INDIAN

LORE
 BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
MERIT BADGE SERIES

INDIAN LORE

“Enhancing our youths’ competitive edge through merit badges”

 Requirements
1. Identify the different American Indian cultural areas. Explain
what makes them each unique.
2. Give the history of one American Indian tribe, group, or
nation that lives or has lived near you. Visit it, if possible.
Tell about traditional dwellings, way of life, tribal government,
religious beliefs, family and clan relationships, language,
clothing styles, arts and crafts, food preparation, means of
getting around, games, customs in warfare, where members
of the group now live, and how they live.
3. Do TWO of the following. Focus on a specific group or tribe.
a. Make an item of clothing worn by members of the tribe.
b. Make and decorate three items used by the tribe, as
approved by your counselor.
c. Make an authentic model of a dwelling used by an Indian
tribe, group, or nation.
d. Visit a museum to see Indian artifacts. Discuss them with
your counselor. Identify at least 10 artifacts by tribe or
nation, their shape, size, and use.
4. Do ONE of the following:
a. Learn three games played by a group or tribe. Teach and
lead one game with a Scout group.
b. Learn and show how a tribe traditionally cooked or
prepared food. Make three food items.
c. Give a demonstration showing how a specific Indian
group traditionally hunted, fished, or trapped.

35910
ISBN 978-0-8395-3360-3
©2008 Boy Scouts of America
2017 Printing
5. Do ONE of the following:
a. Write or briefly describe how life might have been
different for the European settlers if there had been
no native Americans to meet them when they came
to this continent.
b. Sing two songs in an Indian language. Explain
their meanings.
c. Learn in an Indian language at least 25 common terms
and their meanings.
d. Show 25 signs in Indian sign language. Include those that
will help you ask for water, for food, and where the path
or road leads.
e. Learn an Indian story of up to 300 words (or several
shorter stories adding up to no more than 300 words).
Tell the story or stories at a Scout gathering or campfire.
f. Write or tell about eight things adopted by others from
American Indians.
g. Learn 25 Indian place names. Tell their origins
and meanings.
h. Name five well-known American Indian leaders, either
from the past or people of today. Give their tribes or
nations. Describe what they did or do now that makes
them notable.
i. Attend a contemporary American Indian gathering.
Discuss with your counselor what you learned and
observed. Include in your discussion any singing,
dancing, drumming, and the various men’s and
women’s dance styles you saw.

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Indian Lore Resources.

Indian Lore Resources

Scouting Literature Bernstein, Bruce. The Language of
Boy Scout Journal; North American Native American Baskets: From
Indian; American Cultures, American the Weavers’ View. Smithsonian
Heritage, Archaeology, Archery, National Museum of the American
Architecture, Basketry, Canoeing, Indian, 2003.
Citizenship in the Nation, Environmental Bonar, Eulalie H. Woven by the
Science, Leatherwork, Metalwork, Grandmothers: Nineteenth-Century
Pottery, Sculpture, Textile, Wilderness Navajo Textiles from the National
Survival, and Wood Carving merit Museum of the American Indian.
badge pamphlets Smithsonian Institution Press, 1996.
“The First Americans,” an eight-part Bruchac, James, and Joseph Bruchac.
series. Boys’ Life magazine. Native American Games and Stories.
May–December 1993. Fulcrum, 2000.
Childs, Craig. House of Rain: Tracking
For more information about a Vanished Civilization Across the
Scouting-related resources, American Southwest. Little, Brown
visit (with your parent’s permis- and Company, 2007.
sion) the BSA’s retail website Curtis, Edward S, Joseph Horse Capture,
at http://www.scoutstuff.org. et al. Sacred Legacy: Edward S. Curtis
and the North American Indian.
Barnes & Noble Books, 2005.
Books
Divina, Fernando, and Marlene Divina.
Aaseng, Nathan. Navajo Code Talkers. Foods of the Americas: Native Recipes
Walker, 2002. and Traditions. Ten Speed
Ames, Kenneth M., and Herbert D. Press, 2004.
Maschner. Peoples of the Northwest Grant, Bruce. Concise Encyclopedia
Coast: Their Archaeology and of the American Indian. Random
Prehistory. Thames & Hudson, 2000. House, 2000.

