Learn the Cultural Tradition of Corn Husk Weaving @ Institute for American Indian Studies

 During this month of gratitude, the Institute for American Indian Studies located at 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut is hosting a Corn Husk Weaving Workshop on Saturday, November 23^rd at 1 p.m. Participants will learn the traditional art of weaving beauty from simple cornhusks into a seasonal craft perfect for gift giving.

Originating in South America, corn didn’t reach New England until about 1000 years ago. Corn was a useful crop that wasn’t grown just as a source of food. Many Native American traditions, including the Three Sisters Garden, various traditional stories, and annual ceremonies like the Green Corn Festival, encompass the cultural importance of corn including weaving art and everyday items from cornhusks.

 A cornhusk is the outer leaf of the corn plant that protects the cob as it grows. Most of the time, this green outer shell is thrown out after corn is harvested. Readily available during the fall harvest season, skilled Native American artists and other artisans collect the husks and dry them until they turn an attractive shade of golden brown signaling that they are ready to be woven.

 

At this workshop participants will join an IAIS educator for a hands-on class where they will create crafts made from cornhusks to take home. Weaving with cornhusks has been around for thousands of years in Native American culture and this workshop presents a rare opportunity to experience a bit of Native American culture while creating something beautiful and meaningful.

 

Pre-registration for this workshop is required and can be made online at iaismuseum.org. The price to participate including all materials, is $20 for non-members and $10 for members of the Institute. If you have questions, please call 860-868-00518 or email events@iaismuseum.org

 

About the Institute for American Indian Studies

Its “Wigwam Escape” escape room offers an opportunity to solve a puzzle while learning about Indigenous life before European settlement. With a focus on “two-eyed seeing”, visitors can learn about the history of the American continent that incorporates more than 12,000-year history of human habitation. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, Connecticut.

 

Medicinal Monday Buffalo Gourd

Cucurbita foetidissima is a gourd that is native to North America and can be found in the central and southwestern areas of the United States. Native American communities in this area have used this gourd for food as well as for traditional medicinal purposes. 

About Buffalo Gourd

This plant is in the Cucurbitaceae or cucumber family. It has large gray-green triangular leaves that can grow up to 12 inches long and are covered with rough hair. The leaves grow alongside stems that lie on the ground. The plant sprawls up to 30 feet across. The flowers are yellow with stamens that have large antlers deep inside the bell-shaped throat of the flowers. The fruit of this plant is green-striped when young. They turn yellow as they mature and grow to the size of a tennis ball.

Medicinal Uses

One of the most common traditional uses was to make tea to ease childbirth. Another was to make tea from the boiled roots to induce vomiting. The seeds were ground into a powder to relieve swellings and the dried root was mixed with water and used as a laxative. Many used the root as a soap and the gourds for washing. Many communities pulverized the seeds or made a decoction of the roots to treat venereal sores. Specifically, the Apache and the Coahuilla made a poultice of the leaves, stems, and roots and applied the mixture to sores on horses.  The Shoshoni made an infusion of the entire plant and gave it to their horses to get rid of worms. The Cahuilia found three interesting traditional uses for this plant. They ground the shell of the fruit and used it as a shampoo, they applied the pulp of the fruit mixed with chopped-up roots on open sores and made physic from dried roots. The Keres and Zuni made a poultice of crushed roots and applied the mixture to boils and sores, the Kiowa took a decoction of peeled roots as an emetic, the Omaha pulverized the root and took it for pain, and the Paiute made a decoction of the root to kill maggots in wounds.  The roots are boiled and used for chest pain by Isleta-Pueblo Indians.

In addition to medicinal uses, the seeds were roasted and eaten as food or ground and made into flour. The dried gourds were made into rattles and ladles. The yellow flowers were used as a dye.

Did You Know...

Other names for Buffalo Gourd are Stinking Gourd, Missouri Gourd, Stink Gourd, and Wild Gourd.

This plant gets its nickname Stink Gourd because of its foul odor when bruised.

The mature fruit is poisonous to humans depending on weight and susceptibility to the poison.

Cucurbita is Latin for the word gourd and the species name, foetidissima comes from Latin meaning very bad smelling.

A mature gourd can clean wooden floors.

A soap-like foam forms when the fruit of the gourd is crushed in water because of the saponin glycosides and is used on laundry stains.

Medicinal Monday... Field Pumpkin

In New England, we see pumpkins everywhere in the fall. It is Autumn's official mascot, adding charm to decor and spice to our muffins, coffee, and pastries. In addition to using pumpkins in traditional recipes, Native American communities also found several interesting medicinal uses for the field pumpkin.

