Ganondagan announces 2012-13 schedule with “field trip of a lifetime”

MPNnow, link to original post with PHOTO

A new season of events and programming will help celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor.

The site opens for the season on Tuesday, May 1. A new program, a “fieldtrip of a lifetime” will also be offered after requests from the public. The fieldtrip will include a Bark Longhouse sleepover.

The Bark Longhouse and trails will be open for guided walks on May 1, and Opening Weekend (May 5-May 6) will offer a variety of special activities.

On Saturday morning, May 5 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in conjunction with the first New York State “I Love My Park Day” initiative, there is a volunteer opportunity to help clean up the gardens, trails and site perimeter in preparation for season visitors.  Visit http://www.ptny.org/ilovemypark to register.

The popular community longball game starts at 2 p.m. that day.  On Sunday, May 6 at 10 am, Site Manager G. Peter Jemison and Site Interpreter Tonia Loran lead a Guided Plant Walk.

On May 1, 150 tickets at $100 each will be available for the fundraising raffle, benefiting FoG programming. The winner, plus nine people of his or her choosing, will live for one night in the full-sized Bark Longhouse replica, hosted by Ganondagan’s Native American Interpretive Staff members, and experience what life was like in the 1600s.

Also featured will be a Native foods dinner in the longhouse. For more information, visit http://www.ganondagan.org/Raffle/Longhouse.html. Ticket purchase info will be forthcoming.

The theme of “Fibers & Threads” will infuse the three traditional Native American Workshops (making Cordage, Wampum Belts, and Cornhusk Doll/Clothing) as well as the Fall Native American Lecture Series, “Lives Caught Between Cultures,” a collaboration with the Center for Service-Learning and the Department of Religious Studies at Nazareth College.

Also featured are Ganondagan’s popular annual events like the Native American Dance & Music Festival (July 28-29), highlighted by multiple award-winning Native folk and blues rock guitarist Keith Secola, Native American flutist William Harjo, and singer Bill Crouse, in addition to Iroquois dancers and singers. Well-known Native fashion designer Tammy Beauvais and Ganondagan Site Interpreter/Historian Mike Galban will create a special Ganondagan Fashion Show presenting five centuries of Native American clothing and fashion.

Additional annual programs include the Living History event (September 29)—a re-enactment of French explorer Robert LaSalle’s 1669 visit to the Seneca, the historic Canandaigua Treaty Day (November 11), and the Native American Winter Games & Sports (February 23, 2013). A complete chronological event calendar follows.

2012-13 Chronological Calendar of Programming and Activities
MAY
1  Ganondagan Site Opening Day (10 a.m.-4 p.m.)
5  Opening Weekend: (9:30-11:30) in conjunction with NYS “I Love My Park” Day, volunteer opportunity to clean up gardens, trails, and site perimeter; (2 p.m.) Community Longball Game
6  Opening Weekend: (10 am) Plant Walk with Peter Jemison and Tonia Loran; (2 pm) Outdoor Family Games, trail walk, bark longhouse tours
20  Traditional Native Arts Cordage Workshop (10 am-3 pm), Visitors Center
JUNE
9 Community Longball Game (2-4 p.m.)
30 Old Goat Run (begins at 9 a.m.); seven-mile cross country race at Site
JULY
14  Community Longball Game (2-4 pm)
28-29  2ist Annual Native American Dance & Music Festival (10 am-6 pm)
AUGUST
25  Community Longball Game & Storytelling (7-9:30 pm); play longball followed by storytelling around the campfire
SEPTEMBER
TBA  Native American Lecture Series #1: “Lives Caught Between Cultures” (7-9 pm), Nazareth College, Shults Center
29  Annual Living History Event (10 am-4 pm), historical re-enactment of French explorer LaSalle’s visit to the Seneca people in 1669

For the complete event calendar, pricing, and event locations, visit www.ganondagan.org/events.html or call (585) 742-1690.

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Play Snowsnake at Ganondagan Winter Fest

I’ve encountered rattlesnakes, garter snakes, and black rat snakes while playing in the outdoors but this was my first snowsnake. And, true to its name, the snowsnake was out in the snow when other snakes were hibernating. Other than being long and narrow, the snowsnake didn’t resemble other snakes. It slid rather than slithered and required no periodic feeding on rodents.Snowsnake, is a traditional game played by the Iroquois Indians for over 500 years.  The game began as a means of communicating between the winter encampments of the Iroquois people on the North and South shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.  It was the duty of the warriors to keep a snowy track clear of debris so a stick with a message written in charcoal, could be relayed along the track. When there were no messages to be sent, the warriors competed for the farthest slide in the snow track, thus beginning a gaming tradition.
I saw my first snowsnake track and handmade snowsnakes at the Ganondagan Winter Festival  in Victor. Fred Kennedy, a Seneca, supervised the building of a track and brought out his snowsnake collection. He demonstrated his technique and patiently assisted an endless line of children as each tried their hand at this winter game. Fred’s throws traveled 0.2 mile over a track limited by the amount of snow available. In competition the snowsnakes travel 1.5 to 2 miles in 3 minutes.   Building the Track
To build the track, Fred piled and packed snow to a height of about 30″ at the head of the track.  He continued to pile snow in a straight line that gradually decreased in height to just above ground level.  A log 4″ in diameter and 20′ long was placed on the pile of snow and slid back and forth to form a trough 5″ deep.  Then the log was dragged with a rope, the length of the track as the sides were reinforced with more snow.

Making a Snowsnake
The snowsnakes themselves are carved from wood. The most popular choices are hard maple, June berry, ironwood and hickory. Two lengths of stick are allowed.  The long stick is approximately 7 feet and the short stick, called a mudcat, is approximately 3 feet. The wood is cut into a 1″ square block and then carved into the desired shape. Then the stick is sanded and polished. The balance and weight developed are determined by the weather conditions each stick will be used in. The tip is then carved into a special design created by the carver and a liquid metal is poured through a paper funnel onto the carved area. This metal is allowed to harden and is shaped and polished to form an arrow-like point. The point adds weight and serves as protection for the stick. In the opposite end, a u-shaped indentation is carved for a finger hold. The stick is then ready for a finish of shellac.  On game day the “Shiner,” the man responsible for the “Medicine” or wax that will be rubbed on the stick, carefully considers the weather conditions before making his selection.

Playing the Game
Any number of teams, called “Corners,” may play in a game. Each team is allowed four throws per round.  A “Marker” stands at the end of the track and marks the distance the stick travels down the track. To win a game a team must acquire four points. A point is awarded to the Corner whose stick travels the farthest per round. A second point is awarded if the same Corner has the second farthest stick. A “GameOut” is called if the same team has all four sticks in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th places in the same round. To make the tournaments more interesting, each team might bet some money and the winning Corner takes all.   For information on Snowsnake programs, contact Fred Kennedy (716) 532-5644, legacy_kennedy@hotmail.com.

Ganondagan has an extensive network of trails to explore and it’s a hub leading to other trails. Take along a copy of “Take A Hike – Family Walks in New York’s Finger Lakes Region” so you don’t get lost. From Ganondagan you can hike to The Apple Farm, to Fort Hill, to Dryer Road Park, and to Fishers firehall via the Seneca Trail.

by Sue Freeman

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