This Father’s Day Take Dad on an Adventure to 1518! Wigwam Escape @ Institute for American Indian Studies

This Father’s Day it is time to celebrate your one-of-a-kind dad in an unexpected and fun way that he will cherish for years to come. If you are looking for something special, why not give him the gift of a unique experience with Wigwam Escape, a nationally award-winning Escape Room that is located at the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut. 

If the dad in your life is a history buff, loves to solve puzzles, and enjoys being challenged while having fun, Wigwam Escape will be an unforgettable bonding experience for the whole family. A highlight of the Wigwam Escape experience is to gain a better understanding of how Native peoples thrived prior to European contact. This is a gift that keeps on giving because after playing the game, you can continue your experience by visiting the museum whose core exhibition follows the 10,000-year-long story of Connecticut’s Native American people, and hike the Institute trails to a replicated Algonkian Village. 

In honor of Father’s Day, the Institute is running a promotional code that is 20% off the booking and includes gift certificates when using code DAD1518 at checkout. For more information and to book, click here. 

Wigwam Escape – The Story

You, the game player, find yourselves in a Native American village in the woodlands of Connecticut in the year 1518. You’ve just received word that an illness is affecting the neighboring fishing village of Metachiwon and they are asking for help. It is seven miles to Metachiwon so you have to act quickly. It’s up to you to figure out how to gather and prepare supplies for your journey ahead. You have one day (roughly one hour of game time) to hunt, gather and cook using only the resources found in the village and surrounding forest. This empathetic experience connects players to the ways Native peoples lived and the skills they relied on 500 years ago in their daily lives. 

 FAQs - Wigwam Escape 

 Wigwam Escape allows two to seven players to experience the room. To enhance the experience the room caters only to private groups, so when you book the room, it is for your group only. 

The ticket prices are $25 for General Admission, $20 for Students, and $22 for Seniors. Your ticket also includes museum admission to the Institute for American Indian Studies which can be used on the day of your visit. The suggested age for Wigwam Escape is 12 and up; however, as long as there is a parent or guardian present during the game kids under 12 are welcome. 

The suggested age for Wigwam Escape is 12 and up; however, as long as there is a parent or guardian present during the game kids under 12 are welcome. 

Wigwam Escape is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday by reservation. Office hours are Wed. and Thurs. from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To purchase your tickets, visit www.wigwamescape.com or call (860) 868- 0510.

Medicinal Monday - American Licorice

When thinking of licorice most of us think of it as the main ingredient in candy and beverages, but this sweet root has a long Native American history because of its culinary uses and medicinal benefits that are still relevant today.

About American Licorice

Glycyrrhiza lepidota known as American Licorice is native to most of North America and can be found in Connecticut.  This perennial plant grows in woods, fields, and meadows throughout the United States. It can grow as tall as three feet high in rich moist or sandy soil and has long tough brown roots that are said to be sweet and similar in taste to a sweet potato. It is a close relative of peas and beans and is in the genus Fabaceae. American licorice reproduces by seed and underground stems called rhizomes.  The tapered leaves grow in groups of 11 to 19 leaflets and have a blunt tip. It has light green to white cylindrical cone-shaped flowers that grow in spiked clusters. The plant blooms in the spring and ripens in the fall into clusters of burs that contain pods of small bean-like seeds.

Medicinal Uses & Culinary Uses

American Licorice was widely used by the Native Americans throughout the country. The Bannock boiled the root and made a tonic that was taken for a sore throat and to improve singing. The Blackfoot made a tea from the root to relieve coughs, chest pain, stomachaches, and sore throat. The Cheyenne made an infusion of the roots and leaves to treat diarrhea and chewed the roots to cool the body in a Sweatlodge or during the Sundance Ceremonies. 

The Pawnee, Sioux, and Lakota used the root of the plant as a medicine for the flu and steeped licorice leaves in boiling water to make a topical medicine for an earache. They also placed the root in their mouths as a treatment for toothaches. The Keresan used an infusion of the entire plant to treat chills. Several Native American communities used an infusion of the roots to treat fever in children.