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 .Indian Lore Resources

Heth, Charlotte, ed. Native American Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American

Dance: Ceremonies and Social Encyclopedia: History, Culture,
Traditions. Fulcrum, 1993. and Peoples. Oxford University
Horse Capture, George P., and Emil Press, 2000.
Her Many Horses, eds. A Song for Simpson, Judith. Native Americans.
the Horse Nation: Horses in Native Barnes & Noble Books, 2003.
American Cultures. Fulcrum, 2006. Stewart, Holly. Stories of the People:
Johansen, Bruce E. The Native Peoples Native American Voices.
of North America. Greenwood, 2005. Universe Publishing, 1997.
Johansen, Bruce E., and Barry M. Terry, Michael Bad Hand. Daily Life
Pritzker, eds. Encyclopedia of in a Plains Indian Village, 1868.
American Indian History. Houghton Mifflin, 1999.
ABC-CLIO, 2007. Thomas, David Hurst. Exploring Ancient
Johansen, Bruce Elliott, and Donald A. Native America. Routledge, 1999.
Grinde. The Encyclopedia of Native . Exploring Native North America
American Biography: Six Hundred (Places in Time). Oxford University
Life Stories of Important People, From Press, 2000.
Powhatan to Wilma Mankiller.
Da Capo Press, 1998. Waldman, Carl. Encyclopedia of Native
American Tribes. Facts On File, 2006.
Josephy Jr., Alvin M. Lewis and Clark
Through Indian Eyes. Knopf, 2006. CDs and DVDs
Lenz, Mary Jane, and Clara Sue Kidwell. Creation’s Journey: Native American
Small Spirits: Native American Music. CD. National Museum of the
Dolls. University of Washington American Indian and Smithsonian/
Press, 2004. Folkways, 1994.
Marshall III, Joseph M. Journey of 500 Nations: A Musical Journey. DVDs
Crazy Horse: A Lakota History. (multidisc set). Warner Home
Viking Penguin, 2005. Video, 2004.
McMaster, Gerald, and Clifford E. Legacy: Native American Photogravures
Trafzer, eds. Native Universe: & Music. DVD. DVD Interna-
Voices of Indian America. National tional, 2003.
Geographic Society, 2004. Pow Wow Trail, Episode 1: The Drum.
Olsen, Madeline. Native American DVD. Arbor Records Ltd., 2004.
Sign Language. Troll Communi-
cations, 2003.

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Indian Lore Resources.

Pow Wow Trail, Episode 2: The Songs. American Museum of Natural History
DVD. Arbor Records Ltd., 2004. Central Park West at 79th Street
Pow Wow Trail, Episode 3: The Dances. New York, NY 10024-5192
DVD. Arbor Records Ltd., 2005. Telephone: 212-769-5100
Website: http://www.amnh.org
Pow Wow Trail, Episode 4: The One of the most famous museums
Grand Entry. DVD. Arbor in the world, the American Museum of
Records Ltd., 2006. Natural History has a series of exhibition
Pow Wow Trail, Episode 5: Grass Dance halls exploring traditional cultures. Since
and Men’s Traditional. DVD. its founding in 1869, the museum’s
Arbor Records Ltd., 2006. mission has been to discover, interpret,
and make available information about
Pow Wow Trail, Episode 6: The
human cultures, the natural world, and
Fancy Dance. DVD. Arbor
the universe.
Records Ltd., 2006.
Crazy Crow Trading Post
Sacagawea: Heroine of the Lewis and
Toll-free telephone: 800-786-6210
Clark Journey. DVD. Questar, 2003.
Website: http://www.crazycrow.com
Tales of Wonder: Traditional Native
Heard Museum
American Stories for Children.
2301 N. Central Ave.
DVDs (two-volume set). Rich
Phoenix, AZ 85004-1323
Heape Films, 2004.
Telephone: 602-252-8848
Wood That Sings: Indian Fiddle Music Website: http://www.heard.org
of the Americas. CD. National This world-renowned museum
Museum of the American Indian and educates the public “about the heri-
Smithsonian/Folkways, 1997. tage and the living cultures and arts of
Native peoples, with an emphasis on
Organizations and Websites the peoples of the Southwest.”
American Indian Heritage Foundation
P.O. Box 6301
Falls Church, VA 22040
Website: http://www.indians.org
This organization provides relief
services to Native Americans throughout
the nation and fosters an understanding
relationship between Native and non-
native peoples. The AIHF also coordi-
nates scholarship programs for American
Indian youth.

