Day 6, July 21, 2008

Our Trip to Letchworth State Park:

What can I say---it was amazing to see the Park and an incredible experience to see our kids having a blast being themselves and being enthralled at the sight of the waterfalls, railroad bridge across the canyon as well as the stone walls built by the Works Progress Administration (which we learned about in last years camp). In addition to the beautiful hike along the canyon, the kids went the Letchworth museum and saw arrowheads and other artifacts like the ones they picked out of the ground last week at our Geneseo site. We hiked up to the native american counsel grounds where native tribes used to meet up until 1870s. We toured the 200 year old log cabin of Nancy Jemison, Mary Jemison's daughter. Then we met up with our Flint Napper Ken Wallace who showed us how arrow heads were made by native americans using flint and gentley pounding it with the blunt end of a deer antler. With the flint shard they fashioned the shape with another rock. He also showed his collection of bow and arrows and other hunting tools used by natives 200 plus years ago. Our students also had fun drumming in the Pavillion shelter we rented at the Park. Some of the groups were so good and resonated throughout the park that the Letchworth staff stopped in to see if we had hired a professional to do a Pow Wow.

We have tons of photos and videos of the trip which will be posted to this blog shortly by myself or Kim Hoffman. Those of you who can make it to the dig closing events will also see slideshows and video clips at the Ballroom in the Union.

Ciao,

Susan