Courtesy Song Dog Kennels

No, it’s not a wolf, and it’s not a cayote; it’s an American Indian dog. These working companion animals were almost lost to history after our American Indians were segregated onto reservations, and often left without the resources necessary to maintain the ancient breed. There is now growing interest in restoring the old lines of these beautiful canines.

America’s founding kennel for restoration, Song Dog Kennels, has been researching and saving the AI dogs for over 45 years. Founded in 1965, the AI dog registry now has over 850 dogs on record. Song Dog Kennels currently seeks to raise public awareness of the plight and historical significance of the American Indian Dog.

At LPH we are most fascinated by the images in the Ancient Dog Gallery (1 and 2) at the Song Dog Kennels website. Amazingly, the antique images consistently show a dog that looks very much like the animal pictured here.

Read more about restoration efforts, breeding programs, and history at the Song Dog Kennels online at www.indiandogs.com.

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Article by Carrie Franzwa.  Excerpt from September 2009 LetsPlayHistory Club Newsletter.

Yet, because Thanksgiving has been relegated to the status of “just a child’s story,” Americans continue on with the culturally stale holiday status quo.

Part of the problem has been generations of traditional K-12 history textbooks that have white-wash everything in order to keep content “classroom safe.” This has done nothing but result in a nation full of people who think our history is irrelevant and boring.

I, too, was one of those Americans who loathed history study. (Thankfully a lucky set of circumstances caught my interest and I discovered for myself how amazing history is to learn.)

The saddest part of the Thanksgiving holiday status quo to me is our prevailing belief that Native Peoples are honored by this annual “remembrance.” Yet no grand scale social efforts have ever been made to improve relationships with our Native Peoples during this holiday.

Perhaps it is because Native Peoples are still pretty upset with us, and we don’t want to touch that.

OK. That’s understandable.

But, as in any relationship, constructive criticism is valuable, and very beneficial when received. For example, one of the most important complaints coming out of Indian country to America is that we are asleep to our history.

(Yep, guilty, as charged.)

How can Native Peoples help us understand their stance and participate in developing good relationships when we have only a superficial understanding of how they ended up as they did? How will we ever create goodwill if we aren’t willing to learn about them, and explore our controversial (and therefore interesting!) history?

I hope above all that the historical Thanksgiving holiday ideas that we are presenting, and the push for creating awareness of American Indian issues, will somehow, someway, change hearts and minds on a grand scale. It would be beyond gratifying to actually turn our “All-American” holiday into something sincerely all-American.

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Written by Carrie Franzwa, author of …Historical Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas and Our Native American Neighbors

(The 1893 Thanksgiving recipes are available in our public share-ware Old-World Recipedia)

My 1902 Sears Roebuck catalog didn’t have any pictures of a cooking pot by that name (at least not that we could find), and a Google search turned up little.

But, happy for us, somebody in the email loop knew what it was!  They sent us a picture, but it appears the picture is not to be copied.  In that picture it looks like a taller, narrower bunting pan - center pipe and fluted edges -n- all.

However, in looking at it, it didn’t seem to be a perfect fit to the description, as in the 1893 recipe it said to “tie the lid on securely.”  There were no tie downs on this piece that I could see, so I took this information and tried finding similar items on eBay.

With eBay’s alternative wording feature I found they are more often called “pudding steamers.”  The ones from the turn of the century look more like lidded buckets in appearance, and have eyelets on both sides, best as I can tell.

Here is a picture of one said to be c. 1900:

How, exactly, they were latched shut I am not yet clear on.

Bailing wire, perhaps?

However they were closed, it all makes more sense now than it did this morning!

Thanks mystery solvers!

After we went to press this season I came across a source for Old-English phrases, insults and threats.  As a family we have started using them when playing cards, and it has added a whole new dimension of hilarity!  If you’re not laughing at how goofy your loved ones sound trying to speak archaic English, then you’ll just be plain tickled by the strange expressions.

So, since I didn’t come across these until after we went to print (2008), I thought I would post them here on the blog so people can enjoy them this year.

Also get more Thanksgiving Time Travel tips at: http://www.letsplayhistory.org/3squaresaday/carries-chat/7-tips-tg/

Have fun!

