catawba language.
4. Look on a map of the Carolinas and identify 15 place names (rivers, towns, counties, mountains, etc.) that are related to the Carolina tribes. One example is the Catawba River.
5. Find out what a destination is. Have someone who has been on a National or International destination to talk to your troop/group and share her experiences. This might be a special visit, a letter, a phone call, or a video; OR participate in a Service Unit or council event that has the Native American theme.