Medicinal Monday the Magic of Mistletoe Juniper

Did you know there are over 1,300 species of mistletoe worldwide? The name “mistletoe” has an unusual origin. It comes from the Anglo-Saxon words mistel (meaning dung) and tan (meaning twig), loosely translating to “dung on a twig.” This refers to how birds spread mistletoe by leaving their droppings on tree branches. In Native American communities, Juniper mistletoe had practical uses beyond tradition. It served as both a food source and a natural remedy for certain ailments. A plant with a rich history—and a little holiday magic.

About Juniper Mistletoe

Juniper mistletoe (Phoradendron juniperinum) is a parasitic plant in the sandalwood family, native to the American Southwest and northern Mexico. It is the only true mistletoe found in the Rocky Mountains, thriving in pinyon-juniper woodlands across states like Colorado, California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Texas, and Sonora. With its yellow-green, upright branches, juniper mistletoe attaches to host trees to extract nutrients. As a hemiparasite, it also carries chlorophyll, allowing it to photosynthesize. The plant has male and female forms; the females produce shiny pink or red berries. Birds feed on these berries, spreading seeds through their droppings. When a seed germinates, it sends roots into the host tree’s bark to draw nutrients and establish itself.

Photo credit: John Morefield

Medicinal & Culinary  Uses

In her book Healing Herbs, Traditional Medicine of the Southwest, Leonora Curtin highlights the many uses of this plant by Native Americans. It was used in love spells to inspire affection and as a food source during scarcity by tribes like the Acoma, Keres, Havasupai, Laguna, and Navajo. The berries were eaten raw, boiled, pounded into paste, or brewed into tea.

Medicinally, it was most commonly used for gastrointestinal issues. Another common use was to eat twigs after childbirth to stop the flow of blood. The Hopi, Keres, Navajo Ramah, Tewa, and Zuni relied on it for this purpose. The Keres treated children with diarrhea using crushed parts of the plant. They also crushed parts of this plant to make a rub for rheumatism.  The Navajo used the plant to treat warts, while the Zuni prepared an infusion to relax muscles during childbirth. The Pima made a wash from the plant to treat sores and wounds.

Photo Credit: Ken Raiz

Did You Know...

Phoradendron means thief of trees in Greek and is well named because of its parasitic nature.

Because it is hemiparasitic, juniper mistletoe will not cause enough damage to a tree to kill it.

The Hopi believed that this plant was used in witchcraft medicine.

Illuminate the Night: Join the Full Moon Walk with the Institute for American Indian Studies

Experience the magic of a nighttime winter walk under the last full moon of 2024 at the Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS) on Saturday, December 14 at 6 p.m. Embrace the whispers of the winter woods, the crisp air, and the scent of evergreens as you embark on this moonlit adventure. 

The Magic of the Long Night Moon 

This full moon, just before the Winter Solstice, takes the highest and longest path along the night sky. Known as the Long Night Moon, it shines above the horizon longer than most full moons, making this walk particularly special. Participants will walk along beautifully maintained wooded trails under this glistening celestial body, learning the various names Native Americans gave the December full moon and what it symbolized for them. 

A Journey Through Time 

As you walk, you'll discover how different Native American peoples traditionally used the monthly cycles of the moon and nature’s signs to track the seasons. One of the highlights of this experience is witnessing the beauty of December's full moon firsthand, just as Native American communities have done for centuries. Participants will learn that the Mohawks, among other Native American communities refer to this moon as the Cold Moon, aptly describing the chilly days and nights of the season. 

The Perfect Ending 

The woodland walk concludes at the recreated 16th-century Algonkian village, where a warm fire, hot chocolate, and traditional stories await. This unique setting provides the perfect atmosphere to reflect on the night’s experiences and the historical significance of the December full moon. 

Remember to dress for the weather, bring a flashlight, and wear sturdy shoes. If the weather looks iffy, check in with us using the contact info below. Space is limited, so pre-register using the link https://www.iaismuseum.org/event/winter-moon-walk-4. Cost: $5 for IAIS Members, $10 for Non-Members. For more information, questions, or to pre-register events@iaismuseum.org. 

About the Institute for American Indian Studies 

Located on 15 acres of woodland, the IAIS offers educational programs, both permanent and changing exhibits, and a replicated 16th century Algonkian village. Its research department maintains and extensive archeological and ethnographic collections and conducts archeological digs and other research. Its “Wigwam Escape” escape room offers an opportunity to solve a puzzle while learning about Indigenous life before European settlement. With a focus on “two eyed seeing,” visitors can learn about the history of the American continent that incorporates the more than 12,000 -year history of human habitation. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, Connecticut.

