Native American Winter Survival Skills and Winter Foraging February 26

 

Surviving and thriving during the cold New England winters requires a clear understanding of the environment that you live in and the knowledge of how to keep your body temperature up and ways to save heat. The Native Americans living in the Eastern Woodlands were experts at this. They were able to find shelter, stay warm, and forage for food regardless of the cold and snowy weather. Intimate knowledge of the landscape, the local resources, and how to use them are the keys to how Native Americans survived winter in New England. The Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington is hosting an in-person Winter Survival Program with IAIS educator, Griffin Kalin on Saturday, February 26 at 12 and 2 p.m. 

This intriguing program begins at the Institute’s replicated 16th century Algonkian Village to see how Native Americans lived in the Eastern Woodlands. They will learn about how Native Americans overcame the challenges of staying warm by using a variety of approaches to stay warm. Highlights include how to make a shelter out of things from the natural environment such as snow, rocks, and branches, how to make a fire in the snow, and what was worn to protect body heat. 

New this year, the Winter Survival program will focus on the basics of winter food preservation and material usage. One of the most interesting lessons of this program is that for Native Americans, the great outdoors, even in the winter, provided sustenance because they knew where to look, and how to plan ahead, prepare, and preserve resources throughout the year. Most of us only see a barren landscape in the winter, but as Griffin Kalin - Wigwam Escape Creative Director and Museum Educator - will demonstrate, people living in the Eastern Woodlands long ago were able to thrive throughout the harshest of seasons! 

The winter survival program is suitable for all ages. Make sure that you bundle up as this in-person program is outside. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. The cost of the program is $15 for non-members and $5 for members. To reserve your spot click here. If you have questions or would like additional information call 860-868-0518 or email events@iaismuseum.org. 

 About The Institute for American Indian Studies 

 Located on 15 acres of woodland acres, the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have a 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.