If you’re preparing to earn the Indian Lore merit badge, you’ve come to the right place! In this guide, I’ll be teaching you about the history, culture, and contributions of the American Indian peoples. Afterward, you’ll be able to answer each question on your merit badge worksheet and earn the Indian Lore merit badge!
You’ve reached part 2 of my ultimate guide to the Indian Lore merit badge! If you’re new to ScoutSmarts, you should first check out part 1 for the answers to requirements 1 and 2 of the Indian Lore badge.
If you’ve come over from part one, congratulations! You’ve already learned a ton of useful info about the lives of Native Americans, and you’re about to learn so much more! Give yourself a huge pat on the back for making it this far. 🙂
Now, let’s get back into it! Take the time to closely review and think through requirements 3-5 of the Indian Lore merit badge, written out below. Then, I’ll give you a detailed run-through of everything you’ll need to know to earn this fascinating badge!
What Are The Indian Lore Merit Badge Answers?
- Do TWO of the following. Focus on a specific group or tribe.
3a. Make an item of clothing worn by members of the tribe.
3b. Make and decorate three items used by the tribe, as approved by your counselor.
3c. Make an authentic model of a dwelling used by an Indian tribe, group, or nation.
3d. Visit a museum to see Indian artifacts. Discuss them with your counselor. Identify at least ten artifacts by tribe or nation, their shape, size, and use. - Do ONE of the following:
4a. Learn three games played by a group or tribe. Teach and lead one game with a Scout group.
4b. Learn and show how a tribe traditionally cooked or prepared food. Make three food items.
4c. Give a demonstration showing how a specific Indian group traditionally hunted, fished, or trapped. - Do ONE of the following:
5a. 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.
5b. Sing two songs in an Indian language. Explain their meanings.
5c. Learn in an Indian language at least 25 common terms and their meanings.
5d. Show twenty-five signs in Indian sign language. Include those that will help you ask for water, for food, and where the path or road leads.
5e. 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.
5f. Write or tell about eight things adopted by others from American Indians.
5g. Learn twenty-five Indian place-names. Tell their origins and meanings.
5h. 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.
5i. 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.
Indian Lore Merit Badge Requirement 3:
Do TWO of the following. Focus on a specific group or tribe.
3a) Make an item of clothing worn by members of the tribe.
3b) Make and decorate three items used by the tribe, as approved by your counselor.
3c) Make an authentic model of a dwelling used by an Indian tribe, group, or nation.
3d) Visit a museum to see Indian artifacts. Discuss them with your counselor. Identify at least ten artifacts by tribe or nation, their shape, size, and use.
In this section, I’ll be going over how to complete requirements 3c and 3d. However, feel free to work on any one of these options! Each one presents some great opportunities to learn more about American Indian culture! 🙂
3c) Make an authentic model of a dwelling used by an Indian tribe, group, or nation.
If you’re trying to make an authentic American Indian dwelling and don’t know where to begin, you might consider making a Pueblo dwelling from modeling clay, or a Plains Indian teepee out of small sticks and paper. These are both interesting and relatively straightforward dwellings to build by yourself!
Pueblo Dwellings
The Pueblo Indians lived in some of the most iconic dwellings of all time, so you might be interested in crafting one of their adobe homes. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you’d think! All you’ll need is some good old-fashioned modeling clay (Amazon link) and the helpful video (8:20) below to guide you!
Once you’ve learned the basic design, feel free to make your Pueblo dwelling as intricate or as simple as you’d like. I used to play around with modeling clay as a kid, and I always had a ton of fun. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy making a Southwestern Pueblo dwelling of your own, too (here’s the best modeling clay kit I could find for you)!
Plains Indians Teepee Dwellings
If the Plains Indians are more your style though, don’t worry because I’ve got another option for you. You can build a teepee, the traditional dwelling of Plains Indians, from just a few household supplies!
Steps For Making A Plains Indian Teepee:
- Collect around 15 small sticks of equal thickness and prep your hot glue gun. Then, pull out some scissors, markers, and a piece of construction paper.
- Create a cone-shape with your small sticks and secure all of them together using string, tape, or hot glue. They should be connected about 4/5 of the way up.
- Then, fit your paper to the shape of your teepee cone. You’ll be attaching it later on. First, be sure to decorate the paper once you know what’ll go where.
- After your teepee exterior has been decorated, wrap it around your wood stick frame, cutting away any excess pieces of paper so that it fits snugly.
- Finally, you’ll want to cut a doorway in the paper. After everything is put in place, reinforce your structure using hot glue or tape. Congrats, now you have an awesome Plains Indian teepee! 😉
3d) Visit a museum to see Indian artifacts. Discuss them with your counselor. Identify at least ten artifacts by tribe or nation, their shape, size, and use.