2024 Holiday Market Features Indigenous Artists @ Institute for American Indian Studies December, 7 & 14 and 8 &15

Once again this year, the Institute for American Indian Studies located at 38 Curtis Road in Washington is hosting a one-of a-kind holiday shopping experience that celebrates Native American culture. What makes this Holiday Market unique is that it offers both deeply traditional crafts and more contemporary artistic expressions rooted in Native American cultural experience. Vendors and artists represented here comprise a diverse and inspiring array of artists and experts in handmade crafts.

The Holiday Market throughout the Institute’s impressive exhibition galleries takes place on Saturday, December 7 & 14 and Sunday, December 8 & 15, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are so many gifts to choose from including Native American jewelry, paintings, photography, apparel, and candles, to decorative gourds, pottery, rattles, flutes and more at a variety of price points. The chance to talk with the artists who have created these one-of-a-kind objects and to learn about the culture that inspired them makes your gift purchase even more meaningful.

If you are shopping for pottery and decorative items check out Primitive Technologies that showcase wood fired pottery, decorative masks, and unique jewelry, Jeanne Morningstar Kent (Nulhegan Ban, Coosuk-Abenaki) who creates tribal art on gourds, and Eva Newell, a multi talented artist who offers a range of artwork from beadwork to paintings. For music lovers, Allan Madahbee (Ojibwe) is offering handmade Native American flutes as well as paintings and crafts. Shoran Piper, the Clan Mother of the Golden Paugussett Tribal Nation, is offering a variety of items from lotions and herbs to beaded jewelry, and dream catchers. Keith Rood (Metis) will be selling a beautiful selection of leather bags as well as fans, pottery, and stone blade knives, Eddie Cuevas of Taino Trinkets will be offering an array of handmade items, and Native Visions will be have an excellent selection of contemporary and traditional original paintings, limited edition prints, kachinas, Zuni fetishes and more created by Native American artists and craftsmen from the Plains and Southwest. Some vendors may not be present on certain days, so it is best to call ahead for details 860-868-0518. Also, there may be additional vendors participating that are not listed here. 

The Museum's Gift Shop will be open and brimming with gifts large and small in many price ranges. Here, you will find a distinctive collection of Native American jewelry, including wampum jewelry crafted by regionally located Indigenous artists as well as silver and turquoise jewelry from the Southwest. For foodies, there is a wonderful selection of traditional Native American food products from Sweet Grass Trading Company from the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, and others. The gift shop also has a good selection of books and children’s items.

Although entrance to the museum and the Holiday Market is free, donations are always appreciated. A tour of the museum for a nominal fee is a fun and insightful experience that compliments this unique shopping experience. 

Although entrance to the museum and the Holiday Market are free, donations are always appreciated. A tour of the museum for a nominal fee is a fun and insightful experience that compliments this unique shopping experience. 

About The Institute for American Indian Studies 

 Located on 15 acres of woodland 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 on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

Medicinal Monday - Reindeer Moss

As December is the month of holiday cheer, we thought we would write a blog about Reindeer Moss also known as Cladonia rangiferina. Technically it is not a moss at all, it is a lichen. This lichen is good for plants in general because it breaks down rocks which forms the soil in which plants grow. It also retains nitrogen that is in the soil helping surrounding plants grow. In addition to the benefits this plant offers other plants, it also has medicinal benefits that were used by Native American communities, specifically the Ojibwe.

About Reindeer Moss

This lichen is often found in boreal pine forests or in low-alpine areas. It grows on humus or on soil that covers rocks. It is a fungus and unicellular algae in symbiosis that helps each plant survive. The many curved tubes of the fungus protect the algae enabling both of them to produce the sugars that they both live on. The lichen is made up of a thallus, the main body of the plant whose development can last up to 25 years! In the summer the plant dries up under the summer sun and can be crumbled between the fingers resulting in a green/grey powder. As the main body or podetium grows it enters a stable period of 100 years. Areas grazed by wildlife can take many years to recover. 

Medicinal Uses

The most common use of Reindeer Moss was to make tea from it and use it to treat diarrhea. It was also used as a laxative, cough suppressant, and to treat inflammation in the mouth. Tea was made to treat loss of appetite. Specifically, the Ojibwe boiled the moss and used the water to wash a newborn baby, and the Dene of the Arctic used the acid found in this lichen to tan reindeer hides.

Did You Know...

