A Visit to the Bighorns - Guest Blogger - Karen Larkin

Visit the Bighorns if you can stand the quiet… 

We must have driven across 1,000 miles of prairies and rolling desert by the time the Bighorns poked up above the horizon, their snowy peaks just visible amid the haze. As we drew near, the mountainous silhouette consumed the orange backsplash of sky until they stood before us, looming with stoic composure. I turned to look at the arid landscape behind– so flat and unassuming. The transition was so abrupt, as though the mountains had been deliberately placed there. My eyes returned to the Bighorns and I was struck with profound intimidation. There seemed to be a quiet power emanating from the peaks, washing over their domain. My fascination mounted as the road pitched upward, leading us into the cliffs. 

The Bighorn Mountains (Crow: Basawaxaawúua ‘Our Mountains’, or Iisaxpúatahchee Isawaxaawúua ‘Bighorn Sheep’s Mountains’) reside in northern Wyoming and extend to south-central Montana. Stretching over 200 miles, these 70 million-year-old peaks reach over 13,000 feet in height. The immensity of the Big Horns is not their only allure. This landscape is home to cascading waterfalls, vast forests, rivers, and sacred ancestral sites of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow, Lakota, Dakota, Shoshone, Cree, Salish, Kootenai, and Blackfeet. 

The Legend of Big Metal 

While there are many place names for the Bighorns among Indigenous groups of the area, the one most popularly used (the Bighorns) originates from a story passed down by the Crow. According to legend, there was once a young boy who was pushed off of a cliff by his stepfather while they were out hunting. Upon returning to their village, the evil stepfather lied and said that the boy headed back from their expedition much earlier. Fearing that he had gotten lost, a search party set out to find him. Meanwhile, tucked within an outcropping of cedar trees, the young boy prayed for rescue, having been miraculously saved from his fall. Days passed before his prayers were answered. Big Metal, chief of the bighorns, approached the boy followed by 7 sacred bighorn sheep. Each of these sheep gifted the boy with a special ability, and Big Metal gave him his name ‘Big Iron’. They promised to lead him home but asked that he deliver one message: The sheep had told him…we seven rule these big mountains. That river down there is the Bighorn River. Whatever you do, don’t change its name. If you ever change the name of the river, there will be no more Apsaalooke (Crow) tribe. The Apsaalooke will be nothing. 

Bighorn Medicine Wheel 

The sacred place is not chosen, it chooses. 

At an elevation of 9,640 feet, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel is situated upon a limestone plateau on Medicine Mountain. Evidence suggests that this site has been used by local groups for over 7,000 years, continuing to this day. It is approximately 80 feet in diameter, with 28 spokes circling around a central cairn (or mound of stones). While there are many different customs and beliefs tied to medicine wheels, they are generally thought to have regenerative power, marking the intersection of the earth and sky. According to Gerri Elise McCulloh, “Medicine wheels are circles that do not have beginnings or ends; they represent infinity, cycles, and the entanglements of all life.” The Bighorn Medicine wheel has several astrological alignments, particularly in regard to the Summer Solstice. The Bighorn Medicine Wheel is still used by Indigenous groups today as well as other nearby features such as ceremonial stages, medicinal and ceremonial plant-gathering areas, sweat lodges, altars, offering locales, and recent vision-quest enclosures. 

In the 19th century, it was deemed illegal to perform religious activities on Medicine Mountain– violators faced federal incarceration. This status remained until the 1950s and later the site was made a Historic Landmark in 1969. Despite its spiritual significance, proposals for development on Medicine Mountain were introduced to bolster tourism to the area. After decades of pushback by local tribes, a long-term plan to protect the area was established in 1996. Today, the Bighorn Medicine Wheel is under the protection of Bighorn National Forest with primary consultation from the Medicine Wheel Alliance and the Medicine Wheel Coalition. Access is limited to the public, and controlled by local tribal authorities. 

The Bighorns 

Although we only had a brief encounter driving through the Bighorns, it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Even to the most inconspicuous passerby, like myself, the energy of this landscape could not go unnoticed. While I was able to capture a few photos from the van as we drove, nothing could compare to the real thing. I highly recommend putting the Bighorn Mountains on your travel bucket list– they are certainly on mine! 

 Sources 

https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/medicine-wheel 

http://lib.lbhc.edu/about-the-crow-people 

https://www.forrestersbighorn.com/bighorn-blog/2018/august/the-crow-legend-of-how-the-bighorn-river-got-its/ 

https://www.nps.gov/bica/learn/historyculture/the-legend-of-big-metal.htm 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/bighorn/about-forest - McCulloh, G.E. (2016), "Songs of the Pika and Others at the Bighorn Medicine Wheel"

Rosile, G.A. (Ed.) Tribal Wisdom for Business Ethics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 199-210.

