Middler youth of Colby participated in the Library in Motion event organized by Children’s Librarian, Judy Kleinsorge of the Pioneer Memorial Library. Funds were donated to help with the cost of the trip through the Thomas County Attorney Special Law Enforcement Fund at the Thomas County Community Foundation and the Friends of the Library organization. Students arrived on Saturday morning October 11th ready for a few hours of travel and the possibility of a cold and wet day. This however did not damper their enthusiasm or spirit. Together the adult chaperons and youth traveled to Wellfleet Nebraska to visit the Dancing Leaf: Cultural Learning Center. There, we were intrigued by discovering new knowledge about the ancient existence of the Paleo Indians, prehistoric mammals and dinosaurs. Les Hosick, the owner created memorable pictures of how ancient mammals such as elephants and rhino type animals would have roamed the Southwest Nebraska and North West Kansas area 10,000 years ago. During this presentation he showed us tusks, teeth, jaw bones, and even leg parts from this time period. His story then turned to the Indians known as the Upper Republican Culture. We had the extreme pleasure to actually sit inside a replica of an earth lodge that archeological evidence shows existed from the time period 800-1300 years ago. Les Hosick made the way of life and traditions come alive for us, as we considered this ancient culture as more stable and less migratory in nature. He demonstrated the efficiency of the lodges, the matriarchal traditions of the tribes, the games and ways of hunting. We then took an hour walking tour around the hillside, creek and general area learning about medicinal plants, hunting, water being the source of life, and the gift of trees and animals to their very existence. Youth were able to make musical instruments, find out about different types of food sources, including both plant and animal. We were taken to the top of one hill where a medicine wheel was recreated to examine the cycles of life as they apply to the moon and the sun. At the end of the tour we were given a rare privilege by being taken into their private home where we literally pounded yucca leaves flat in order to make friendship bracelets. Some of our youth were expert in this, while others like my self needed remedial leaf bashing assistance! I must say–that yucca plant fibers become very strong when a natural twist is allowed to form. Even two weeks later my bracelet shows no sign of weakening. This was what the lesson was about. Friendship was to remain strong even in the midst of difficult circumstances and hardship! Once our friendship was established we ate food that might have been eaten by Native Americans: buffalo stew, raw vegetables, homemade (blue) corn muffins, and hot sliced baked apples, topped off with ice tea. If you are interested in experiencing this, take an online tour at http://www.dancingleaf.com/index.html. There you will find pictures, and information even about staying overnight in the earth lodge. I intent to go back and take others along!
