The kids at St. Joseph School found an unusual place to hold class recently: An authentic Plains Indian tee pee.
The tee pee, belonging to Jerry Lerche of Lennon, was set up behind the school on Nov. 19 so the kids could learn about Native Americans prior to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Lerche is the grandfather of three St. Joseph students, including one in Joan Hennessy’s first grade class, who were the first to visit the tee pee during it’s day-long visit to the school.
Lerche, a former school teacher for 30 years, said he acquired the tee pee as part of his educational materials, and used it for an outdoor education program. He used to camp with children in the tee pee, and now takes it around to area schools.
‘I have them all come inside the tee pee, and then I have some artifacts that I show them,? he said. ‘The tee pee is one of the Native American dwellings, and it was used year-round. It stayed warm in the winter and cool in the summer.?
Lerche said a tee pee of the size he showed the students would normally have housed a family of 4-5 people, including grandparents.
‘It’s about 18-foot in diameter, so it’s pretty average-sized,? he added. ‘I’ve had as many as 50 kindergarteners sitting inside at one time.?