Medicinal Monday...Canadian Wild Ginger

Wild ginger, known as Asarum canadense is unrelated to the culinary ginger (Zingiber officinale) in your kitchen cabinet. It is named wild ginger because of the similar taste and smell of the roots. Native Americans had many medicinal uses for this plant which they also used as a seasoning.

About Wild Ginger

Wild ginger is native to North America from Manitoba, Canada to North Carolina, and can be found in Connecticut. The scientific name of wild ginger that grows in the eastern United States is Asarum canadense. This stemless perennial plant grows in the woods and on wooded slopes and does best in the shade. The plant has two heart-shaped veined dark green leaves that grow up to six inches wide. The cup-shaped pendulous purplish brown flowers appear in spring on short, ground-level stems that rise up between the two leaves. The flower is usually hidden between the two leaves. The bell-shaped flowers form pods that hold seeds. Wild ginger has a mutualistic relationship with ants. The wild ginger seeds have elaiosomes that are irresistible treats for ants. The ants take the seeds and eat the elaiosomes and discard the seeds. This helps spread wild ginger plants. This plant also spreads by creeping rhizomes and forms large colonies within a few years. The rhizomes have a ginger-like odor and flavor.

Medicinal Uses 

Wild ginger was used by many Native American communities as an anticonvulsive, cold remedy, disinfectant, and digestive aid. The Abnaki, Cherokee, and Iroquois made a decoction of the roots and took this mixture to treat colds, scarlet fever, measles, and typhoid fever. The Iroquois made a poultice to treat a sore throat and also used an infusion of the root as a spring tonic. The Algonquin used an infusion of roots to treat fevers and also gave this infusion to treat children suffering from convulsions. The Cherokee made an infusion from the root to treat worms and also made a wash from the entire shrub to treat swollen breasts. Fresh leaves were applied to wounds and sores and dried leaves were used for the head and eyes. The Cherokee used the root as a powerful stimulant and also used the leaves, roots, and blossoms to treat nervousness. The Chippewa made a compound poultice of the shrub and applied it to treat broken bones, they also used the roots to treat bruises and cuts. The Chippewa cooked the root with food as an aid for digestion. The Iroquois used an infusion of the roots as an analgesic to treat headaches and would take a cold decoction of the plant to treat fevers. The Iroquois made a decoction of this shrub and mixed it with whisky and gave it to sick horses. The Malecite and the Micmac have many gastrointestinal uses of this plant and used fresh or dried roots to treat stomaches. The Meskwaki cooked the root and put it in the ears to treat earaches, they also made a compound of the root to treat stomach pain.

Culinary Uses

In addition to its use as a spice, Native American communities found several interesting culinary uses for the roots of wild ginger. For example, the Meskwaki cooked the root with spoiled meat to prevent ptomaine poisoning. The Meskwaki chewed the root and spit it on bait to increase their chances of catching catfish. They also used the root as a seasoning for mud catfish to make them taste more palatable. The Ojibwa chewed the root to stimulate the appetite and also processed the root in lye water and used this mixture to season food. The Potawatomi used the root to flavor bland-tasting meat and fish.

Did You Know...

Early European settlers used to dry the rootstalk and grind it into a powder which they used as a spice.

Other names for Wild Ginger are Canada wild ginger, snakeroot, blacksnakeweed, Canadian Snakeroot, Colic Root, False Crowfoot, Ginger Root, Heart-Leaf, Southern Wild Ginger, and Vermont Snakeroot.

Today this plant is used as a groundcover for shaded areas and is prized because it is resistant to deer.

Wild ginger contains Aristolochi fangchi which can be toxic so eat it at your own risk. Do not seep wild ginger in alcohol or vinegar. You can enjoy wild ginger steeped in water in moderation.

Medicinal Monday... Juneberry

Although they look a bit like blueberries, Juneberries are more closely related to the apple family. Native American communities living in Eastern North America and Canada found many uses for this showy shrub. This shrub can be found in the woods, bogs, and wetlands of Connecticut.

About Juneberry

Amelanchier Canadensis, commonly called Juneberry, is a deciduous, early-flowering, large shrub or small tree in the rose family which typically grows 15-30' tall. It is considered an understory tree that is often found growing in clumps in swamps, bogs, lowlands, and thickets.  It has showy, five-petaled, slightly fragrant, white flowers that bloom in drooping clusters which appear before the leaves emerge in early spring. Finely toothed, elliptic, medium to dark green leaves (1-3" long) change to orange-red in autumn. Flowers give way to small, round, green berries which turn red and finally mature to a dark purplish-black in early summer. The fruit is apple-shaped and is usually well hidden by dark green leaves. The berries are edible and resemble blueberries in size and color when fully mature.