About Field Pumpkins

Cucurbita Pepo L more commonly known as Field Pumpkin is an annual climbing vine that sprawls along the ground with bright yellow flowers in the summer that bear large luscious fruits in the fall. The fruit can be fried, baked, or added to soups, cakes, cornmeal, stews, and more. The seeds are scooped out and baked and even the blossoms are eaten.  This species is monoecious which means that the flowers are either male or female, but both flowers that are pollinated by insects can be found on one plant. It is considered to be Native to North America and has been cultivated for thousands and thousands of years. Most experts believe that this plant, which is in the cucumber family originated in Mexico, and made its way to the north where it was cultivated in prehistoric North America.

Medicinal Uses

There are many interesting medicinal uses for this plant. The most common use was to make an infusion of the seeds and give it to children with urination problems and tapeworms. The seed was ground into a powder put into a liquid and given to children to rid them of internal parasites. The seeds were also taken to relieve dropsy.  Specifically, the Cherokee feed their children browned seeds to stop them from bedwetting. They also used the seeds as an ingredient in Green Corn Medicine. The Meskwaki made a decoction from the stem and gave this mixture to women with "female problems," and the Navajo ate the leaves to relieve upset stomachs. The Pima made a powder from the seeds ground it into a paste and applied it to their face as a moisturizer. The Zuni used this plant as an ingredient in"schumaakwe" cakes which they ate to ease swelling and rheumatism.

Did You Know...

Cucurbita Pepo is considered by experts to be one of the oldest domesticated species of squash that is thought to have originated in Oaxaca, Mexico around 8,000 years ago.

As a gourd, these plants were made into cups, ladles, duppers, and containers. 

The Zuni used this gourd as a receptacle for holding precious objects. They also wore the gourds in dances and made rattles from them. 

The Iroquois ate squash at feasts of ceremonial importance and in Long House ceremonies.

Medicinal Monday - Buckbean

Buckbean is a woodland ephemeral that blooms in the spring for a short time. It is the only member of the genus Menyanthes native to North America. Buckbean can be found in Connecticut. Today it is protected in the United States. Its bitter-tasting leaves and other parts of this plant have been used in traditional Native American medicine.

About Buckbean

Buckbean can usually be found growing in bogs, marshes, and on the edges of wetlands. This aquatic flower is a hermaphrodite with both male and female parts and is pollinated by bees, moths, and butterflies. Buckbean can grow up to ten inches and its three rounded leaflets gather around the base of the flowering stems. In May and early June, clusters of white or purple-tinged star-shaped flowers emerge. Buckbean flowers are very fragrant. The short hairs of the flowers on five or six pointed lobes give it a fuzzy appearance. The fruit is a capsule that contains many seeds that are shaped like beans giving this wildflower its name.

photo K. Ziarnek

Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Buckbean has a long history of culinary use. Many Native American communities traditionally dried and ground the rootstocks into flour for bread and cakes.

Medicinally, one of the most common traditional uses was to treat stomach aches and gas pains and as an aid to help digestion. It was also used as an emetic. An infusion of the dried leaves was used to treat rheumatism and skin diseases. The Aleut made a compound of the roots to make a laxative, and the Kwakiuti made a decoction of the stem and roots and drank it to spit blood; they also took this decoction to gain weight.

F. Vasen

Did You Know...

In some parts of Europe, the bitter leaves of this plant were used as a substitute for hops in flavoring beer and they were also boiled in honey to make mead.

Another name for buckbean is bog bean.

Its scientific name is Menyanthes trifoliata. Trifoliata is a reference to its three leaflets. The name Menyanthes comes from a Greek water plant.

As a plant of the wetlands, it has little impact on the lives of wildlife; however, several bird species use it as part of their breeding area.

The Qing Dynasty used it as a sleeping aid.

Medicinal Monday - Plants Used for Witchcraft and Magic

During the year, as we are writing Medicinal Monday, we occasionally run across a plant, tree, shrub, or herb that was used by Native Americans for witchcraft and magic. These beliefs were passed down, by oral tradition in the form of stories, rituals, and ceremonies.  Historic records show that Algonquian and Iroquois accepted witchcraft as part of their world and would use it to explain disasters. Many plants were used to ward off witchcraft and evil spirits or to explain disasters and illness. Here are this year's additions.

Red Cardinal flowers are hard to miss because of how tall they are and their vibrant red color. In the Bluebell family, this flower can be found in the far west United States. Interestingly, it was used in both love and witchcraft. The Iroquois made an infusion of the roots and used it as a love wash to attract their beloved. They also made a special drink with roots to treat trouble caused by witchcraft.

Taken at face value, crinkleroot is an attractive wildflower that can be found in the Eastern U. S. and Canada including Connecticut. Although the root was used to treat everything from headaches to belly aches, it had other uses too. The Iroquois, for example, believed that the roots of crinkleroot had magical powers and used them in a variety of ways to counteract all types of poison. They also used smashed roots in witchcraft rituals to identify the perpetrator.

