September 2014 - Janice Kelley

Marker describing MIddle Village at the mouth of Columbia River, once home to the Chinook tribe of Native Americans for thousands of years.

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park – Chinook Middle Village Station in Astoria, Oregon.

This newly established site recognizes the Chinook people who lived along the mouth of the Columbia River for thousands of year. Artifact and inquiry-based lessons engage middle school students in a study of Chinook lifestyle and culture.

Did you know?

Chinooks used a river-based economy and used canoes as the primary mode of transportation. Carving a canoe from a single cedar tree could take up to a year. Large canoes were 50 feet long, held 20-30 people and could carry 8,000-10,000 pounds.

Janice was co-director of “If This House Could Talk” community history project.

Clicking on project title links to blog.

This project engaged residents in one of Sacramento’s oldest neighborhoods – where homes are 100 years old or more. Neighbors participated in a series of “how to” writing and art workshops. They gathered to learn how to research the history of their homes and how to write their own family stories.

The culminating event featured signs displayed in resident front yards sharing stories in images and short narratives.

Other workshop topics included the changing role of kitchens, mapping the assets of your neighborhood, identifying architectural styles and how to become a “house detective,” by researching archival records of homes and neighborhoods. Janice received a National Storytelling Network Member Grant to support this project.

Did you know?

The invention of the stove and access to indoor plumbing transformed kitchens beginning in the 18th and 19th centuries. In larger homes, kitchens were built in a separate sunken floor building to keep the main building free from smoke.

Month: September 2014

Lewis & Clark National Historical Park

If This House Could Talk – Engages Neighbors in Community History

Janice was co-director of “If This House Could Talk” community history project.

Did you know?