THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 13, 1994 TAG: 9411110311
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
THE TABLES WERE filled, the children were entranced. They eyed almost everything as White Dawn explained that every part of the deer is used for eating, for clothes, for all practical purposes.
It was quite an education for the Booker T. Washington Elementary School fourth-graders who are studying native Americans.
The study was helped greatly Tuesday by two members of the Nansemond tribe.
Sandy McCready, whose Indian name is White Dawn and who is tribal secretary, and Loleta Bass offered a fascinating show-and-tell of clothing, jewelry, weapons - and such things as snakeskins, raccoon heads and hawk and eagle feathers.
And there was a sobering thought from McCready: ``Tell your parents not to buy fur coats. We don't believe in killing animals for that purpose. The Indians never killed more than they used.''
A lot of animals were necessary for Native American survival.
``It takes 14 deerskins to make clothes for one person,'' McCready said. ``Up to 100 people lived in each house, so multiply 14 by 100.''
The animals had to be killed for Native American survival, McCready explaining that the number of skins necessary for clothing did not equate with the meat from the animals killed for that purpose.
Meat spoils, so ``more animals had to be killed,'' she said as she showed the kind of arrows used in the hunt.
``There are two kinds of arrows,'' McCready said, ``one for animals, one for people.''
Hunting and politics occupied the men's time, she said. ``The women did most of the work.''
She and Bass, both of whom are related to tribal Chief Earl Bass, usually visit two schools a week.
Tuesday's visit brought them close to home because the Nansemonds were originally located in the Reid's Ferry area in Chuckatuck.
The tribe, now numbering about 300, many living in Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, holds a powwow at Lone Star Lakes in the Chuckatuck area every spring.
This May the Friday gathering will be strictly for schoolchildren on field trips with their classes. Other children, and adults, will be invited over the weekend. The dates will be announced later.
At the powwow, and in the schools McCready and Bass visit, they tell ``how Native Americans used things and how they lived,'' McCready said, ``and we educate the children about wildlife.''
A lot of education was wrapped in the 45-minute presentation in the visit promoted by Sally Niewoehner, one of the fourth grade teachers.
``I learned a lot of new things I didn't know at 10 o'clock,'' she said. ``It's obvious that the kids learned a lot, too.''
It was obvious from their questions that they were interested. Here's a sampling:
One little boy heard that the Indians did not always smell too good. ``They bathed daily but smelled bad because they used soap made from bears,'' McCready explained. ``Actually, they bathed more than the white people.''
``What did they use to cut grass?''
What sounded like a far-out question resulted in an interesting answer. McCready explained that ``grass dancers stomped it down so the tribe could have ceremonies.''
``Do you speak Indian?''
``Locally, the independent Algonquin dialects have been lost,'' McCready said, ``but the Algonquin language is still around.''
A question about horses elicited a fascinating answer.
``Indians did not ride horses until the Spaniards came over and introduced them,'' McCready said. ``The Indians called them dog ponies.''
Finally: ``Do you like being an Indian?''
McCready had a ready answer.
``I enjoy my heritage.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by MICHAEL KESTNER
Sandy ``White Dawn'' McCready, above, a member of the Nansemond
tribe, shares her culture Friday with fourth-graders at Booker T.
Washington, right. Tasha Boykin, left, and Derrick Deschamps had
questions.
by CNB