Wild licorice leaf poultices were an excellent remedy for sores on people and on horses. The Isleta used the leaves to absorb moisture in shoes. Young shoots of this plant also had a use, they were nibbled on to keep the mouth sweet and moist; the Zuni, for example, chewed the roots to keep their mouth refreshed.  Even burrs of this plant were used and were sucked on by Buffalo runners of the Blackfoot to keep from getting thirsty.  The Cheyenne, Montana, and Northwestern Tribes, among many others, ate the tender spring shoots raw.  Many Native American communities roasted the roots and ate them like sweet potatoes.

Did You Know...

This plant contains a substance called Glycyrrhizin that is 50 times sweeter than sugar, with the highest concentration found in the roots.

Other common names for this plant are Wild Licorice, American wild licorice, and Dessert root.

Commercial licorice comes from this variety Glycyrrhiza lepidota.

American licorice root extract is used to sweeten cough drops, syrups, laxatives, and nicotine lozenges 

The root is also added to some foods to sweeten them. Licorice extracts may be added to candy, cakes, ice cream, and packaged desserts. Today, licorice extract may be synthetic or an anise flavoring may be used instead.

Theophrastus, an ancient Greek physician, and botanist used licorice to relieve coughs and asthma. Its medicinal benefits are documented in  The Code of Hammurabi, a 6th century Babylonian King, and the ancient Egyptians created a tonic made from the roots and packed it in funeral jars to bring with them to the afterlife.

Medical studies have found that consumption of licorice root extract may help to lower cholesterol and act as an antioxidant. Another study found that topical application of licorice extract may be effective in treating dermatitis. 

It takes five to six years for the roots to be ready to harvest which is why farming is generally not profitable. It is important to protect the wild collection areas of this plant.

Deer and pronghorn antelope eat the foliage and birds eat the seeds.

Traditional Native American Bark Basket Workshop At Institute for American Indian Studies June 5

Native Americans have created baskets for centuries. In fact, archeologists believe that basket-making is one of the oldest known crafts in the world. If you have always wanted to learn how to create a bark basket of your own, join this in-person workshop conducted by Jennifer Lee of Pequot and Narragansett ancestry on Sunday, June 5 at the Institute of American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington, Connecticut. This four-hour workshop begins at 11 a.m. and has a break for lunch. 

About Native American Baskets 

Baskets have been an integral part of Native American material culture for centuries. Native American baskets range from very simple to very elaborate. Often the art of basket making was passed down from generation to generation among Native American Indian mothers to their daughters. It is a skill that takes place of pride among many Indigenous people today. 

• White Pine Bark mokok with collar (4 ½H x 7W x 3D)

Bark baskets made by Eastern Woodland Indians were used for cooking, gathering berries, hauling water, storing food, as cradleboards, and even burying the dead. Most often baskets were made from pine, ash, or birch bark that was harvested in the spring when the bark was most pliable. The bark was then folded into the desired shape and sewn together with spruce root and rimmed with arrowwood or other natural materials. 

 About the Workshop  

Jennifer Lee is an 18th-century re-enactor and material culture presenter. Bark basket making is one of the programs that she offers. "I want my programs to dispel old stereotypes and increase awareness of present-day Native Americans," says Lee. 

• White Pine Bark mokok with collar (7H x 4W x 3D).

Participants in this workshop will learn about the lore and tradition of basket making from Lee while creating their very own bark basket. A highlight is learning about how baskets were used in everyday life and what role they play in Native American communities today. Lee will guide participants through the process of creating a bark basket using white pine bark, spruce root, and willow. During the scheduled lunch break (please bring your own snack and non-alcoholic beverage) participants can wander through the museum for inspiration and brainstorm with others for ideas. 

Participants can choose from three different basket designs that include a white pine bark wall pocket, and two sizes of a white pine bark mokok with collar. Whatever basket you choose to make, it is something unique to treasure at the end of the day. 