• aye  =  yes
• aye?  =  right?
• nay  =  no
• I’ee be loookin’ arrt fer ya  =  I am looking out for you (helping newbs learn the game)
• be righeet wahlcum  =  be right welcome (make yourself welcome here)
• g’-looohk t’ thee /ya  =  good luck to you
• I’ee’ull wayee-jarr a han-soohm ven-char  =  I’ll wager a handsome venture
• I’ee be yer hoohm-ble sarrvint  =  I am your humble servant
• the lot or ya bayee chaiters!  =  all of you are cheaters!
• thou doos’ chaite!  =  you do cheat!
• I’ee’ull breng me boot ter ya!  =  I’ll bring my boot to you! (I’ll kick you)
• blayss yer roosty ahrrt!  =  bless your rusty heart!
• remoof yar car-cahss!  =  remove your carcass! (get out of here)
• I’ee’ull sayee thee blayed!  =  I’ll see you bleed!
• whech bayee warse?  =  which is worse? (when deciding one’s cards)
• yer myeen’s oohn-henged  =  your mind is unhinged (you are crazy)
• hoold yher toongue  =  hold your tongue
• an’ bae doohn witt ett  =  and be done with it (hurry up)
• ‘eave a-hayd  =  heave ahead (press forward, or hurry up)
• sharr ‘n sarten arr ye?  =  sure and certain are you?

1. Make and Use English Serviettes – $20. It is fun and easy to use English serviette napkins! They were the near bath towel-sized table napkins of the time period, and were used by folding them twice lengthwise and draping them over the shoulder opposite the dominant hand. Complete details, including materials and finishing instructions, are provided in the LPH Thanksgiving guide, and also for free in this LPH blog post (see picture here): http://www.letsplayhistory.org/3squaresaday/carries-chat/serviette/ .

2. Omit Forks, Use Only Pointed Knives – $4. In 1620-21, neither the Native Wampanoag or the Europeans used forks to eat. In both cultures a pointed knife was used like the fork is used today. Native knives were made of stone, and English knives were made of straight-edge steel. Our local dollar store carries wood-handled pointed dinner knives 2 for $1. See what your local Dollar Store carries. Even though serrated, the Dollar Store knives provide an inexpensive prop for time travel starters! See period table settings:  http://www.letsplayhistory.org/3squaresaday/press-room/thanksgiving-pics-07-08/

3. Omit Salt & Pepper Shakers, Add a Salt Dip – $5. While the Native Wampanoag did not use salt and pepper in their cooking, the English did bring these condiments with them on the Mayflower. The English did not, however, put pepper out at the table, while the salt was set out in a central, open, small wood or pewter bowl called a “salt dip.” Diners used their pointed knife tips to scoop up a small amount of salt from the communal dip, and then would tap the back of the knife blade with their index finger to slowly knock the salt onto their food. Don’t forget to explain this up front to your hungry guests! Even if they don’t need the salt, curiosity will have them all wanting to experience dipping for salt in 1621-style!

4. Give Thanks English-Style – $0. The English in this time period prayed with eyes open and heaven-ward, and hands raised palms up. They also spoke in King James vernacular, using their “thee’s, thou’s and thine’s.” This can prove very humerous! Also, “God” was pronounced “Gott” in this time period.

5. Give Thanks Native Wampanoag-Style – $4. The Native Wampanoag had been giving thanks with fall maize offerings to the Great Spirit for centuries prior to the English 1621 feast. Colorful maize runs about $4 per three ears, which is enough for an offering. Simply burn the dried ears of maize completely in a fire before preparing the day’s food, and sing short, rhythmic, made-up songs of thanks-giving while it burns. Does maize corn pop? You will have to try popping it to find out!

6. Play (English) Card Games with a 1567 French Deck – $8. Even if you only play modern card games, why not play with a reproduction 1567 French deck? This reproduction deck is very typical of what was readily available to English royalty and commoners alike in the early 17^th century. The deck runs about $5 plus shipping, and is available through HistoricGames.com. You can also add Old-English phrases, insults and threats to the fun of playing card games. For complete instructions on over a dozen period-authentic Native and English games, including two authentic English card games, get your copy of the LPH Thanksgiving Guide . Never suffer a boring Thanksgiving again!

7. Make a Native Wampanoag Head Dress (or Two) – $8. Show kind respect to our Native Peoples by accurately depicting the Wampanoag tribes. The head dresses of the Wampanoags used only a small number of feathers, and they were always pointed down, or to the side; never up like the stereotyped plains Indians. Simply take a strip of leather or faux leather, and close the back side to size with sinew whip stitches, or with a tie / knot (sinew details in the guide). Insert or otherwise apply one or two medium to large bird feathers in the back, pointed down or to the side. And don’t forget: the Wampanoag word for “hello” is “kway,” not “how.” More Wampanoag words, phrases, customs, music resources and clothing details are available in The American Patriot’s Treasury of Historical Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas.

