offers a variety of off-site programs and exhibits for children and adults of all ages and ability levels, including preschool, kindergarten, and special needs groups.  Our presenters work with one group at a time and are happy to tailor the program to your group’s needs.

 (Note: Because we provide interactive hands-on experiences, we prefer to work with groups of less than 85 students per session).

Please call well in advance to reserve your date of choice. 

Ask about our Lifelong Learning Program Series.

Programs

Lenape Lifeways 1: Introducing the First People of Pennsylvania, New Jersey & Delaware

At the time of Columbus, as many as 10 million Native Americans lived in North America.  Many thousands lived in "Lenapehocking," the vast homeland of the Lenni Lenape, who were the first inhabitants of eastern Pennsylvania and parts of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. Admired and respected by William Penn, the Lenape were later betrayed and forced from their villages by the policies of Penn's sons and the infamous Walking Purchase.  This program explores the life and times of these peaceful, progressive people, comparing and contrasting their social customs, history, religion, family life, agriculture, hunting, healing practices, arts and crafts, past and present contributions (and much more) with those of the Europeans and Colonial Americans of their time. This program features a lecture/demonstration and hand-on interactive exhibits.  Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, depending on the room a microphone might be needed.  Family oriented.   
Photo Credit - News of Delaware County

Lenape Lifeways 2: The Lenape in Peace and Conflict

A follow-up to Lenape Lifeways 1: INTRODUCING THE FIRST PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA this program explores in depth the peaceful ways of the Lenape and the conflicts that arose with the many European cultures that came to our shores. 

As “the Grandfathers” who counseled for peace and arbitrated issues among Native Nations and later as the negotiators who tried to maintain their hold on both their cultural values and their relationship to their part of “Turtle Island,” the Lenape struggled for a balance between many worlds.  Meeting with and dealing with the early explorers/traders such as the Portuguese, Holland Dutch, and French, then with the settlers (English, Germans, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh) and “Americans,” the Lenape had many choices to make.  None were easy.  Learn about the Lenape in peace and conflict - how they lived in love with William Penn and the Quakers, fought in the French and Indian War, then served as Commissioned Officers in Washington’s army during the Revolutionary War, and how they were forced across the continent. A lecture with maps, a video and exhibits will guide us through these turbulent times.  Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, depending on the room a microphone might be needed.  Adult oriented.

Native American Contributions
Introduce your group to a variety of Native people    and their inventions

This lively presentation compares and contrasts Native American cultures of the United States.  Emphasis will be on the many and surprising contributions Native Americans have made to our national life (inventions, discoveries, vocabulary, customs, values, etc.) and on exploring and exploding the myths and stereotypes that have shaped our perceptions, policies, and portrayals (in textbooks, films, fiction, and other art forms) of the first people of the Americas.  We will provide a true picture of Native American life, then and now.  In addition to a lecture the program will include hands-on exhibits and a question and answer session.  Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, depending on the room a microphone might be needed.  Family oriented.

Gifts of Mother Earth: Nature’s Supermarket

Learn how the first environmentalists achieved a sustainable lifestyle through reuse and recycling!  Explore the many uses of plants in a program that covers living off the land, gardening, gathering, fishing, and hunting.

Over 50% of the food we eat is Native American, 45% of our medicines are Native plant extracts, and we live a Native American lifestyle!  Learn more about plant uses in this adult program.  Via a lecture, videos, exhibits, and a handout we will discover Native contributions that continue to be a part our lives.  Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, TV/VHS equipment, related cables, and electric, depending on the room a microphone might be needed. Family oriented.

The Native World View

Over 500 Native Nations remain in the USA today - each with a different world view!  You will be introduced to the cultures of several Native Nations through videos and a lecture, which should produce a lively discussion.  There will also be exhibits and a handout.  Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, TV/VHS equipment, related cables, and electric, depending on the room a microphone might be needed.  Adult oriented.

The Role of Women In Native Society,
Then & Now

The role of Native American women in Native life and their contribution to our nation's history has always been elusive and greatly underestimated, because early European writers were unwilling to accept and value women in roles other than the limited ones allowed in their own culture.  Reservation life forced men to abandon their traditional roles as hunters and warriors and to conform to European social customs, leading them to usurp female roles.  In contemporary Native American life, what women try to accomplish is often distorted or ignored.  Exploring the roles and achievements of women in Native society through the eyes of a Native woman and a historian, participants will also view video and exhibits, such as the visual creative arts contributions of Native Women - Their “Beautiful Visions” which were handed down through many generations.  Needed: 4 long tables for exhibits, TV/VHS equipment, related cables, microphone and electric, depending on the room a microphone might be needed.  Adult oriented.

Two NEW programs in 2010!

The Indian Wars in Pennsylvania

When European powers fought each other for dominance in 18^th Century America, Native Americans took sides in the conflict. Because of the friendship between the Lenape, the Quakers, and other likeminded Europeans, peace lasted longer in Pennsylvania than in other states. Eventually, however, the French and Indian War erupted here.

Betrayed and their way of life threatened by the infamous Walking Purchase and treaty violations, the once-peaceful Lenape joined the fray on the side of the French. The fighting drove settlers from Western Pennsylvania until the Lenape recognized their cause was hopeless, and the Proprietors of Pennsylvania decided that buying peace was cheaper than waging war. But Pontiac’s Rebellion ignited a struggle in the Ohio River valley that lasted until “Mad” Anthony Wayne smashed the Indian resistance at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794.

Participants in this program will trace the tragic consequences of the breakdown of respect between peoples as they delve into the Natives’ struggle to survive, the complexities of Native and European interaction, and the battles of the early Colonial era. Designed for adult audiences.

NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE CIVIL WAR

Civil War buffs, family audiences, and students of Native American history of all ages will be fascinated by the surprising, almost unknown story of the Native American warriors who fought on both sides in the War Between the States.

An estimated 20,000 Native Americans of various backgrounds participated in the conflict. Participants in this program will learn why, where, and how they took part as they explore the divided loyalties and complex political realities that pitted Native American tribes --even family members-- against each other in battles that raged across America.

The presentation also will trace the astonishing biographies and impressive exploits of important Native American leaders in the War. One of them was a full-blooded Seneca chief who was a Brigadier General and Aide to General Grant and drafted the terms of surrender signed at Appomattox!  

Offering a new perspective on the Civil War that explores its impact on the fate of Native Americans, this program begins with a lecture. It goes on to offer the opportunity for a lively Q and A session and for in-depth post-presentation conversation that well-informed audiences often enjoy. Exhibit material available for browsing will focus on individual Civil Warriors and Native battle sites in the West. Designed for adult audiences.

Also Available: Current issues challenging Pennsylvania’s First People, Environmental and Contemporary Issues, Diversity Day programs and more.  Additional in depth programs focusing on the special topics you are studying in your school / scout curriculum can be arranged.

We will provide a unique and rewarding educational experience for your group! 

Please tell us your needs when you call.