• White Pine bark wall pocket, curved bottom (7H x 7W x 4D)

Space is limited for this workshop that is expected to sell out, so sign up early. To participate, please register and pre-pay by June 2. The cost of participation, including all materials and tools, is $75 for members of the Institute and $85 for non-members. To register click here. If you have questions call (860) 868-0518 or email events@iaismuseum.org. 

Medicinal Monday - Western Chokecherry

The chokecherry is a bush that is native to North America and can be found growing in Connecticut. For many Native Americans, chokecherries are an important fruit in their traditional diet as well as useful medicinally. Like cherries and apricots, the fruit and skin of the chokecherry are not poisonous, rather the seed/pit are. It contains amygdalin which once eaten is metabolized into cyanide, a deadly poison.

About Black Western Chokecherry

Chokecherry is in the rose family and is a native, perennial, deciduous, woody, large shrub or erect tree that can grow up to 30 feet high. The oval-shaped leaves are dark green and glossy above and paler beneath. The leaves are toothed with closely shaped sharp teeth that point outward forming a serrated edge. They turn yellow in the fall. The bark varies from grey to reddish-brown and is distinguished by horizontal rows of raised air pores known as lenticels. As the shrub matures these lenticels evolve into shallow grooves. The flowers are aromatic and arranged in cylindrical racemes and have five white petals. The flowers appear between April and July and the fruits form a few months later. The western chokecherry, Prunus virginiana, demissa produce dark red fruit, there are two other varieties that produce crimson and black fruit. This shrub can be found in a wide range of soil types and textures. It does prefer full sunlight and is generally not found as understory in the forest. It spreads by seeds or rhizomes.

Culinary Uses

The name chokecherry comes from the bitter and astringent taste of the fruit. The fruit was a staple for many Native American communities across the United States. They were routinely cooked or dried, which sweetens them and breaks down the prussic acid in the stone pits. Chokecherries are eaten three ways, by Native Americans. The juice and pulp are eaten. Whole cherries are pulverized, shaped into balls, and dried in the sun for future use, and pemmican, a mixture of the chokecherries, tallow, and dried meat is made and cached as winter food. The bark is brewed like tea. Many communities also add the fruit to soups and stews as a flavoring and as a thickening agent. The Algonquin, Quebec make wine out of the fruit. The Blackfoot use chokecherry soup for most ceremonial events, including the transfer of a tipi design or the opening of a Medicine Pipe bundle or Beaver bundle.

Medicinal Uses

Chokecherry can be found in almost every state except some in the southwest and far west. Because of this large geographic range, many Native American communities used it for its astringent properties and to treat respiratory problems. The Arikara women would drink the berry juice to stop bleeding after childbirth. The Algonquin made an infusion of the bark and sweet flag and took it to treat coughs. The Blackfoot had several uses for chokecherry, they drank the juice for diarrhea, made an infusion of cambium, Saskatoon, and chokecherry, and used it as a purge, they also gave this mixture to nursing mothers to pass medical qualities to babies, and they used the berry juice to treat sore throats. 

The Cherokee made an infusion of the bark and took it to treat colds, coughs, and as an astringent wash for old sores and ulcers and to treat the chills and fever. The Cherokee added a compound of bark to corn whiskey and used it to treat measles. Warm tea was given to women when labor pains began and the leaves and branches were one of the six ingredients burned in sweat lodges to treat jaundice and indigestion. The Paiutes made a medicinal tea from the leaves and twigs to treat colds and rheumatism. The Sioux chewed dried roots and then placed them on open wounds to stop bleeding. The Crows also used the bark to cleanse sores, wounds, and burns.

Did You Know...

In addition to chokecherry trees, apple, peach, plum, apricot, nectarines, cherry, and almond trees are also in the rose family.

Chokecherry is an important source of food for many animals as well as a nesting habitat for a variety of birds. It is used extensively as a food source in the winter for deer. Flowers provide nectar for honeybees, ants, and butterflies.

Fruits are collected today and used to make jam and jellies, sauces, and wine.

Today, chokecherries are popular in gardens as ornamentals. 