Culinary and Medicinal Uses

Many Native American communities found Juneberries an important and tasty source of food.  Most communities ate the fruit raw or dried the fruit for future use. The Iroquois, for example, took the dried fruit on hunting expeditions. The fruit was made into a sauce or relish. Some communities combined the mashed fruit with cornbread and made small cakes. The fruit has a sweet flavor with a hint of apple.

Medicinally, one of the most common uses of this plant was to treat children with worms. The Cherokee, for example, would bathe children with worms in an infusion made from the bark of this shrub. The Chippewa made a compound decoction of the inner bark and used it as a disinfectant wash. Another popular use was gynecological. The Chippewa made a compound of the bark and gave it to women to make them strong, they also made an infusion of the root and gave it to women after they miscarried. The Iroquois made an infusion of the branches of this shrub and gave it to women after childbirth for pain and hemorrhages. Many communities made tea from the bark of the root and gave it to women to treat heavy menstrual bleeding.

Did You Know...

The Genus name comes from a French provincial name for Amelanchier ovalis, a European plant in this genus.

Other names for this shrub include Canadian Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shadbush, chuckle berry, currant berry, thicket berry, and Junebush.

It is a host plant for the Red Spotted Purple and the Viceroy butterflies. The fruit is eaten by songbirds and large and small mammals.

Medicinal Monday... Legends and Lore -Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace grows wild across the United States and is often seen in meadows and on the sides of roads in Connecticut in August and September. This beautiful white flower has an interesting history and was used by Native Americans as a source of food and medicine.

Legends of Queen Anne's Lace 

There are many stories of how this plant got its name. One legend claims that the name of this plant originated in the days of King James I and his wife, Queen Anne, who lived between 1574 and 1619. It is said that the Queen pricked her finger while sewing and the drop of blood is why the flower has a purple center. The flowers of this plant were thought to resemble the lace of the Queen's headdress. Another story involves Queen Anne II that challenged her ladies in waiting to create a piece of lace as beautiful as the flower but none could make lace that could outshine the real thing.

About Queen Anne's Lace

Also called wild carrot, this European plant was brought to North America with the colonists and today this plant is naturalized throughout the United States.  Queen Anne's Lace is a biennial whose flowers have a flat-topped white umbel made up of numerous white flowers with a solitary purple flower in the center. The flower cluster is curled up and gradually opens to allow pollination. This biennial flowers in its second season and then dies. The hollow branched flower stems grow to four feet tall and are covered with short coarse hair. This plant produces a yellow taproot that is high in sugar. At the end of the season, the cluster rolls itself shut when it goes into seed. The leaves are feathery green and resemble those of today's carrots, and unfortunately resemble poison hemlock, fool's parsley, and water hemlocks, all related to Queen Anne's Lace but deadly. A small bristly seed is produced at the end of each flower stalk that is disseminated by attaching itself to something or seeds itself where it falls.

Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Many Native American communities used the young roots as a source of food as this plant has a slight carrot flavor and is rich in sugar.  Some communities dried the roots and stored them for winter use. Most commonly the roots were either boiled or steamed and then eaten. 

Medicinally, this plant was used in a variety of ways. The Cherokee made an infusion of the entire plant and used it as a wash for swelling. The Delaware made an infusion of the blossoms when they are in full bloom to treat diabetes. The Iroquois used a decoction of the roots to treat men for a blood disorder and to treat pimples and paleness. They also drank a decoction of this plant for urinary problems. The Micmac ate the leaves of this plant and used it as a purgative. The Mohegans made an infusion of the blossoms and used it to treat diabetes.

Did You Know...

Because of the delicate flowers of Queen Anne's Lace, it is associated with beauty.

Queen Anne's Lace is also referred to as "bishop's flower" and symbolizes safety and refuge because when it goes to seed it resembles a bird's nest and thus a symbol of a happy home.

Modern carrots were originally developed from Queen Anne's Lace.

The roots of Queen Anne's Lace are yellow and if you intend to try them, they must be harvested before the plant blooms. After the plant blooms, the roots become too woody to eat.

Hippocrates prescribed crushed Queen Anne's Lace seeds to prevent pregnancies.

Queen Anne's Lace is listed as a noxious weed in 35 states.

It is a host plant for bees, eastern black swallowtail caterpillars, and many species of butterflies.

Traditional Pottery Workshop@ Instiitute for American Indian Studies

Every culture has some form of pottery and has used clay for utilitarian and aesthetic purposes for centuries. The Eastern Woodland Indians have a long history of making pottery from natural clay dug from pond sides, riverbanks, and even ocean cliffs. On Saturday, September 24, Sunday, September 25, and Saturday, October 1 the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington, Connecticut is holding a Traditional Pottery Workshop from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on each of the three days resulting in creating a clay vessel. Paul Wegner, Assistant Director of the Institute, and Griffin Kalin, IAIS Educator, and Traditional Skills Expert will guide participants through the construction and pit firing process of their vessel.

