CHS has started a new program to support our in school and home learners. The Carmine Guica Young Historians is posted on or about the 25th of each month to support parents, teachers and students with information about upcoming events and dates of historic interest with related activities and resources. If you would like to receive this by e-mail, send an e-mail to margocaulfield@icloud.com with "subscribe CGYH" in the subject heading.
Happy first day of fall! Below are events, activities and resources for the month ahead.
Oct. 12 (Monday): Indigenous Peoples Day in Vermont (formerly Columbus Day)
Oct. 14 (Wednesday): Cavendish Charter signed by King George in 1761. Capt.
John Coffeen, Cavendish’s first legal settler helped to draft the VT
Constitution, which he signed on July 8, 1777. There is a good article
in VT Digger about Gov. Wentworth and how he illegally sold off Vermont land.
Oct. 31 (Saturday): Halloween & Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) is a cross quarter day,” marking the midway point between the autumn equinox and winter solstice. Called Samhain (“sow-win”), or summer’s end, in Ireland, this is a Gaelic festival marketing the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darker half” of the year. This is the day that barriers between the physical world and the spirit world break down, allowing more interaction between humans and those who have passed. It was expected that ancestors might cross over during this time as well, and Celts would dress as animals and monsters so that fairies were not tempted to kidnap them. Eventually, Oct. 31 became known as All Hallows Eve or Halloween, and many of the customs adopted in 19th century America came from Irish immigrants.
Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated throughout South America, though it is most associated with Mexico. The traditions mix Christian influence with ancient Indian (Mayan, Aztecs, Incas, Kichwa ) practices. Like the Irish and other cultures, they believe this is the time when the veil between this world and the next is lowered. Many parts of South America celebrate the day by remembering loved ones who have died by making altars (ofrendas) with special flowers, food and drink, pictures and special objects associated with a departed friend or family member. It is a positive honoring of the dead and it involves going to church, cleaning cemeteries and visiting with friends and family. In Guatemala, giant kites are constructed and flown in the cemeteries.
Resources/Events for October Events
- Oct. 11 (Sunday) From Smallpox to Covid-19: The Impact of Pandemics/Epidemics on the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. This will be at 2 pm at the Cavendish Stone Church. Admission is free. Covid protocols required. Not suitable for young children.
- Resources for Indigenous Peoples Day
- “Before Columbus” by Charles Mann. The children’s version of Mann’s award winning book “1491.” Contrary to what so many Americans learn in school, the pre-Columbian Indians were not sparsely settled in a pristine wilderness; rather, there were huge numbers of Indians who actively molded and influenced the land around them. The Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City) had running water and immaculately clean streets, and was larger than any contemporary European city. Mexican cultures created corn in a specialized breeding process that it has been called human’s first feat of genetic engineering. Indeed, Indians were not living lightly on the land but were landscaping and manipulating their world in ways that we are only now beginning to understand.
- “Calico Captive” by Elizabeth George Speare is a historical fiction children’s book that is heavily based on the diary, “A Narrative of the Captivity of Mrs. Johnson.” The birth of her child, “Captive” took place in Cavendish and the stones she erected to mark this event, were relocated to route 106 in Reading. Provides a very interesting perspective about how they were treated by the Abenaki (much better than the French or English). Interestingly, we have researched the path the family took and it’s close to the same path we take to the archeological dig at the Bruckner Preserve (Poultney and Lake Champlain intersect). A timeline of this event is at the CHS blog. The book should be available from the Cavendish Library. We can do a reading group and visit both the site of the stones as well the birth place.
- What Really Happen While a cartoon and quite short, it accurately depicts Columbus and his activities. May not be appropriate for younger students. A great navigator he may have been, but he was no humanitarian. He was actively involved in the slave trade and very much disliked in his own time.
- Talking sticks. Have beads and other materials that can be used.
- There are four bands of the Abenaki in Vermont. The Elnu is the tribe that covers southern VT, including Cavendish. .
- Timeline for first peoples in VT
- Hands on History Kits: Kits include all directions, materials and information about the project. Unless otherwise arranged, kits can be picked up at the CHS Cabinet, located next to the Museum stair.
- Indigenous Peoples Day- Directions and materials to make a talking stick. Please pre order. Kits will be left in the CHS Cabinet with your name on it.
- Dia de Muertos: Kit includes a sugar skull to paint and/or decorate (can be female); a simple papel picado (paper cuts), and directions and materials to make a paper flower. If you would like a kit for your family or a number of students, please let me know as soon as possible as I need to make the sugar skulls. A handout will be included that provides lots of information from building an altar to customs practiced in other countries.
- Proctorsville Ghost Walk: There are a lot of haunted places in Proctorsville. We generally do this walk with the CTES fifth grade but can do a special evening haunted walk for remote learners if there is interest. Also tell Abenaki ghost tales so a good way to incorporate both Indigenous Peoples Day as well as Halloween.
- Other Resources
- Smithsonian Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Latino Virtual Museum
- Mexican Day of the Dead from the British Museum Helpful for adults to understand the tradition and customs
- Coco Winning both the Oscar and Golden Globe, this animated film captures Dia de Muertos. The only part that is not accurate is the spirit animals. These are not a traditional part of the holiday but rather reflect a famous Mexican artist. The film is available on Netflix.
- The Halloween Tree: Based on the Ray Bradbury novel of the same name. Bradbury also narrates the film, which covers many of the traditions associated with this time of year. It is currently being redone but love the original. The film is a little over an hour long. The Cartoon Channel generally shows the film.
As always if you need a special program for your class or home learner(s), please don't hesitate to contact me.
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