Academics >Lower School>Curriculum > Wigwam Project

A Wigwam Grows at PDS…

A stroll around and through the buildings of PDS can bring all sorts of wondrous sights all student created: contemporary art, photographs, sculptures, jack-o-lanterns, a Mayan mural and now, nestled behind Gilkeson, an authentic wigwam.

On October 19th, the PDS community once again lived the saying "it takes a village…" The 1-2's are studying Native American culture this year, more specifically, the cultures that lived and still live in the Hudson Valley. Wigwam dwellings were a feature of some of those cultures. An annual tradition, the 1-2 potluck supper, was the perfect opportunity to have an old-fashioned "wigwam raising."

The four 1-2 teachers, Lenae, Bill, Lynn and Brian introduced the concept of the wigwam to their classes. At curriculum night, parents came on board. As Lenae said, "Once you have PDS parents involved, you know you'll get the job done." A wigwam is an arch-shaped lodge made of bent saplings and covered with bark or mats made from cattails. So, first what was needed was a good supply of saplings. Parents, Ben Miraglia, Libbett McKeon, and Brian Reid, came to the rescue cutting enough saplings from their woods to make a complete wigwam. Art Brooks, another parent and a cabinetmaker, cut shims to secure the saplings securely into the ground.

Next, came the design and the labor. The students were also busy choosing Native American names and creating neckpieces with their new names, such as "Striking Crocodile," "Falling Leaf," "Red Rose" and "Dark Eagle." They sat in a circle the day before the wigwam was built, imagining how differently the space would look the next day. Then at the potluck, the wigwam rose.

While the children were able to do the lower lashing of the saplings (using jute, not authentic deer sinew), Christine Powers and some of the other taller parents were able to handle the roof. While not every child could spend long periods of time tying knots (the playground and trikes were too inviting!), some were very much a part of the process, carefully tying knot after knot. By the end of the evening, the wigwam was up and ready to use. Covered temporarily by a tarp, the 1-2 classes will be weaving mats on their classroom loom for the roof.

More is planned for the wigwam and in learning about Native American cultures. A storyteller will be teaching the children to tell and write stories about nature in line with Native American oral traditions. Students will also be learning how to grind corn, make clay pots, throw spears and listen for deer in the woods.

The wigwam is available for the whole school to use, though the 1-2 teachers request that it be treated with respect as a sacred space.

One final note: Poughkeepsie means "small reed hut by the river." How perfect to have a wigwam at Poughkeepsie Day School!