In Ms. Sheely’s Cultures class, students have been learning about Native American cultures across New York State, and the use of masks in cultures across the world. According to the New York State Education Department, today, there are eight federally and state recognized sovereign Indigenous nations in what is now New York.
Across the past few weeks, students discussed how Native Americans use dream catchers in their cultures to catch good dreams and let the bad ones pass. Students also used symbols from religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Taoism and Hinduism to incorporate into their masks.
