St. Regis students learn about Montana tribes

Crow, Cheyenne, Apsaalooke, Gros Ventre, Blackfeet, Salish Kootenai and Pend d’Oreilles. These are some of the tribes the fourth grade Social Studies class in St. Regis have been researching. Their teacher, Diane Gingerich said that her students worked on projects that studied the Montana tribes’ clothing, religion, food, shelter, transportation and art.

Each student created a project using display boards, computer displays, and hand-crafted items to report their research findings.  Students created full elk-teeth necklaces, war shields, parfleche pouches (bags that the Indians carried items in) decorated with beads.  The beads and elk teeth where actually recreated using salt dough.

The students then had an open house on Wednesday, November 25 for fellow students, parents, teachers and community members.  

“The students used their public speaking skills to explain their displays,” said Gingerich.  

Next, the students will visit the St. Regis first grade class and demonstrate another Native American technique, math using chokecherry counters.  Only the chokecherries aren’t real, they too, are made from salt dough.  The fourth graders will also read Native American stories to the younger grade.