Native Americans             Primary Theme Series — JoAnne Kato
1998 Creative Teaching Press. Inc., Cypress CA 90630

MAKE A BIRCH-BARK BOWL

“Many natives of the Eastern Woodlands made houses, canoes, and many different types of utensils and containers using birch bark. The Native American women fashioned the utensils and containers. It took lots of patience and skill to punch holes in the bark with cone awls, then stitch the seams together with roots, fibers, or animal tendons. Some items made from birch bark were strengthened with sapling branches or roots, waterproofed with an application of tree gum, and painted with symbols.”

This paper-bowl art project helps students understand some of the steps that had to be taken to make a basic bowl. To make this bowl, use a template to trace two large circles of equal size on white or tan bulletin-board paper. To give the paper the appearance of birch bark, lay it atop corrugated cardboard and color the paper using the side of a crayon. Cut out and allow it to dry. Cut four pie-wedge shapes in the circle and hole-punch three holes along each cut edge as shown. Lace each pie-wedge shape closed by threading a length of yarn through the six holes and tying the yarn ends.

Courtesy of the Warren County Historical Society