Before the Bow and Arrow: Atlatl Workshop

When people think of Native American weapons, bows and arrows are among the first things that spring to mind, and with good reason.  Just about every Native American community had some form of a bow and arrow that was used for hunting or warfare, and sometimes for both.  

Before the bow and arrow, Native Americans, along with people from many other cultures worldwide used something called an Atlatl for hunting and fishing.  Essentially an atlatl is a dart thrower that allows hunters to throw a dart or arrow farther and faster than by hand alone.   To learn more about this ancient technology and to make and throw your own atlatl, The Institute for American Indian Studies is hosting a very special workshop,  Atlatl Workshop with Susan Scherf, on May 11 from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

The Workshop

If you like to make things with your hands and test your skills, then this workshop is for you. Participants in the atlatl workshop will learn about the history and different designs of this useful ancient weapon that was used by Native Americans as well as by a multitude of cultures from around the world. Under the guidance of atlatl expert and IAIS Educator, Susan Scherf, participants will learn about the different designs of this ancient weapon before making their own atlatl and dart.

 The fun really begins with learning how to use your newly made atlatl and seeing how far you can throw your dart.  The atlatl session ends with a friendly atlatl throwing competition.   If you become an atlatl fan, you might end up competing in atlatl competitions that are held throughout the world!

This workshop is $5 for members of the Institute and $15 for non-members. Participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. To reserve your spot call 860-868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org.

About the Atlatl

An atlatl is one of humankind's first mechanical inventions that preceded the bow and arrow in most parts of the world. Basically, an atlatl is an ancient type of a spear thrower that was used to throw a spear farther and faster towards the quarry. The word atlatl comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs who were using them when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s.

According to the World Atlatl  Association, early people in the Americas used atlatls to hunt mammoths and mastodons around 11,000 years B.C. Much later, a variety of atlatl types were used in different parts of North America.  Many of the large stone projectile points found in North American sites were used with atlatl darts and not arrowheads.  

Atlatls continued to be used alongside bows and arrows by many Native Americans. Experimentation through the years taught Naive American hunters that by using a spear throwing stick, or atlatl and using a whip-like action to release the spear the weapon would go a greater distance and have a deeper penetration.  Atlatls were used to fish and to hunt large and small game animals.

Typically the projectile point of the spearhead was made of hard stone such as flint that was made by a Native American flintknapper.  The spearhead was attached to a wooden shaft made of hardwood such as ash, hickory, oak, cedar, walnut or birch.  The spear measured about 4 feet long and the atlatl thrower measured about two feet long and was typically made of wood or antler.

In time, an atlatl weight was added to the spear thrower as a counter-balance and good luck charm to help the hunter hit his quarry.  The spear holder was retained after the spear was thrown and sometimes a leather thong was attached to help the thrower retain it.

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.

The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

The Art of Flintknapping @ Institute for American Indian Studies

Have you ever wondered how Native Americans survived in the wilderness without any modern tools?  If you have, then make sure to attend the flintknapping workshop at the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington with Jeff Kalin, a primitive technologist on Saturday, July 10, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Space is limited for this in-person event and pre-registration is required. To register, visit the website, call 860-868-0518, or email events@iaismuseum.org. 

About Flintknapping

Flintknapping is the age-old traditional way that Native Americans created sharp-edged tools and weapons from stone.  The use of implements made from flint was widely practiced in New England because their survival depended on a material, like flint that could be used to produce sharp tools.

The first step in the flint knapping process is to quarry large pieces of chert or flint.  The use of flint to make weapons and tools has been used by humans for at least two million years. The composition of flint when fractured causes it to break into sharp-edged pieces.  Native Americans recognized this property of flint and learned how to fashion it into knife blades, spear points, arrowheads, scrapers, axes, drills, and other sharp implements using a method known as flintknapping. If these tools were broken or damaged while being used they were sometimes reshaped into smaller tools that could be used in a similar way.

