Children learn about Native Americans of LI at Cold Spring Harbor museum

Thanksgiving is over, but a different kind of celebration continued this weekend at the Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum.

A group of children gathered Sunday to commemorate Native American Heritage Month and learn about Long Island's roots.

"As we're thinking about Thanksgiving, we're also thinking about the Native Americans who were here and are here today," Leah Master, a museum educator, said. "It's important to honor the Native Americans who live on Long Island today who have been here for many generations."

Master discussed a few of the tribes that lived on Long Island and still continue to reside here, such as the Shinnecock on the East End. Long Island was formerly inhabited by 13 native tribes; Cold Spring Harbor's first residents were Matinecock Indians. Before the village's settlement by Europeans in the 17th century, the area was called Wawapex, which meant "at the good little water place."

Master's interactive presentation also included a show-and-tell with artifacts such as a whale harpoon, corn husk doll, oil lamp and assorted stone tools that the Native Americans would have used. After learning about arrowheads, from how they were used to the differences in size and shape, children designed their own arrowhead necklaces.

Kayla Hargrove, 9, of Baldwin, said it was fun to remember Native Americans after the Thanksgiving holiday, explaining she had American Indian ancestry.

As part of the program, children also learned a selection of Algonquin words, and scurried around the museum at a handful of different activities stations where they laced paper canoes and colored maize cutouts.

The event coincided with local school curriculum about Thanksgiving history, Master said. Tina Patsis, of Lloyd Neck, said she hoped her 5-year-old would understand the connections between the holiday and the Native Americans.

"It's important for them to learn about the history of what was here before the settlers arrived," Patsis said.