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By Carrie Franzwa, LetsPlayHistory.org, copyright 2008

First, the game of Hoodman’s Blind is played by putting a hood over someone’s head to blind them, and then other players tag or slap or push the hooded player.  If the hooded player can catch a taunter and guess who they are, that person then becomes the hooded player.  Adults played the game, as did children.

It is really very fun to play.

At any rate, the two books we have on cliché origins do not have the word “hoodwink” listed, and online queries simply turned up the definition as ”to blindfold.”  Although that almost fits, it doesn’t necessarily speak to origin.

In using an etymology dictionary found online at etymonline.com, we discovered that the origins of the word hoodwink are placed at 1562, which is the right time period for the game of Hoodman’s Blind.  By 1610 it looks like the word had become a cliché suggesting deception.

Our antique Webster’s dictionary, which also has word etymology, says the obsolete definition of the noun “hoodwink” is “Blindman’s Buff,”  but doesn’t give a date.  (Could it mean ”Hoodwink,” as in an alternative name for the game?)

Wikipedia says that Blindman’s Buff (the UK version of America’s “Blindman’s Bluff“) is a variant tag game that dates back to the Tudor period in England (1485-1603; this period is also called the Renaissance of 1300-1600, which includes the Elizabethan era of Queen Elizabeth’s reign from 1558-1603).  It is described as being like Marco Polo, only not played in a swimming pool.

It would appear there is a clear connection:  ”hoodwink” does come from old English tag games that utilized a hood or blindfold. As for the phrase “Pull the wool over his eyes,” it is defined as “to hoodwink, or to deceive.”  It seems plausible that this phrase, too, could have origins to games like Hoodman’s Blind, as wool would have been a very common choice of fabric for the hoods used to play the game. Phrases.org, a service based in the UK, lists “Pull the wool over his eyes” in their database with the definition of “to hoodwink,” but they describe the origins as not dating back any further than the early 1800’s, and they make the connection to the wearing of wigs, not hoods.  Wigs were sometimes made of wool, but they weren’t supposed to cover the eyes.  This leads me to think that the connection with wigs may not be correct, and that the old English games of blindfolded tag are a more plausible fit.

The use of ear candles to clean supposed wax from the ear canal dates back possibly as early as 2500 BC.   Egypt, China, India, Tibet, and the Mayan and Aztec cultures all used similarly designed pottery cones to achieve desired ear wax removal.  The beeswax coated cotton cones (shown) plausibly date back almost as far, to when bees were first domesticated.  In a nutshell, the tapered end is placed into the ear, and the other end is lit on fire to create a vacuum.

What got me interested in the history of these suspiciously archaic devices was a dear friend’s contagious excitement when she saw some beeswax ear candles set out by the cash register at our local health food store. She started exclaiming how her and her grandma used to clean one another’s ears with these little wax sticks. She then announced, “We are going to do this!”

Oh, lucky day…  I think.

Well, they were an entertaining experience that made for a lot of laughter, but I after doing some research I strongly advise against their use.  They may be 100% natural, but so is snake venom!

I followed a hunch and did a little experiment:  After my friend left I burned a cone in the mouth of a bottle.  I discovered that it ”vacuumed up” just as much supposed “ear wax” as when placed in a human ear!  The candles DO INDEED create the discolored wax found inside near the tip (no human ear wax needed).  The hoax would be harmless enough except it goes beyond just a joke:  I also confirmed very fine wax drippings in the bottom of the jar.   Best as I can tell this all adds up to wax going into the ear, not coming out, and that’s incredibly dangerous.

In all fairness I must point out that I have no experience with the ancient pottery versions.   If you do, please leave a comment here.  If you know where to get one of ancient design, especially leave a comment here!

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Reprinted from the LPH Newsletter, Carrie Franzwa.  Copyrights reserved.

I was astounded to discover that Ms. Stowe believed hot drinks were to blame for rotten teeth! She advocated that tea and coffee should never be served hot, but rather should be allowed to cool before consuming. Of course, the sugar and milk were all together thought most “nourishing,” but the “hot” of the tea was, in her mind, a villain to good dental health. She even sites the people of

Mexico as having horrific dental problems due to their consumption of hot drinks.

I found this all the more interesting in light of the 1833 revelation given to the Mormons in

Kirtland, Ohio, by their church leader and prophet, Joseph Smith. Known as the “Word of Wisdom,” this revelation says, among other things, that “…hot drinks are not for the body or belly.” Modern Mormons have traditionally held this to mean coffee and tea, but it was thought (at least until recently) that it was the caffeine in such drinks that presented the problem.

Perhaps – and this is just speculative – the Mormons originally believed, as did Ms. Stowe, that it was the temperature, and not the caffeine, that was harmful.

