Indian Lore Merit Badge

Indian Lore
Merit badge requirements
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  1. Give the history of one American Indian tribe, group or nation that lives or has lived near you. Visit it, if possible. Tell about dwellings, kind of life, tribal government, religious beliefs, family and clan relationships, language, dress, food preparation, means of getting around, how they played, if they were warlike or peaceful, where descendants of the group now live, and how they live.

  2. Do TWO of the following. Use information about a specific group or tribe to complete the requirements:

    1. Make an item of clothing worn by members of the tribe.
    2. Make and decorate three items approved by your counselor used by the tribe.
    3. Make an authentic model of a dwelling used by any Indian tribe, group, or nation.
    4. Visit a museum to see Indian artifacts. Talk about them with your counselor. Identify at least 10 artifacts by tribe or nation, their shape, size, and use.

  3. Do ONE of the following:

    1. Learn three games played by a group or tribe. Teach and lead one game with a Scout group.
    2. Learn and show how a tribe cooked or prepared food. Make three food items.
    3. Give a demonstration showing how a specific Indian group hunted, fished, or trapped.

  4. Do ONE of the following:

    1. Write or briefly describe how life would have been different for the European settlers if there had been no Indians to meet them when they came to this continent.
    2. Sing two songs in an Indian language. Explain their meaning.
    3. Learn in an Indian language at least 25 common terms and their meaning.
    4. Show 25 signs in Indian sign language. Include those that will help you ask for water, food, and where the path or road leads.
    5. Learn in English an Indian story of at least 300 words, or any number of shorter ones adding up to 300 words. Tell the story or stories at a Scout meeting or campfire.
    6. Write or tell about eight things adopted by others from the Indian.
    7. Learn 25 Indian place names. Tell their origins and meanings.
    8. Name five well-known American Indian leaders, either from the past or people who are alive today. Give their tribes or nations. Describe what they did or do now that makes them notable.
    9. Learn about the Iroquois Confederacy, including how and why it was formed. Tell about its governing system, and its importance to the framers of our Constitution.

Merit badge requirements courtesy of Troop 586 Farmington