After finding a piece of flint it is hit with a hammerstone to break off a flake to make a tool or weapon. This tool is then roughed out and the general shape is made, this shape is referred to as a preform. The next step entails a striking tool made of an antler, bone or stone that is used to shape the stone into a weapon or tool.  This is followed by pressure flaking by pressing an antler or stone end to the edges to sharpen the piece.  The implement can be sharpened even more by striking the edge in a downward motion, the thinner the flint, the sharper the tool or weapon.

Flintknapping Workshop with Jeff Kalin, Cherokee

At this workshop, on April 28 and April 29 participants will discover the fascinating history of Native American flintknapping from primitive technologist expert, Jeff Kalin, of Cherokee ancestry.  During the workshop, Kalin will explain the historic importance of flintknapping and how it was critical to the well-being of the tribe as the implements produced touched every aspect of daily life by providing implements to use in hunting, fishing, making clothes, canoes, and structures.

Participants will learn percussion and flaking techniques from Kalin that will turn an ordinary piece of flint into a useful tool.  

About Jeff Kalin

Jeff Kalin has more than 25 years of experience in the field of primitive technologies and is a consultant to museum curators and archaeologists in the analysis of artifacts. He is a recognized expert in Clovis point replication and other types of stone tools. 

He has constructed prehistoric sets and props for filmmakers and his pottery, handcrafted from river clay is in many public and private collections. Kalin has built nearly 200 aboriginal structures, either free-standing or congregated in villages. 

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Celebrate Earth Day @ Institute for American Indian Studies

Long before Earth Day was established in 1970, Native Americans celebrated the earth in many ways because every day is Earth Day to them.  Many native groups believe that all living and non-living things have a spirit or manitou, from the largest mountain to the smallest animal or most fragrant flower. Native Americans recognize that all things are equal and that humans are just one part of an interconnected natural world. And, one of the best places in Connecticut to celebrate Earth Day on April 21 is at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut.

Earth Day @ the Institute of Native American Studies

The staff of the museum has organized a celebration for Earth Day on April 21 from 12 noon to 4 p.m.  This very special celebration will honor our connections to each other and to the natural world that we live in.  Spark your child's creativity and imagination while learning ways to best take care of Mother Earth.


Through hands-on, multi-sensory activities and games, your child will explore ways to recognize and use recycled materials in clever ways! Examples of potential activities: recycle relay and sensory identification boxes. 

Participants will be encouraged to let their thoughts of appreciation roam free…and

to commune with nature and take a moment to appreciate the sky, the breeze, the colors of

Mother Earth and the natural beauty that surrounds you.

 The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.


The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

Medicinal Monday - Stinging Nettle

The common stinging nettle plant is an annoyance, especially if you rub against it.   This pesky weed at first glance may seem insignificant, however,  it has been used for centuries as an important source of food, fiber, and medicinal aid -- and no one knew this better than Native Americans.   

Distinguishing Characteristics

Stinging Nettle originated in Europe and Asia and now grows in most parts of the United States.  This plant is a wild perennial that can grow up to four feet. Stinging Nettle often grows in groups and has bristly hair along the stem and on the underside of the leaves that have serrated edges. The sharp hairs on the stinging nettle break easily and can penetrate the skin, causing a "stinging sensation" that irritates it. The flowers of the stinging nettle plant are small fuzzy white flowers.  The leaves, roots, and stems are edible and the leaves are said to taste like spinach. Unless cooked or dried, the leaves retain their stinging hairs.

What Makes It Sting

There are several substances in the stinging nettle plant that cause irritation including histamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, formic acid, tartaric acid and oxalic acid.  Scientists believe that this combination of chemicals enhances the stinging sensation that causes redness and swelling.

Medicinal Uses

Native American people knew how to eat this plant safely in salads by boiling the leaves in water; the Mohegans ate this plant with pigweed and dock greens.  A combination of boiled roots and leaves of the stinging nettle plant was also used for hundreds of years to treat painful muscles and joints and other skin ailments. The Cherokee used nettles for upset stomach, the Cree used it to keep blood flowing after childbirth, the Hesquiat rubbed the leaves on their body for aches and pains, the Paiute whipped leaves on their arms and legs for joint pain and the Makah rubbed the leaves on their bodies before a hunt for strength. 