Pottery found by archeologists can tell us much about how people lived long ago. The decorations on pottery are expressions of culture and individualism, history, and about ties between people. It gives us a glimpse at how they cooked, what they ate how they moved around and what they left behind.  By documenting and noting the changing shapes of vessels and designs archeologists are able to determine changes in diet and circumstances.  A fascinating aspect of this workshop is learning about the different types of Native American pottery found throughout the country with examples from the Institute's vast collections.

This is a three-day workshop because working with locally sourced clay requires time for the clay to be processed correctly. When making traditional Native American pottery there are no kilns and no wheels. During this workshop, participants will learn the traditional methods of pottery making starting with locally foraged clay that will be screened to remove rocks and other debris and then put into water to allow the clay to settle. After the clay is fully prepared, participants will add their own temper, which can be almost anything from a crushed shell, or sand, to crushed-fired pottery, or plant material. The clay is tempered to help pottery withstand the shock of rapid temperature changes and flames. A highlight of the program is actually making the vessel by using the coil method and learning how to treat the surface and how to decorate it. When the clay is ready, the vessels will be fired outside in a shallow pit. After firing, which can reach temperatures of up to 1500 degrees, the clay will be as hard as a rock. It is important to remember that the clay is fragile and that there is no guarantee that the vessels will remain intact during the firing process, which is part of the learning experience and fun.

This is an outdoor event so participants should dress for the weather and pack a lunch and some water. The cost of this intensive three-day workshop is $110 for non-members and $90 for members of the Institute. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required and refunds will not be given after September 24, without serious extenuating circumstances. For more information call us at 860-868-0518 or email us at events@iaismuseum.org. To register for this workshop click here.

Medicinal Monday - Beautiful and Fragrant Black Birch

Betula lenta known as black, cherry, spice, or sweet birch is a tree native to eastern North America including Connecticut. It is valued for its wood which resembles mahogany. This tree was also the only source of wintergreen oil before synthetic oils were produced. Native American communities used this tree for practical as well as medicinal purposes.

About Black Birch

Native to North America, this tree is most abundant in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania; and is dominant in the hardwood forests of Appalachia. It is found in cool forests and moist ravines. The trunk of a black birch tree is dark brown to greyish in color and unlike other birches, it can develop hard scaly plates. Young trees are reddish brown and smooth with horizontal lines or lenticels and older trees develop scaly plates revealing rough dark brown patterns. The inner bark of the black birch has a strong wintergreen scent. The leaves are dark, shiny, and serrated in the summer and bright golden yellow in the fall. The branches are thin and dark red/brown in color and hairless. When twigs are broken they have a strong wintergreen aroma. Spurs or staminate catkins form in late summer or autumn and form pinecones that are dark green in the spring and brown in the late summer. They fall from mid.-September through November and germinate in the spring. Seed production occurs in trees that are between 40 and 200 years old.

Medicinal and Practical Uses

Black birch also known as sweet birch is named for the sweet sap from this tree used by Native Americans. Birch sap was collected and boiled into syrup just like maple syrup. However, birch syrup is low in sugar and does not have the sweet taste of maple syrup. It can be drunk without any preparation and is said to taste like sweet fragrant water. Tea was made from twigs, and the twigs and buds were chewed for their flavor which is similar to root beer. The Ojibwa use the bark to build dwellings and lodges, they also used the bark to make canoes. Many communities used the bark to make storage containers, sap dishes, baskets, buckets, dishes, and trays.

The Chippewa made medicine from Black birch bark to treat stomach pain, pulmonary troubles, and pneumonia. The Algonquin among many other Native Communities used an infusion of this plant for many medicinal purposes from treating colds and dysentery to stomach pains. The Cherokee chewed the leaves to treat dysentery and drank tea made from the bark to treat colds and diarrhea. The Iroquois made a compound infusion of this drug to treat colds and fevers. They also made a compound decoction for women who have had gonorrhea and are pregnant. The Iroquois and others made tea and drank it as a stimulant. The Mohegans made a spring tonic from the inner bark and also used it as a stimulant.

Did You Know...

Ice damage usually causes the death of the black birch by making the tree more susceptible to wood-decaying organisms.

The hard, heavy lumber and veneer of bark are used commercially to make furniture, cabinets, boxes, woodenware, and handles. 

Historically, this tree was used as an inexpensive substitute for mahogany.

Black birch was also used to produce a variety of paper products.

The oldest black birch that has been confirmed is 368 years old.

Birch beer was made by boiling the sap down and adding honey to it and then fermenting it.