We know that smoking tobacco is bad for you. But this Indian Tobacco (Lobelia Cardinalis) as opposed to Nicotiana tabacum had an unexpected benefit. Indian Tobacco is native to New England and has extended its range west to Oklahoma. The Iroquois made a decoction of Indian Tobacco to counteract the sickness caused by witchcraft

A pretty two-toned yellow plant nicknamed Butter and Eggs was an unexpected addition to this year's witchcraft list. This plant originated in Eurasia but has naturalized over much of the country including Connecticut. Although one of the most common uses of this plant by Native Americans was to treat gastrointestinal problems, some communities found other uses for it. As for magic, a compound of smashed plants was taken as an anti-love medicine to remove bewitching.

Honoring Native American Veterans November 3 @Institute for American Indian Studies

 Many people may be unaware of the major contributions Native Americans have made to our armed forces. They have fought valiantly in the United States military in every conflict since the American Revolution, even before Native Americans gained U.S. citizenry in 1924.

 

Each year, in honor of Veterans Day, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut honors the exceptional military service of Native Americans in a formal dedication and ceremony. This year, the Institute is once again inviting the public to participate in the program that will honor Native and non-Native Americans whose passion and loyalty have helped to make America what it is today on Sunday, November 3 at 12:30 p.m. The Institute is located at 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.

 

This year the Institute is honoring three people that collectively represent three branches of the military: Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. The honorees are, Valerie Gambrell (US Army, Eastern Pequot), Sargeant, Reginald Mitchell (US Coast Guard, Golden Hill Paugussett),  and Petty Officer 2nd Class Alicia King (US Navy, Golden Hill Paugussett).

 

Culturally, Native Americans have always celebrated their warriors. This year the Institute is honoring several local Native Americans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The Crow Hill Singers Drum Group led by Aaron Athey (Mohegan) from Uncasville will perform traditional songs to honor the contributions made by Native American Veterans and all Veterans. A new highlight is that Tails of Joy will have a canine ambassador as part of the proceedings. Tails of Joy is a non-profit dedicated to providing animal-assisted therapy. Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to enjoy light refreshments in the museum.

 

Although this planned event will take place outdoors, if the weather is, inclement it may move indoors. Advance registration is appreciated for this free event. Click here for tickets

https://iaismuseum.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/20669

 

About the Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland, the IAIS offers educational programs, both permanent and changing exhibits and a replicated 16th-century Algonkian village. Its research department maintains extensive archeological and ethnographic collections and conducts archeological digs and other research. Its “Wigwam Escape” escape room offers an opportunity to solve a puzzle while learning about Indigenous life before European settlement. With a focus on “two-eyed seeing”, visitors can learn about the history of the American continent that incorporates more than 12,000-year history of human habitation. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, Connecticut.

 

About Veterans Day

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary marking the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for the annual observance and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation and a remembrance ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. The ceremony honors and thanks all who served in the U.S. armed forces.

 

 

Medicinal Monday... Butter and Eggs - Sounds Good Right?

There is a pretty little plant called Butter and Eggs that has been naturalized from Eurasia in North America including Connecticut. Named for its bright yellow flower that resembles a snapdragon, this invasive plant also had some traditional Native American medicinal uses.

photo credit Gilles

About Butter and Eggs

This plant grows to be between one and three feet tall and its slender stem is crowned with yellow flowers on top. The flowers are bright yellow with a distinct orange patch on the bottom lobe. Two lobes are on top and point upward and three are on the bottom and point slightly downward. The narrow blue-green grass-like leaves grow on multiple branches and resemble those of flax. This perennial spreads by rhizomes or by seeds. The plant is somewhat toxic as it contains glycosides.

photo Giles

Medicinal,  Practical, and Magical Uses

In traditional Native American medicine, the most common use of this plant was to make a cold infusion from the leaves to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. Another common use was to make an infusion of the plant and flowers and give it to babies that won't stop crying or to make a compound of the plant and take it to induce vomiting. A practical use was to soak the leaves in milk and use it as an insect repellant. The Ojibwa specifically used a compound that included this plant as a respiratory aid in the sweat lodge. As for magic, a compound of smashed plants was taken as an anti-love medicine to remove bewitching.

photo R. Herring

Did You Know...

Another name for this plant is toadflax because the flower reminded people of the face of a toad!

Other common names include tode, yellow rod, gallwort, monkey flower, and ranstead.

Since coming to America, this plant has spread to 49 states and all of Canada!

Butter and Eggs were used as a dye in Germany and by the Mennonites in the U.S. 

In Scotland, you were advised to circle around a patch of Butter and Eggs three times to ward off evil hexes.