In fishing, hunting, and seal hunting rituals in the Pacific Northwest, nettles would be rubbed on bodies during ceremonies to provide strength and to protect against the harsh climate. The Kawaiisu tribe of southern California used stinging nettles as a source of dream power.  Those wishing to have a medicine dream would be encouraged to walk through nettle plants so that the stings would prepare them for the dreams.

Native Americans also found practical uses for the nettle plant.  The fibers are strong and were used to make fishing nets, sacking, and strong ropes.

Did you know...Stinging Nettle... 

In ancient Egypt, nettle was used as an infusion to relieve arthritis.


Roman soldiers brought nettle plants to the British Isles to relieve their aching joints and painful legs. 


In Denmark, burial shrouds have been found that are made of nettle fabrics that date to the Bronze Age.


John Gerard in the 16th c. used the stinging nettle as an antidote for poison.

The fibers of the stinging nettle plant were used well into the 17th century in Scotland for fabric.

In WWI, the German Empire experienced a shortage of cotton so they used the fiber of the stinging nettle plant to make fabric.


Today, the nettle plant is still used as an herbal remedy to treat many ailments including joint pain.  It is rich in magnesium, calcium, iron, and protein.




 The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.



The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

The Spirit of Spring @ Institute for American Indian Studies

If you have kids home from school on their spring vacation and want to plan a special excursion that will both educate and fascinate, head to the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.  The Institute has planned a perfect combination of programs from April 18 to April 20 that will fascinate and educate your children.  Best of all the schedule is relaxed so whatever time you visit the museum, you are sure to find excellent programs to participate in.

The highlight of the day on April 18 will be a series of family activities that will focus on woodland animals found on the grounds...deer, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes and even bears.  Kids will learn how to ID animals by the tracks they leave behind.  There will also be an outdoor scavenger hunt along our trails leading up to the Native American Village that promises to be entertaining and educational at the same time.  If your children enjoy making things, there will be a craft session where kids will make the animal of their choice and be able to take it home as a memento of their visit.  The day will wind down with animal stories, like how the chipmunk got his stripes by Traditional Storyteller and the Education Coordinator of the Institute, Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke.

On April 19, the focus of the day will be honoring the trees and the gifts that they bring us. If you want your children to learn how to identify different trees, this is the day to visit the museum.  There will be a self-guided nature walk on the well-marked trails of the museum and a tree identification activity.  In addition, a craft session for kids is planned that will highlight trees and a special story time when Native American legends are told. Perhaps one tale will be the Cherokee Legend of why trees lose their leaves.

Native Americans have lived off the land and have used herbs and plants as a source of food, building material and, for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Programs on April 20 will focus on how Native Americans use plants and herbs. A highlight of the day will be the Iroquois story told by a Traditional Storyteller and the Education Coordinator of the Institute, Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke of the "Three Sisters" Garden of corn, beans, and squash.  There will also be a Three Sisters’ Garden planting activity to make and take them home. Children will delight in exploring their crafty side using natural materials found on a hike.

These events will take place from 12 noon to 4 p.m. on April 18-20 and all activities are included in the price of admission with one parent or guardian per group getting free admission!  Admission is $10 adults, $8 Seniors, and $6 children, members of the Institute of American Indian Studies get in free.

IAIS is participating in Give Local 2018 Facebook Contest! LIKE this photo to help us win additional prizes!

And,  remember, IAIS is participating in Give Local 2018 Facebook Contest! LIKE this photo to help us win additional prizes! Please only like the original post as that is the one where the likes are counted! Supporting IAIS During "Give Local" supports our educational efforts. All you have to do is LIKE the photo to help us during this contest and to give where your heart is in order to help us continue to educate and create more memories like this one!! Connecticut Community Foundation.

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.


The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.  

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