Free Admission to IAIS on Open House Day June 9, 2018!

Connecticut Open House Day is an annual event scheduled the second Saturday of June, where cultural organizations and tourism attractions throughout the state open their doors to invite folks to discover – and rediscover  Connecticut's museums.  One of the best ways to celebrate Open House Day is at the Institute of American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.  Best of all, on June 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. visitors will get in free!

If you want to learn about archeology and native cultures past and present, this is the place to visit.  A special highlight of the Open House Day at the Institute will be the traditional flute music played by Allan Madahbee, Ojibway artist, and musician.   In Native American culture, the flute is deeply rooted in Eastern Woodland Indian traditions as well as in the culture of indigenous peoples of the Americas.  The sound of the flute is hauntingly beautiful and unforgettable. The gift shop is also offering an interesting selection of these rare handmade flutes crafted by Madahbee.

The Collections at IAIS are divided into two categories, Ethnographic and Archaeological. Both categories of the collection are used for exhibition, research, and study. 

The Ethnographic Collection contains over 6,000 cultural items and represents indigenous communities throughout the Western Hemisphere. Ethnographic items generally date to the near (Post-European contact) past. The objects were collected, purchased, bartered from or gifted by indigenous owners to others, and often passed down as heirlooms by indigenous and non-indigenous families. These objects represent the diverse history and continued presence of Native American societies, many of whom still dwell on the homelands of their ancestors and maintain their cultural traditions today.

The Archaeological collection features over 300,000 artifacts representing over 1,300 New England Native American archaeological sites. Archaeological items are mostly from below-ground archaeological sites. Some, however, were disturbed from their original location and brought to the surface either by natural causes or human activity. The vast majority of these are nonperishable items such as stone tools and clay pottery fragments. Most of the perishable materials used in the past are rarely found due to the acidic soils and temperate climate of the Northeast. 

The archaeological collections in the care of the IAIS span over 12,000 years of indigenous history, including objects from the oldest known site in Connecticut: the Templeton site (6LF21) in Washington. 

The IAIS holds overall the largest collection of artifacts from Western Connecticut anywhere in the state. This collection spans from the earliest known occupation to the colonial and Federalist periods of Euro-American history and holds enormous historical significance. The majority of the sites where these artifacts were retrieved have been destroyed by urban development, river erosion, sea level rise or other factors. The only remains of the culture and activities from these sites are the items in this collection.

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.

Lecture - Recent Excavations @ Templeton Site

If you are interested in Native American archeology in Connecticut, don't miss the lecture on May 20 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the recent findings of the Templeton Site in Washington at the Institute of American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road. The cost to attend this event is $5 and light refreshments will be served. The public is encouraged and welcomed to attend.

Templeton Site Biface Production

The Presentation

The presenter, Dr. Singer is a specialist on the Paleo-Indian period in American history, which is the earliest known human epoch in Northeastern North America, which followed the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. 

This presentation will highlight the results of the 2016 and 2017 archaeological excavations at the Templeton site which is the oldest known archaeological site in Connecticut.  Amazingly, its Paleo-Indian component has been radiocarbon-dated to 11,190 years before the present.  

Dr. Singer will present new interpretations of raw material selection and toolstone use, artifact composition, and intra-site patterning in the Paleo-Indian component. Don’t miss this exciting lecture on one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Northeast!

Site Background

The Templeton site was discovered and originally excavated in the late 1970s by archaeologists from the Institute of American Indian Studies under the direction of the Director of Research, Dr. Roger Moeller, who published a book on his findings –6LF21: A Paleo-Indian Site in Western Connecticut.  

Dr. Singer, a research associate at The Institute is currently excavating the Templeton site. His recent excavations were facilitated by collaboration among members of the local Washington community, including the Litchfield Hills Archaeology Club, the Friends of the Office of State Archaeology, the Norwalk Community College Archaeology Club, New Hampshire SCRAP,  and archaeology field schools from Western Connecticut State University and the University of Connecticut.  In addition many avocational archaeologists and professional archaeologists also participated. 

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.

Wampum Demonstration with Annawon Weeden May 19

In 20th century slang, the word wampum was commonly used to denote money along with such terms as loot, moolah, and even clams, a far cry from what it meant to Native Americans who used wampum to foster spiritual and social bonds among the Native communities.  The fascinating story of wampum will be told at a special Wampum Demonstration & Talk with Annawon Weeden, from the Mashpee/ Wampanoag tribe on Saturday, May 19,  at the Institute for American Indian Studies.

About Wampum

Wampum is composed of white and purple beads and discs fashioned from two different shells.  The white beads are made from the whelk, a sea snail and the purple beads are made from a quahog.  These shells are found in the ocean water south of Cape Cod to New York, with an abundance of them in Long Island Sound.

The shells were harvested in the warm summer months, and after the meat was eaten, the shells were drilled and polished.  A hole was pierced through the shell so they could be strung on strings made from plant fibers or animal tendons.  Typically tubular in shape, the beads were then woven into belts, necklaces, headpieces, bracelets, earrings and other adornments. The beads were even used at day-long games with the winners taking the wampum bounty.

The color of the beads had meaning for the Algonquians.  The white beads represented purity and light and were used as gifts to mark important events like births and marriages. The purple beads represented serious events like war or death.  The combination of these beads represented the duality of the world, light, and darkness, man, and woman, life, and death.

