Camp Rondack - Rondacts Yearbook (Pottersville, NY)

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lSN'T NATURE GRAND! 'fa V , By APPLE LAURIE . 3 ' . 2, ' 3 fi .,Nature is a wonderful thing, MW A f -- as With frogs to jump and birds to sing: .- ' ,Q - And when there comes a day of rain ' A ' it Out come the salamanders again: And all the younger braves of camp YU M.. J HJ ,Q I f i W- an Get ready to take a nature tramp, 5 T' 1 1' v And all of them will try to get Some little thing to make a pet. NATURE Rondack has certainly been a happy hunting ,Vx ground as far as we naturalists have been concerned. The first few weeks of the summer, we thoroughly V56 '-4' A ', explored our settlement and found more than 50 species K',Q4kqA of flowers, some of them Indian pipe and Indian tobacco 2 ,QA -direct descendants of our ancestors. Young brave Ann -If Newcorn Was Rondack's chief botanist on these explora- tions. Roaming through the woods' in this fashion many of our tribesmen passed their Hrst nature tests, recognizing ilowers, ever- greens, trees, insects, birds and fungi. Later in July, they collected flowers and evergreens for blueprints, and leaves and ferns for ink prints. Barbara Bersohn, our Spirit of the Forest, rolled out some superb ink prints. Several of us went on longer expeditions out of Camp. Betty Geller, chief reptile hunter, brought in several ribbon snakes and a tiny green snake, which had a place of honor in the museum. Brave Irma Newman, chief entomologist, added many bugs to our large collection of butterflies, beetles and other insects. Coming back from Natural Bridge we captured several large sphinx caterpillars and kept them in the museum. Often after the rain our younger papooses went walking through our reservation and collected many coral salamanders, frogs, toads and snails for our terrarium. . The last three weeks of camp were spent in advanced individual work on third tests+work on plaster casts of flowers, pocket sundials and star studies. We climaxed our Held study with the Nature Trail which some of the more stalwart braves made through our entire territory, and which will remain as a lasting memory of our nature explorations this summer.

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fs M, 1 e, gait Sli . 4 A.-I :gf i f iX ff I fill of it-. I -74, N ,LL an 4. , S' Q, gd N- As the sun set o'er the mountain, ,lf-Fqii , As the shadows dulled the sky, fs 04 Came a quiet, solemn silence, 'gkigi Then a beating, louder, louder, 'fx X Rhythmic beating of the tom-tom. Garbed in festive tribal costume Solemnly the tribes assembled In formation round the campfire, Chippewa and Onondaga. Wah-Wah-Te-See and Oneida: Greeted by the Inner Council, Council of the honored sachems. Met to sing of their beginnings Beseeching that their tribes win favor, Prayingto the sun and heavens, To the Fire-ily and the Bluebird. In pantomime the braves related How the elements had helped them, How their gods had been selected. With the coming of the new moon Came the awaited competitions, Challenging for tribal honors Testing strength and skill of tribesmen, Binding firmer bonds of friendship. Came the time to show their histories, Legends of old feats of valor. So were totem poles' erected, Lasting symbols of the tribes. And in turn the Inner Council. Highest chiefs of all the tribesmen, Told the story of a star group, Legend of the Northern Cross. Then the tribes, in harvest spirit, Thanked the gods for much abundance, Thanked the gods in tribal dances. With the passing of the new moon, Ended then the happy campfires. Thoughts turned on the nearing win- ter- Hopes were cast upon the waters- Friendships sealed with pipe of peace. J!! f fix ' ' jf .ty ff QQ 'S- i ft r IX , lx mx Il' lx if j ' K M f - ,I I ,v

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ARTS AND CRAFTS THE VVAMPUM MAKERS Dusk has settled among the pine trees. All is still, and Natibou, the great Wampum-Maker, has come to talk to the Chieftains of the tribe. Greeting, oh brave brothers! Natibou is saying, I have been watching with eager eyes the skill of your tribesmen on water and on field' and prairie. I have admired and praised them, and yet I come with a question on my lips. We bow to the wisdom of the great Natibou, spoke the Chieftains of the tribe. We Welcome his question. There is a tradition among us, replied Natibou, that our young shall be skilled in running like the deer, in hunting like the fox, in moving like the salmon through the waters. Yet there is also the tradition that our young shall be taught to strengthen their hands, their eyes and their minds in the skill of arts and crafts. Have the brave Chieftains forgotten this? lt is a good question, spoke the Tribal Wampum-Maker. Come and you shall see the answer. And he led him to the very last tepee on the tribal ground. I-lere is the work of our papoosesf' said the Tribal Wampum-Maker, the Woven basket made by brave Lila Altman, the lampshade to decorate the wig- Wam of Barbara Blickman, the doll-papooses of Arlene Levy and Estelle Katz.