SoSara

Brookside to hold Native New York family day

BALLSTON SPA (Oct. 13) — Many of the 1,500 schoolchildren who visited Brookside Museum’s annual “Native New York” education program on field trips during the past three weeks came home so excited they wished they could take their families.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, they can. The program about Native American life and culture offers a family day that runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It costs $2 a person or $5 a family.

“This is the only day we open it to the public,” said Becky Codner, the museum’s public programs director.

In the morning, there will be three stations for people to visit on a drop-in basis: an authentic full-size northeastern woodlands Indian wigwam, a fire-making station and the Three Sisters Garden, which focuses on the Native American’s use of corn, beans and squash. A Mohawk storyteller will be offering two sessions of Native American tales.

In the afternoon, there will be hands-on Native American crafts lessons — making such items as wampum and corn-husk dolls. At lunchtime, there will be an opportunity to buy Native American food.

The Native New York program started over 10 years ago as an outshoot of the museum’s Brookside Harvest program. It is designed for students in grades 2-8 — with an emphasis on students in grades 4-7 who might be studying New York state history.

“It’s as authentic as we can make it,” said Linda Gorham, the museum’s education director.

Though the Native New York program ends this year’s run with Saturday’s family day, the museum will offer its “Sheep to Shawl” program in May 2010. Designed for students up to fifth grade, the program teaches about wool production. Like Native New York, it is a destination for field trips that also offers a Saturday family day.

While the programs are designed for school field trips, they both offer opportunities for home-schooled children to participate.

For more information:

• Native New York educational program
• Brookside Museum, 6 Charlton Street, Ballston Spa, 885.4000