Ojibwe Shoulder Bag Activity Starter Kit

Based on stories from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Central Minnesota, this kit can enrich your lessons on Native culture, wherever you live in the United States or beyond.

Much more than a simple coloring activity, the kit's project serves three main purposes:

• Introduce Ojibwe culture, history, and arts, both past and present
• Honor the story of the artist who created the bag's preprinted design
• Encourage artistic expression, particularly in the bag's blank spaces

Ojibwe Shoulder bag kits are intended for K-12 education audiences.

Educators: to avoid sales tax, before choosing any products, create an account and provide your school's tax exempt ID.

Kit Contents

• 30 Shoulder Bags  
  with pre-printed design by Ojibwe beadworker Cheryl Minnema
• Laminated classroom placards  
  images of historic and contemporary Ojibwe bags
• Teacher's Guide  
  with extension ideas and FAQs on Ojibwe culture
  
• Videos to help teach the culture and history of the bags

Fast Facts: Kit Development

The shoulder bag decoration activity is inspired by Ojibwe bandolier bags. The bag's printed design matches that of a contemporary bag created by Cheryl Minnema, a master beadworker from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in central Minnesota.

The kit's development process was an active collaboration among staff from two Minnesota Historical Society museums--the Minnesota History Center and the Mille Lacs Indian Museum.

The Society's Indian Advisory Committee, comprised of Ojibwe and Dakota members from throughout the state, was an integral source of ideas and consultation throughout the kit's creation.