As I pondered the time-period connection, I began to wonder if Ms. Stowe lived anywhere near the Mormons during those years. Low and behold it turns out that the

Beecher family moved to

Cincinnati, Ohio in 1832, when Harriet was approximately 21 years old (she was born in 1811, and was married in 1836). Additionally, Harriet’s father was a minister, so of course the family would have been interested in the goings on of the Mormons.

Who might have influenced who in this case, I cannot tell. But it would be fun to know the origins of the more-common-than-realized notion that hot drinks were detrimental to one’s health.

By Carrie Franzwa and Leonia Meek

The most sure way to make history learning fun at any age, is to employ the three easy stages of The Alluring Approach to History. This teaching approach puts academics last, and creative arts first, and is based on the observation that young and old alike invariably derive greater enjoyment out of history when they are allowed to follow their curiosity, rather than endure forced reading.

However, as you will see, going with The Alluring Approach to History doesn’t mean that educators must let go of the important objective of instilling certain facts of history.

Furthermore, The Alluring Approach to History can be initiated at any age level, including adult, and it can be implemented in a very short time span at the teen and adult levels. However, for the purpose of addressing educators, I will lay out a progressive plan that starts with young children, and moves with them into adulthood.

STAGE ONE: Playful Introduction and Use of Antiques

Your creative educational ploy begins with children between the ages of 3 and 10 years old. At this stage you will offer them the discovery of social charm, amusement, or interesting tools from the past. In this first stage you aren’t “teaching” anything as far as your students are concerned. To them it appears you are allowing the opportunity to “pretend” history, or in other words to “play.”

For example, what little girl doesn’t love a pretty, very polite tea party? Tea parties can be an introduction to charming, proper Victorian culture, which can become a back door “hook” leading down the road to more specific events in history, such as the American Civil War.

And little boys, for example, love Native American artifacts and tools. Teach a little boy how to make various colors of Native American mud paint, and then arrange the opportunity for them to paint a big, friendly dog like a pony would have been painted in preparation for a buffalo hunt. An interest in Native American arts can become a back door “hook” leading down the road to specific events in history, such as the American-Indian Wars that followed the Civil War.

Things like a child’s (or adult’s) love of horses lends itself naturally to the study of many eras and events in history, while antique machinery, tools, and gadgets also spark natural inquiry.

Note: Adults have no troubles finding antiques of interest to collect if you’ll just point them to eBay!

Make these kinds of things the basis for introducing history to young children, and for them history will start out of the gate owning the magical word “fun.”

STAGE TWO: Experiencing Authentic Living History

Between the ages of 10 and 15, allow interests to lead the way in hands-on historical research and studies. This stage should include learning as many old-world skills and social customs as can be afforded.

For example, young ladies might enjoy learning the skills of Dutch lace making, or of sewing on a treadle machine. They will further appreciate things like the women’s liberation movement as they learn what social customs suppressed women, and what it was really like to do laundry before the invent of the washing machine.

Young men might enjoy learning the skills of natural hide tanning, and furniture making using antique hand and treadle tools. They may also relish an understanding of progression in war tactics and customs over time.

The possibilities during this stage are absolutely endless. The basic idea is simply to bring authentic history alive again, for real-life experiences.

STAGE THREE: Arrange Facts around Interests

In this stage you’ll begin to easily line up historical facts for your maturing “students.” They will have had numerous positive emotional encounters with learning history, and will naturally and effortlessly begin to make connections with major events in history.

A fantastic activity in this stage is the ongoing creation of a wall sized timeline of A.D. history events.

To create this A.D. timeline, start with appropriately placed pictures of major events or eras (Vikings, Crusades, Slave Trade, American Colonization, American Revolution, French Revolution, Napoleon, Civil War, American-Indian Wars, WWI, The Great Depression, WWII, Civil Rights, etc.).

Next, allow students to do research on both things of interest, and things assigned, and add interesting notes to the timeline. Things like the first guns made, beer becomes Europe’s staple drink, horses introduced to America, the Black Plague, introduction of photography, introduction of abstract art, first trains, introduction of sewing machines, introduction of washing machines, germs discovered, titanic sank, women’s lib, tea rooms become fashionable, examples of clothing and shoes for each era (where did “Goth” start?), the baby boomers, the printing press invented, first public library, cars, planes, submarines, dirigibles (Hindenburg crash), etc., etc..

This becomes a visual tool for placing “facts” of history along side things of interest in the minds of students.

By this stage any assignments of in-depth study on major events will be looked upon with positive emotional connection; more akin to a natural flow of learning.

Additionally, “students” in this stage gain a great deal more out of watching the best of modern history-based movies and documentaries, and are able to dissect and assimilate the context and messages much more readily.