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 .Indian Lore Resources

National Congress of NativeTech

American Indians Website: http://www.nativetech.org
1301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 200 NativeTech features American Indian
Washington, DC 20036 technology and craft resources, with
Telephone: 202-466-7767 a special focus on Eastern Woodlands
Website: http://www.ncai.org beadwork, weaving, stonework,
This organization, founded in 1944, pottery, and other crafts. The site
seeks “to preserve rights under Indian also offers Native poetry, recipes,
treaties or agreements with the United and educational games.
States, and to promote the common NativeWeb
welfare of the American Indians and Website: http://www.nativeweb.org
Alaska Natives.” The NCAI includes This nonprofit, international web-
250 member tribes from throughout site provides resources to people of
the United States; they are listed on indigenous cultures around the world,
the organization’s website under including Native Americans. It includes
“Tribal Directory.” links to everything from art to busi-
National Museum of the nesses and products and also hosts
American Indian Wotanin Wowapi, North America’s old-
Website: http://www.nmai.si.edu est American Indian weekly newspaper.
The NMAI is a museum of the Paul’s Supplies
Smithsonian Institution and the “first Telephone: 303-948-2767
national museum dedicated to the Website: http://www.paulssupplies.com
preservation, study, and exhibition” of
American Indian culture. Its extensive Acknowledgments
collections (housed in three different
The Boy Scouts of America is grateful
facilities) explore the life, languages,
to Dr. David Hurst Thomas, curator of
literature, history, and arts of indig-
anthropology at the American Museum
enous Americans, including tribes of
of Natural History and a founding
the United States, Canada, Middle and
trustee of the Smithsonian’s National
South America, and the Caribbean.
Museum of the American Indian, and
NativeCulture.com to Mr. Anibal Rodriguez, senior techni-
Website: http://www.nativeculture.com cian in the Department of Anthropology,
This website offers a variety of American Museum of Natural History.
links to American Indian resources— Dr. Thomas and Mr. Rodriguez reviewed
current events and news, tribal sites, and recommended improvements to
education, games, and more. It also is the pamphlet. For a number of years
home to “Native American Sites” by they have both served as invaluable
Lisa Mitten, a page recommended by resources for the Indian Lore merit
the Discovery Channel for its thorough badge pamphlet.
coverage of American Indian culture
and resources.

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Indian Lore Resources.

Photo and Illustration Credits Negative No. 32999—Pueblo native

(photo Carl Moon, 1910), Department
American Museum of Natural History, of Library Sciences, American
courtesy—pages 33 (right) and Museum of Natural History,
38 (left) courtesy—page 4
Dean Boeckman, http:// Riverside Municipal Museum, Riverside,
www.deepsouthwest.com/silverhogan, California, courtesy—pages 25, 47
courtesy—page 60 (both), 54–55 (both), 57 (bottom),
Dynamic Graphics Inc.—page 80 (top) 58, 85 (top), and 88
“Guiding Light” by Donald Vann, Smithsonian Institution, courtesy—
©Native American Images, pages 71 and 77
P.O. Box 746, Austin, TX 78767; All other photos and illustrations not
512-472-7701—page 37 mentioned above are the property of
©Jupiterimages.com—cover (all except or are protected by the Boy Scouts
merit badge); pages 12, 27, and 42 of America.
Library of Congress Prints and Darrell Byers—page 6
Photographs Division, courtesy— John McDearmon—all illustrations on
pages 49–50 (both) pages 13–14, 18, 20–21, 23–24, 26,
Milwaukee Public Museum, courtesy— 28–29, 31, 33 (both left), 34–35, 38
pages 19, 75, and 80 (bottom) (bottom), 39–40, 44–46, 48, 53, 56,
National Park Service, courtesy— 57 (top), 61, 63–70, 72–74, 78, 82,
page 36 84, 85 (bottom), and 86

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