Wampum in New England

In New England, Eastern Woodland Native Americans wore wampum for centuries to show one's station and obligation to the tribe.  Before European contact wampum was often kept on strings and were used for storytelling, ceremonial gifts, and recording important treaties and historical events.

There was no printed currency when colonists arrived.  Colonists saw how much value was placed on wampum by Native communities they decided to adopt it as a means of trade.  Massachusetts Bay Colony officially recognized wampum as a currency in 1650 and rates of exchange were formalized.  In New England, wampum was legal tender from 1637-1661, and in New York until 1673.  By 1661, the wampum valuation law was repealed and replaced by minted coins. Wampum lost most of its trade value when colonial merchants shifted from the fur trade to timber and shipbuilding.

Wampum Today & The Workshop

Today, Native artists and culture bearers continue to craft wampum jewelry and use wampum belts to record tribal history.  At this workshop on May 19 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington participants will learn about the significance of wampum and how it continues to provide a social and spiritual bong among Native communities.   A highlight of this workshop will be to watch the remarkable process of how wampum is made while listening to the stories the beads tell as they are strung.

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 "Good Magic" of Fiddleheads

One of springtime's delicacies are fiddleheads that usually bloom in the month of May in Connecticut. Foraging, harvesting and eating this iconic wild edible is a time honored spring tradition for many Native Americans. 

About Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads are the coiled tips of young ostrich ferns that grow near brooks, rivers, and lakes.  They grow throughout the Northeastern U.S. and from British Columbia to the Northeastern Canadian Provinces where they have been consumed for centuries.

Fiddleheads are easily recognizable because the top of this plant looks like the scrolled neck of a violin. The trick is to pick fiddleheads before they unfurl into the large fronds of the fern; once they get too big, they are to bitter to eat. Picking time is short and lasts only about two weeks.

Fresh Fiddleheads are delicious and have a woodsy flavor.  Many compare it to a mixture of asparagus, spinach, and wild mushrooms.  Best of all, fiddleheads are high in iron, potassium, niacin, riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, and vitamins A and C.  Fiddleheads are also low in calories and high in fiber!

Medicinal and Culinary Use

Fiddleheads were called mahsos in the language of Malecite Native Peoples, a word that means "good magic."  For Native Americans, fiddleheads were an important source of food in the spring and provided vitamins and micronutrients. They were usually steamed or boiled in soups.

Medicinally the Cree (Algonquian) used fiddleheads in a decoction of the stalk during childbirth and for back pain.  Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, and Passamaquoddy tribes used fiddleheads as a medicinal tonic that acted as a diuretic. 

Maliseet traditional wisdom believes that consuming fiddleheads helps to cleanse the body of impurities and toxins. They also introduced this delectable delicacy to the Acadians, who were the descendants of French colonists that settled in Eastern Canada and Maine.

This iconic spring plant is thought to have become an art form.  Some have interpreted the double curve motif that Wabanaki people sometimes use to decorate artwork bears a strong resemblance to fiddleheads.

Did you Know

Only two or three fiddleheads should be picked from a clump, leave some to mature into large leaves.

Look for tightly curled buds that have just started to emerge for the best flavor.

Before cooking, fiddleheads make sure to rub off the brown paper-like skin and wash them thoroughly.

Fiddleheads don't keep long if the stems turn brown before cooking just snip them off.

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.

Tracing Native American Genealogy @ Institute for American Indian Studies

These days there are so many ways to trace ones ancestral roots from DNA kits to massive websites, but sometimes insider knowledge can save you lots of time and aggravation.   To start your voyage of discovery or to get past a research hump, join Jeanne Morningstar Kent to learn how to trace your Native American heritage on May 12, at the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Tracing Native American genealogy can be tricky because there are very few official records about early Native Americans.  Morningstar is an enrolled member of the Nulhegan Band, Coosuk-Abenaki of Vermont, and descended from Nipissing, Montagnais, and the Algonquin People from the Quebec area of Canada, making her uniquely qualified to help you navigate the somewhat complicated ways of tracing your Native American ancestry.

Participants in this workshop will learn the best places to begin research, which can be a fascinating and rewarding process.  The focus of this workshop will be most helpful for people tracing Native Ancestors in New England and Quebec, Canada.  “This talk is geared to New England and Quebec because it is based on my own genealogy work for myself and my father’s family.  This is what I am most familiar with.  I am currently working on another family line that is in the Midwest and southern states so I will be able to answer some questions regarding pursuing non-Native research in those areas,” says Morningstar.

Highlights of this program are the helpful hints that Morningstar will share to make your research easier.  Some hints will be places to find information and how to recognize Native names even though they sound like Christian names.

Based on her successful research of her own Native American ancestry, Morningstar will provide essential information on the best techniques for tracing your Native past. “Anyone who has heard family stories about an ancestor being Native with possible roots from Canada will be most interested in what I cover.  I am open to answering whatever genealogy questions I can as I am now pursuing my mother’s side of the family, which is not Native and primarily requires research in the Midwest and southern states of the USA.  It is different.

This workshop, Moccasin Tracks: Native American Genealogy with Jeanne Morningstar Kent is expected to sell out and reservations are required. Call 860-868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org to reserve your place.  Adults are $15, Seniors $13, Children are $11 and members of IAIS are $5.

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.