In Conclusion

Long before reading assignments are handed out, students should have the opportunity to discover history experientially. While young children need direction because they have no idea where to begin, an adult can start on their own at any time with The Alluring Approach. They need only find antiques or old-world hobbies of interest, and begin re-creating living history around those antiques and hobbies.

Granted, there will always be reluctant learners. But I dare say that even reluctant learners can be brought out of their shells when The Alluring Approach to History is employed.

The Alluring Approach to History is how to make history fun at any age.

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About the Authors: Carrie Franzwa is a successful home educator, and the Founder of www.LetsPlayHistory.org , an American on-line club dedicated to history preservation and exchange. She is the author of several e-book titles, including, “How to Re-create an Authentic 1621 Thanksgiving,” and “A Combo Guide for Beginning Sewing and Authentic Period Costuming.” Leonia Meek is a student of Early Childhood Education at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon. She graduates Spring of 2008.

As detailed in The American Patriot’s Treasury of Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas (*1), the English pilgrims used what were called “serviettes” as their dining napkins. Unlike today’s table napkins, serviettes were laughably large, even bath towel-sized linens. Although they weren’t always used to cover a person’s clothing, they were large enough to do so, should users have deemed it necessary.

Clothing in 1621 was, after all, extremely time-consuming to clean or replace, so protecting one’s valuable attire at the table was often of great importance.

The over-sized serviette was used in a number of ways, including tying two corners around the back of the neck (which is often how we see them portrayed), tucking one corner into the front collar, laying it across the lap, or for a more dignified and graceful appearance, folding two or three times lengthwise, and draping it over the shoulder opposite the dominant hand.

These early table napkins were primarily made of plant linen, but occasionally cotton was used.

In this example I will be using a stout, unbleached cotton, as cotton is much less expensive today than linen, and easier to care for. White linen serviettes were actually the favorite of late Renaissance homemakers. No matter which options you choose, be sure to wash and dry the fabric to take out shrinkage before sewing the edges (linen edges need to be zigzag stitched before washing as the fabric unravels excessively).

Also choose a matching 100% cotton thread for authenticity, and be sure it is suitable for hand sewing (if machine sewing, choose a machine thread).

Begin by cutting out bath towel-size rectangles or squares on the fabric grain (for how-to’s see page 29 in A Combo Guide for Beginning Sewing and Authentic Period Costuming, *2). You can either machine sew the edges, which goes very quickly, or you can sew the edges by hand for a truly authentic finish. I will demonstrate how to hand sew a serviette using the blind hem stitch as follows:

Blind Hem Stitch

Be prepared to spend about two relaxing hours hand stitching each serviette. (Historically, hand sewing chores presented a great opportunity for ladies to get together and gab!)

Start at a corner as shown (following), folding twice, then folding over the first edge twice as shown. Using an iron to press the folds will make the sewing job go faster.

Fun Historical Note: Ironing is authentic to 1621. The type of iron used in the 1600’s would have been a sadiron, or flatiron. Such irons were basically a solid, flat-bottomed chunk of cast iron with a handle on it (shaped similar to today‘s irons), which could be set into a fire for heating.

Using a double or single thread, begin hand stitching your edges by hiding unsightly starter knots inside the edge fold (whenever possible). As for historical accuracy in choosing double or single threads, I have not as yet found any source references that specify a preference among early 1600 English tailors and seamstresses. Single thread is considered most appropriate for the hem stitch today, however. (I am using a double thread in the photos following.)

If you are new to hand sewing and need help making thread-end knots, directions can be found on page 9 of A Combo Guide for Beginning Sewing and Authentic Period Costuming (*2).

After stitching a ways, you’ll begin to run out of thread. Simply anchor your stitching with a few snug, stationary stitches, trim loose end-thread(s), and pick up again with a new length of thread.

Once the stitching is completed, finish with a little pressing of the edges, and there you have authentic 1621 English serviettes!

2007 – Using English serviettes for the first time.  As you can see we do not have a formal dining set up, but serviettes are versatile and would fit just as nicely in a formal setting.  Mmmm, good viddles – everyone is so quiet in this picture!  We really did laugh a lot that day.  As was the custom in 1620-21 English society, we had the men sit down together before the women, which our teen boys found very amusing :-)

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About the Author: Carrie Franzwa is the Founder of LetsPlayHistory.org, a national website dedicated to making history fun for all ages via the reenactment arts http://www.letsplayhistory.org . She is the author of various titles, including:

1. The American Patriot’s Treasury of Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas,
2. A Combo Guide for Beginning Sewing and Authentic Period Costuming