In Canada, in the prairie provinces, chokecherries are farmed as a minor crop to produce juice.

Chokecherry is the official fruit of North Dakota because its remains have been found at more archeological sites in the Dakotas than anywhere else. 

Chokecherry is toxic to horses, moose, cattle, and goats, especially after the leaves have wilted (like they do after a frost) because wilting releases cyanide and makes the plant sweet. 

Chokecherry bark was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1820 to 1970. It is still listed as a pharmaceutical aid, as a flavoring agent for liquid medicine.

Medicinal Monday...Yellow Spined Thistle- Resembles A Snowflake

The Thistle has been used in the traditional medicine of different cultures for centuries. It is part of the family Asteraceae, or the sunflower family. In America, Native American communities used the Yellow Spined Thistle medicinally in many ways.

Photo Courtesy Eugene Sturla, Southwestdesertflora.com

About Yellow Spined Thistle

Cirsium ochrocentrum, native to the Great Plains and the American Southwest is the Latin name for the Yellow Spined Thistle which is a perennial that can grow up to five feet high. It prefers well-drained sandy to gravelly soil that is slightly acidic. It can be found in prairies, pastures, and along roadsides. The symmetrical disk-shaped flowers with their enlarged spiny urn-shaped base grow at the end of erect stems with prickly leaves. The flower itself consists of many individual flowers packed tightly together into the head of the blossom. This plant is known for its effusive flower head that is usually purple or rose in color. The name ochrocentrum comes from the Greek word ochos, meaning pale yellow, and refers to the yellow spot in the center of the flower head before it opens. Its delicate flower looks like a snowflake and is quite a contrast to the rest of the plant which is quite spiny.  The flowers are both male and female and are pollinated by bees, flies, and beetles. The stems are white and covered with dense wooly hair. The narrow grey-green leaves with triangular teeth end in a sharp yellow spine. It spreads by taproot and by creeping lateral roots.

Photo Courtesy Eugene Sturla, Southwestdesertflora.com

Medicinal Uses

The odd look of this plant certainly attracted many Native Americans to use it medicinally. The Zunis made an infusion of the roots and used it to treat diabetes. An infusion was taken by both partners as a contraceptive. They also made an infusion of the entire plant and took it to treat syphilis. The Kiowa used the roots for food and made a decoction of blossoms as a wash for sores and burns. They also spread the blossoms over the graves of those recently buried to keep the wolves from digging up the body.

Did You Know...

The word Cirsium is derived from the Greek word kirsos which means swollen vein.

 It cannot grow in the shade.

Many people in New Mexico and California consider the thistle a weed.

Thistles are an important source of nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies, and birds.

Medicinal Monday...Artemisia absinthium

 The first thing many people think of when they hear woodworm or Artemisia Absinthium is the Green Fairy liquor called Absinthe with its legendary hallucinatory effects. During its heyday in mid.-19th century France, folks went a little crazy from the high content of alcohol found in the beverage. Although wormwood does contain thujone, a compound that can cause seizures and even death, at extremely high doses, the concentration in absinthe won't cause you to see little green fairies dancing around your drink. Absinthe developed an illicit reputation due to its association with the counter culture of Paris in the late 19th century. In the 20th century, absinthe was banned by many European countries and in 1912, absinthe was banned in the United States, a decision that was rescinded in 2007. 

Even though the name, wormwood doesn't sound very appealing, this plant originally native to temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North Africa was widely naturalized in Canada and North America in the 1840s. Native Americans adapted this plant into their repertoire and used it medicinally to treat several ailments.  

About Wormwood

Wormwood can be grown and is found in Connecticut. Today it is usually grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. In the wild, it can be found on rocky slopes and on the edge of footpaths, and in fields and meadows. The plant is a herbaceous perennial with fibrous roots, straight stems, and beautiful grooved branched leaves that are silvery-green above and white below. The leaves are spirally arranged and have minute oil-producing glands. The leaves are highly aromatic with a pungent herby smell. The tubular-shaped flowers are pale yellow, grow in clusters, and droop amid the leafy branches of this plant. They bloom from early summer through early autumn. The fruit is a small achene that contains a seed. It spreads by self-seeding.

