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Nature, A Pawnee Means of Survival

Guided tour—Pawnee Indian Museum, Republic

Admission and transportation subsidies are available to schools in twenty-six northwest Kansas counties for this tour.

Excavated Pawnee Earth LodgeGrades—Third 

Where better to study the Pawnee Indians than at the authentic site where more than 2,000 members of the Kitkahaki band lived nearly 200 years ago? By visiting the site, seeing the remains of one of their earth lodges, and walking the nature trail students will learn about the Pawnee and their dependence on nature.  The experience allows the students to use their visual/spatial along with their bodily/kinesthetic intelligences. Each student will be given an opportunity to create their own “Ledger Art” to depict what they believe life was like when the Kitkahaki lived in this village. They will also be given a postcard size reproduction of a painting illustrating the village with forty earth lodges, women returning from the fields along the Republican River and men returning from a successful horse raid.

Kitkahaki Nature TrailThe tour consists of three stations: the earth lodge itself, Kitkahaki nature trail, and ledger art activity at the lodge depressions.  For large groups it will be necessary to divide into three, with teachers conducting the guided nature tour and art activity portions. Complete instructions will be provided for each of the teacher guided activities. Teachers will also receive the Read Kansas! cards lesson P-17, Historic Places in Kansas. For further classroom study of American Indians, teachers may be interested in the educational resource trunk, Uses of the Buffalo.

Length of tour: 90 minutes

Cost per student is $6.  One adult enters free for every 10 students,. Additional adults pay $5.

Number of students in a group: This tour can handle up to 90 students.

Registration and scheduling: contact the site administrator at 785-361-2255; or email Pawnee Indian Museum at kshs.piv@ks.gov. Tours must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.

Other guided tours available at Pawnee Indian Museum:

American Indian Homes in the Central Plains

When Smoke Curled Upward from Earth Lodges