Now, it’s time to do your own research! Out of all the possible options for requirement 3, I’d most recommend visiting a museum to view Native American artifacts. This is the best way to get an up-close look at true American Indian culture. Take your time at the exhibits, ask questions, and learn all that you can!
At the museum, make sure to take lots of pictures and note down at least 10 especially interesting artifacts you see. You’ll have a great time discussing your observations with your merit badge counselor later on!
To find a museum displaying native American artifacts near where you live, simply Google, “American Indian museum near (your city).” However, if there aren’t any exhibits near you, I’d recommend asking your merit badge counselor for their suggestions. In some cases, you might be able to check out an online museum exhibit instead!
Indian Lore Merit Badge Requirement 4:
Do ONE of the following:
4a) Learn three games played by a group or tribe. Teach and lead one game with a Scout group.
4b) Learn and show how a tribe traditionally cooked or prepared food. Make three food items.
4c) Give a demonstration showing how a specific Indian group traditionally hunted, fished, or trapped.
Just like with the last requirement, I’d really encourage you to follow your curiosity and complete the option that most interests you. That’s what I did, which is why in this section I’ll be covering requirement 4a! Are you ready to learn 3 awesome American Indian games, along with one that you can even play with your troop? Let’s get into it!
4a) Learn three games played by a group or tribe. Teach and lead one game with a Scout group.
Since we’ve already learned a ton about the lifestyle and culture of Cherokee Indians in part 1 of this guide, I thought it’d be fitting to teach you about how the Cherokees had fun as well! Here are 3 of the most common games that were historically played by Cherokee Indians:
Stickball
Stickball is somewhat similar to the modern game of lacrosse, but with a lot fewer rules limiting physical contact. Seriously, don’t play this one with your troop lol 😛 . Stickball is played with two opposing teams both trying to move a single small ball between two poles (the goals) on either end of the playing field.
How does each team move the ball when playing stickball? With sticks, of course! Each player wields two sticks topped by woven baskets, which they use to hit, pick up, or toss the balls. To see a game of stickball in action (and why I wouldn’t recommend it for your troop), check out the exciting video (2:51) below:
Interestingly enough, the Cherokee people have historically used stickball as a way to settle conflicts without resorting to war. There are actually a lot of variations of stickball, so the rules may differ depending on who you ask. All in all, stickball seems like a really exciting game backed by a lot of rich history!
Hunting Games
Another traditional set of games that the Cherokees competed in were those related to hunting. Such games included hatchet throwing, blowgun shooting, archery, and more. To see how some of these historical Cherokee games look in action, check out the video (2:45) below:
While ancient and modern Cherokees alike enjoy hunting games, the video misses one of the most popular Cherokee games of all time: the Cornstalk Shoot. This game tested the strength and accuracy of Cherokee hunters when wielding a bow.
A cornstalk shoot is played exactly the way that its name describes: Contestants take turns shooting arrows into a large bundle of cornstalks from far away. One point is given for each cornstalk the arrow penetrates, with the winner being the player who’s the first to reach 50 points.
Marbles
Cherokee marbles (known as Digadayosdi) is a unique game that combines elements of golf and cornhole. However, Cherokee marbles came first! In Cherokee marbles, players take turns rolling stones (or a billiards ball) towards a series of 5 holes. Once a player makes one hole, they’ll try to roll their stone into the next.
However, Cherokee marbles is harder than it sounds! Other contestants are allowed to hit your ball away during their throws, and the course is in an “L” shape, which makes the holes harder to aim for. As you’ve probably noticed by now, the Cherokees played many diverse and interesting games!
Deer Button Game (To Teach Your Troop)
Unfortunately, most Cherokee games require some supplies, so those might not be the best options to teach your troop. Not to worry! In this section, I’ll be telling you about a great American Indian game played by the Lenape peoples, which you can easily prepare and teach to your troop!
The game I’d like to share with you is called the Deer Button Game. Basically, the Deer Button game is like a game of dice, with many variations of it having been played amongst other American Indian tribes. To learn how to play, watch the informative video (3:34) below:
So, all you’ll need to play the Deer Button game are 7 flat beans to use as dice (with one side darkly colored), as well as a lot of corn kernels to keep score. Each player should begin with 24 corn kernels. Based on the rolls of your seven, 2-sided bean dice, you’ll either need to give corn to the other players or collect it. Here’s what each roll means:
- 1 black side up: Give 1 piece of corn to each player
- 2 black sides up: Give 2 pieces of corn to each player
- 3 black sides up: Give 3 pieces of corn to each player
- 4 black sides up: Give 4 pieces of corn to each player
- 5 black sides up: Each player gives you 2 pieces of corn
- 6 black sides up: Each player gives you 4 pieces of corn
- 7 black sides up: Each player gives you 10 pieces of corn
- If you have 5, 6, or 7 black sides up, you can shake again. If not, then the next player takes their turn.