Medicinal Uses

The name wormwood stems from its historical use as an antiparasitic and many Native American communities used it as a vermifuge. The Yokia of Mendocino County for example made tea from boiled leaves and drank it to soothe bronchitis. The Chippewa boiled the leaves of the plant and used them as a hot compress to treat a sprain or strained muscles. The Mohegan made an infusion of leaves and drank it to destroy and expel worms in the intestine. The Okanagan-Colville made an infusion of the twigs of the plant and drank it to treat head colds. They also applied a hot poultice of the leaves to the chest to relieve coughing. An infusion of the split roots was taken for a variety of stomach ailments. Many communities also used fresh branches of this plant under sleeping mats or mattresses as a repellent for bedbugs and lice.

Did You Know...

There are more than 200 plants in the genus Artemisia or woodworm. Most have different flavors and aromas depending on where they are grown.

Other names of this plant are St. John's girdle, Green ginger, Holy seed, Old Man and Mingwort.

In the Alps, the native species of woodworm called genepi is brewed and the resulting yellow-green liquor is said to showcase the true flavor of wormwood which is bitter and herbaceous.

Vermouth can also contain some woodworm and it is believed that it was inspired by wormwood.

Because wormwood is a bittering agent, it was sometimes used as a hop substitute for beer in the middle ages when it was mentioned by Shakespeare in his play, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and in Romeo and Juliet.

Wormwood can be grown in Connecticut and the best way to find this plant is to use its Latin name, Artemisia absinthium.

Artemisia comes from Ancient Greek and refers to Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.

“Blocks of Hope and Healing" A Community Quilting Project In May

The Institute for American Indian Studies has just announced a new quilting project for the month of May called “Blocks of Hope and Healing.” This community-quilting project is a way to support and bring attention to the MMIWG2S epidemic. MMIWG2S is an abbreviation for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit People, respectively. 

Quilting serves as a testament to heritage and history, with each piece offering encouragement and solace. Quilts connect us to the world around us and are often symbolic of hope and comfort by providing physical and emotional warmth. The concept of this community-made quilt will be used to honor and remember the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous Women, girls, and 2- Spirit People.  

The Institute is inviting the public to become part of this important global movement by participating in two Quilt Workshops on Saturday, May 14, and Sunday, May 22 @ 11 a.m. that will be conducted by Education Director, Director Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation). If you don’t have much experience sewing, no worries, Kascak, will be there to walk you through the process. If you don’t complete your quilt package during the workshop, you can complete it in the comfort of your own home as long as you return it to the Institute by Wednesday, June 1, 2022. 

All participants in this project are asked to make a $25 donation to the National Indigenous Women’s Rights Council (NIWRC). The Institute will give all participants a quilt block packet, complete with all necessary materials and instructions for creating your section of the community quilt. Please call (860) 868-0518 or email events@iaismuseum.org to reserve your section on this community quilt, sign up for one of the quilting workshops, or if you have any questions about this initiative. Donations to NIWRC can be made at the following link: https://www.niwrc.org/donate. 

 About MMIWG2S 

MMIWG2S refers to initiatives intended to address the ongoing violence and continued genocide of women, girls, and Two-Spirits. Each year thousands of Native American women and children go missing or are found murdered in the United States and Canada. Gaps in data make the true scope difficult to estimate, but some sources suggest that the total number of cases may approach 10,000.

Medicinal Monday...Pleurisy Root

Pleurisy Root has been used medicinally by Native American communities living in the Eastern, Midwestern, and Southwestern areas of North America. Pleurisy Root became popular in the 19th century as an expectorant and to moisten tissue. Its historical use during pleuritic chest pain continues today.

