Professor Marietta Dantonio-Fryer speaks to the
second grade class at Tyson-Schoener Elementary     On Friday December 3, 2010 as part of their American history education, the
second grade teachers at Tyson-Schoener Elementary School in Reading,
Pennsylvania invited Professor Marietta Dantonio-Fryer to speak to the
students about Native American culture and heritage.                Students gather in the gym to hear Professor Dantonio-Fryer    Marietta chats with students before the presentation     Combining her artwork from a watercolor series she calls "The Indigenous Peoples Series" and her knowledge of Native American Indian being part of the Lenape tribe and a Wolf Clan mother herself, Professor Dantonio-Fryer had the full attention of the 115 member second grade student body in attendance.                        Professor Marietta Dantonio-Fryer during her presentation to students at Tyson-Schoener Elementary School     With her Native American art as the starting point of the presentation, Professor Dantonio-Fryer used a PowerPoint slide show to introduce the children to well known and respected individuals in the Native American community in and around the Pennsylvania area. Also included in her artwork are paintings of Native Amaerican cultural and heritage items such as native drums and flutes, ceremonial pieces like the sacred pipe and animals held in high regard by
Native Americans - the wolf, buffalo, turtle, turkey and more.                                   Marietta Dantonio-Fryer explains her feather fan to the students and teachers     The students were very interested in everything Native American and there was no shortage of questions
they wanted to ask of Professor Dantonio-Fryer!                      As part of her presentation Professor Dantonio-Fryer showed her "Elan Kumanhw" mural, a 24 foot wide community outreach project she envisioned and created with the help of 75 Native American artists from tribes making up the Eastern Delaware Nations in Forksville, Pennsylvania in 1997.     Instructional supervisor Mrs. Erin Brown accepts the gift of a poster of the Elan Kumankw mural signed by Professor Dantonio-Fryer       In addition to the gift of the Elan Kumankw("We are all related") mural poster, Professor Dantonio-Fryer called on three students to come forward and each were tasked with taking a basket filled with single feathers with a prayer tie attached to each one and handing one out to each person in the room - a little something for each student to remeber the day and what they had learned.                   Professor Dantonio-Fryer demonstrates howthe fan and shawl are used in ceremonial dances     Along with the slide show presentation, Marietta also brought along a few items to show and demonsrate to the children. These included an authentic native American drum, a ceremonial pipe and smudging pot made from a seashell, a handmade Native American talking stick and even her shawl and feather fan which she demonstrated how they would be used during a sacred dance.      Mrs. Brown shows the Elan Kumankw poster to all the students       Marietta Dantonio-Fryer explains the meaning of her Lenape Indian name - "Manitu Ntasimi" which means Dream Weaver   Professor Dantonio-Fryer explains to the students the detailed meanings in the Elan Kumankw mural   Marietta answers the many questions the children had during her presentation   The second grade students and teachers of Tyson-Schoener Elementary School in Reading, PA