I think it is so
interesting that Native American culture and history is all around us waiting
for us to explore it at any time. I
visited the website Ganondagon, which is located near Rochester, NY. This website represents a Native American
community and is home of the Seneca Indians.
I found this to be interesting not only because I would love to learn more about
it, but also because it is about 2 ½ hours to the west of my home. I think it would be a perfect weekend getaway
to learn more about the Seneca’s and also to share with my family.
What
I learned while visiting the website is that this historical site has a
longhouse on site for tourists to visit.
This longhouse was made to replicate the same size used by the Seneca's in
1687. Longhouses during that time were made
out of young elm trees, the wood constructed the frame while the bark
constructed the sides. The typical
longhouse is quite large, in fact much longer than I had pictured in my
mind. Per the Ganondagon website they
can stand 20 feet wide and up to 200 feet long.
The longhouse was home to several families which all belonged to the
clan. Inside families grouped together and had what appears to be bunk
beds. The top was a storage space while
the natives sleep underneath. They even
had a space where they could set up a fire and had a space in the roof where
the smoke could escape. The longhouse on
site was built and furnished to contain items traditional used by the Seneca
during historical times. Items include
herbs, crops, and medicine. Isn’t this amazing?
Also
at this site are nature trails which visitors can walk and explore. The Trail of Peace covers the historical aspect of the Seneca while The Earth is our Mother Trail
covers the plants used by the Seneca. The
visitor has the option of visiting the trails both independently and as a
guided tour. I myself would chose the
guided tour as I would love to experience it from those who know it's history
best.
Ganondagon.
(2014). Preserving a Past, Providing a Future. Retrieved from: http://www.ganondagan.org.
Hi Christe,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post! I love places like that that preserve a piece of history with not only literary sources but areas that can be explored such as the long house. Although I studied long houses in elementary school, I was really surprised from the reading and your blog that they were as long as they were. It is interesting to picture a time in which families were so comfortable with each other that they were content to reside and do everything together.
As I read your post, I remembered that there is a Native Indian Preserve/Reservation on Long Island.The Shinnecock Reservation is for members of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in the town of Southampton in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. This location is less than 2 hours from my home, and I have never visited it. The website claims that the Shinnecock rely heavily on the Labor Day Weekend powwow for funds to sustain them and their church throughout the year. It also announces The Shinnecock were recognized by the United States government in October 2010 after a 30-year court battle. So much history just down the highway. Another item on the bucket list!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.shinnecocknation.com/
Very Interesting. I would like to travel to Seneca country sometime and walk with the earth and see and feel the history in that area. The long house seems to be constructed very solid to withstand the Northeast winters. The shape seems similar to a barn except much much longer. That was smart to incorporate the space in the roof for smoke to escape. I wonder if it was a learned experience after a roof fire back in the early times of innovation. Probably not as the Natives were very well in tune with Mother Nature and Fire, water and air. Great Post!
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ReplyDeleteChriste,
ReplyDeleteI also reviewed this source on the Ganondagon, state historic site and was excited to find out that they have many upcoming events that offer opportunities for learning. I plan on visiting this site with my family to learn more about the Seneca People and their way of life.
~Barbara