This is an easy and thrilling game of chance to play within your troop (and will cause a lot fewer injuries than stickball!). However, make sure that when playing the Deer Button game, you do so in a friendly way that doesn’t involve gambling. Hope your troop enjoys this fun game! 😉
Indian Lore Merit Badge Requirement 5:
Do ONE of the following:
5a) 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.
5b) Sing two songs in an Indian language. Explain their meanings.
5c) Learn in an Indian language at least 25 common terms and their meanings.
5d) Show twenty-five signs in Indian sign language. Include those that will help you ask for water, for food, and where the path or road leads.
5e) 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.
5f) Write or tell about eight things adopted by others from American Indians.
5g) Learn twenty-five Indian place-names. Tell their origins and meanings.
5h) 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.
5i) 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.
Believe it or not, a good deal of our modern-day advancements are built on discoveries made by American Indian people who lived hundreds of years ago! In honor of that fact, I chose to explore requirement 5f. As always though, I’d encourage you to put in a bit of time to research the requirement that sounds most interesting to you! 🙂
5f) Write or tell about eight things adopted by others from American Indians.
There are way more than 8 innovations that were brought about by American Indians. In this list, I didn’t even have the chance to mention kayaks, mouthwash, baby bottles, and football! However, in my humble opinion, the following 8 advancements, pioneered by American Indians, had the greatest impact on our modern world:
- Agriculture (Especially Corn): American Indian tribes needed to have selectively bred corn for thousands of years for it to become the food we enjoy today. Especially in the United States, but also across the world, corn is one of the most commonly grown and consumed ingredients. For that, we have our Native American predecessors to thank!
- Animal Husbandry: Along with their agricultural contributions, American Indians were also the ones responsible for the domestication of several animal species including llamas, guinea pigs, turkeys, pigs, and bees.
- Snow Goggles: Snow goggles were introduced to European explorers by the American Indians of the Arctic and Subarctic tribes. Later on, the design for snow goggles became popular throughout the world in the form of sunglasses!
- Cable Suspension Bridges: American Indians first discovered how to create reinforced cable suspension bridges by weaving together strong ropes out of plant materials. Europeans took this technology back to the Old World where it inspired centuries of architecture.
- Federated Democracy: The Iroquois Nation was one of the earliest examples of federated democratic government, ever. After seeing it in action, Europeans took this concept back to Europe where it became one of several factors that spurred the French and American Revolutions!
- Hammocks: The idea of using hammocks was adopted by European explorers after seeing American Indians using them. Hammocks soon became used in most European ships by sailors, as a way of conserving space in the ship barracks. The rocking of the hammocks also allowed sailors to sleep more comfortably in turbulent waters.
- Syringes: The concept of syringes was unheard of in Europe until the 1850s. However, American Indians were using needles to inject medicines for centuries before the concept was adopted by the Europeans!
- Botanical Medicine: One of the most important pieces of knowledge that the American Indians passed on to colonists in the New World was their extensive knowledge of herbalism. American Indians knew a wide variety of plants that could be used for painkillers. They also knew of botanical medicines that would reduce fever and cure infections (Ever hear of Asprin?).
While many of the historical contributions made by Native Americans are taken for granted in the 21st century, these inventions helped to shape the course of history! The next time you put on a pair of sunglasses (snow goggles), eat a bowl of cereal (corn), or get a shot (syringes), be sure to appreciate the fact that it was American Indians who helped make these things possible. 🙂
Also, if you liked learning about American Indian culture in this badge, I think you’ll love earning the American Cultures merit badge as well!
In earning the American Cultures merit badge, you’ll learn about the many diverse and wonderful people who call our country their home. You might even learn something new about your own background! So, what are you waiting for? Check out my guide to the American Cultures merit badge here.
Conclusion
Great work making it to the end of this merit badge! By now, you should have a strong understanding of American Indian history, as well as a newfound appreciation for Indian lore. Now that you know about Native American culture, I’d encourage you to share what you’ve learned with your fellow scouts. In fact, this is a great merit badge to teach to others during a scout-led merit badge seminar!
If you found this post helpful, I’ve also written guides to many of the other Eagle-required merit badges! I’d definitely recommend checking out my difficulty rankings for every Eagle-required merit badge if you haven’t seen it already.
Hope my resource has helped you to answer every requirement on your Indian Lore merit badge worksheet! I’m looking forward to having you back at ScoutSmarts soon because I’m constantly uploading new content to help scouts like yourself. For more merit badge guides and freebies, you can even sign up for my ScoutSmarts Scribe Newsletter!
Until next time, best of luck on your Scouting journey! 🙂
(Click here to visit part 1 of my guide to the Indian Lore merit badge)