About Pleurisy Root

This perennial herb is native to North America with the genus name Asclepias tuberosa L.  It has fleshy white tuber-like roots that produce stout, erect, round, hairy stems without milky juice that can grow up to three feet high. The leaves are lance-shaped and darker green above than beneath. The leaves can emit a watery sap. Pleurisy Root can be found in dry fields, woods, meadows, prairies, and sandy soil along the east coast and westward as far as northern New Mexico. The bright orange flowers bloom from July through September and have five petals that are bent downward and topped by a crown of five hoods. The seeds are elongated hairy shaped spindle-shaped pods with fine silky fibers that help transport them in the wind. This plant is primarily pollinated by bees and wasps.

Medicinal Uses of Pleurisy Root

Generally, Native Americans chewed the dried root or made tea by boiling the root as a remedy for bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, and dysentery. A poultice of the root was made and applied to bruises, swellings, and to relieve rheumatism. Some of the documented uses of this plant by various Native American communities include the following unique uses. 

The Cherokee used the roots for breast, stomach, and intestinal pains and use the stems of this plant to make belts. The Delaware made tea from the root that was given to women after childbirth. The Iroquois use a poultice of smashed roots as sports medicine and would apply it to legs and running shoes to increase running strength. The Navajo make the roots into a lotion and use it ceremonially. The Navajo Ramah make a decoction of the roots to treat dog or coyote bites and, the Rappahannock use a poultice of leaves to treat snakebites.

Did You Know...

In addition to being called Butterfly Weed and Pleurisy Root, this plant is also called Asclepias, Canada Root, Flux Root, Chigger Flower, Orange Swallow Wort, Swallow Wort, Tuber Root, White Root, and Wind Root.

One species of this plant in the Far East was used as a hallucinogen which is known in the Hindu religion as "Soma." 

The genus name Asclepias is named after the Greek God of medicine, Asklepios. The species name tuberose refers to its knobby roots.

Medicinal Monday - Creosote Bush

Creosote Bush is a very hardy and drought-resistant plant whose pungent smell led Native Americans living in the Sonoran, Chihuahua, and Mojave Deserts to test this plant for medicinal properties.

About the Creosote Bush

This hardy evergreen bush is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae with the name Larrea tridentata which refers to its three toothed leaves. This bush can be found in portions of southeastern California, Arizona, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, New Mexico, and Texas as well as in Mexico. This bush can grow up to ten feet tall and has a stem that is resinous with dark green leaves. The yellow flowers are about an inch in diameter and mature into small grey fruits that are enjoyed by desert mammals. The entire plant has an odor of creosote, from which its name derives. Creosote can live to 90 years old and when the old crown of the plant dies, a new one becomes a clonal colony from the previous plant that is composed of many separate stem crowns all from the same seed.

Medicinal Uses

Native Americans of the Southwest hold the belief that this bush can be used to treat many illnesses, including TB, chickenpox, menstrual cramps, sexually transmitted diseases, and snakebite. The Coahuila use it for intestinal complaints and to treat tuberculosis. The Prima drink a decoction of the leaves as an emetic and apply boiled leaves to wounds and sores. The Pima also inhaled smoke from this plant as a remedy for laziness. The Tohono O'odham prepared the plant to treat snake bites and stiff limbs. Tea was made from the plant and used to treat respiratory problems. The Diegueno used a decoction of leaves in a bath to treat arthritis and rheumatism. The Hualapai used an infusion of leaves to treat congestion and asthma. The Kawaiisu used a decoction of leaves as a wash for sore limbs, they also applied heated leaves to sore and aching body parts. The Mahuna used an infusion of this plant to treat dandruff as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. The Paiute used an infusion of the leaves as a cold medicine, and the Yavapai used a decoction of leaves and stems to treat sore throats. The Cahuilla made a liniment from the plant and used it to treat swollen limbs caused by poor circulation.

Did You Know...

Only the jackrabbit eats the leaves of this plant when nothing else is available.

The Arabian camel brought to the U.S.readily eats the creosote bush.

The shrub is widely used in Mexico as herbal medicine.

Creosote was used as firewood, feed for livestock, and thatch material for the roofs of adobe homes.

After burning, the creosote plant smolders down to charcoal that is green, blue in color and was applied to the skin to decorate tattoos.