This lichen is also known as reindeer cup lichen, deer moss, caribou moss, and grey reindeer lichen.

Reindeer lichen is an important source of food for caribou.

Reindeer moss is high in carbohydrates that supply wildlife that eats it with energy to keep them warm.

In the 1800s Sweden led the world in lichen alcohol production. Lichen brandy was popular. This plant is used to make Akvavit.

Medicinal Monday Virginia Waterleaf

Hydrophyllum virginianum commonly called Virginia waterleaf is a wildflower that is native to the moist woodlands of the eastern U.S. and Canada. It is a lovely plant whose leaves have white spots that look like watermarks, giving them one of their names. Found in Connecticut and throughout New England, Native American communities most often used this plant medicinally. 

H. Zell

About Virginia Waterleaf

This erect perenial plant in the borage family grows to 18 inches tall on stems that branch out and are sometimes reddish green in color with fine hair. The triangular  course toothed leaves are large and divided into three to seven lobes that are separated at the tip and base. Leaves often have white spots on them but they fade as the plant matures. The bell shaped light lavendar colored flowers have a green  hairy calyx that has five long pointed teeth and five petals with two protruding stamens with yellow tips. Blooming occurs in early spring through July. This plant spreads by rhizomes and forms large colonies in moist forests. It can also spread by seed.

Medicinal Uses

One of the most common traditional uses was to make tea from the roots to treat dysentery and diarrhea. The tea was also used like an astringent to stop bleeding.  The roots were pounded into a paste and applied to cracked lips and sore mouths.  The Menominee made a compound decoction of the root to treat chest pain and the Ojibwa made a decoction of the roots to give to children with flux. They also chopped the root up and fed it to their horses to fatten them up!

Did You Know...

Other names for this plant include Eastern waterleaf, John's cabbage, and Shawnee salad.

Young shoots were eaten in salads in the early spring.

The plant's name comes from Greek hydro (water) and phyllon (leaf).

The species name, virginianum refers to the state of Virginia where it was first collected.

Learn the Cultural Tradition of Corn Husk Weaving @ Institute for American Indian Studies

 During this month of gratitude, the Institute for American Indian Studies located at 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut is hosting a Corn Husk Weaving Workshop on Saturday, November 23^rd at 1 p.m. Participants will learn the traditional art of weaving beauty from simple cornhusks into a seasonal craft perfect for gift giving.

Originating in South America, corn didn’t reach New England until about 1000 years ago. Corn was a useful crop that wasn’t grown just as a source of food. Many Native American traditions, including the Three Sisters Garden, various traditional stories, and annual ceremonies like the Green Corn Festival, encompass the cultural importance of corn including weaving art and everyday items from cornhusks.

 A cornhusk is the outer leaf of the corn plant that protects the cob as it grows. Most of the time, this green outer shell is thrown out after corn is harvested. Readily available during the fall harvest season, skilled Native American artists and other artisans collect the husks and dry them until they turn an attractive shade of golden brown signaling that they are ready to be woven.

 

At this workshop participants will join an IAIS educator for a hands-on class where they will create crafts made from cornhusks to take home. Weaving with cornhusks has been around for thousands of years in Native American culture and this workshop presents a rare opportunity to experience a bit of Native American culture while creating something beautiful and meaningful.

 

Pre-registration for this workshop is required and can be made online at iaismuseum.org. The price to participate including all materials, is $20 for non-members and $10 for members of the Institute. If you have questions, please call 860-868-00518 or email events@iaismuseum.org

 

About the Institute for American Indian Studies

Its “Wigwam Escape” escape room offers an opportunity to solve a puzzle while learning about Indigenous life before European settlement. With a focus on “two-eyed seeing”, visitors can learn about the history of the American continent that incorporates more than 12,000-year history of human habitation. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, Connecticut.

 

Medicinal Monday Buffalo Gourd

Cucurbita foetidissima is a gourd that is native to North America and can be found in the central and southwestern areas of the United States. Native American communities in this area have used this gourd for food as well as for traditional medicinal purposes. 

About Buffalo Gourd

This plant is in the Cucurbitaceae or cucumber family. It has large gray-green triangular leaves that can grow up to 12 inches long and are covered with rough hair. The leaves grow alongside stems that lie on the ground. The plant sprawls up to 30 feet across. The flowers are yellow with stamens that have large antlers deep inside the bell-shaped throat of the flowers. The fruit of this plant is green-striped when young. They turn yellow as they mature and grow to the size of a tennis ball.

Medicinal Uses

One of the most common traditional uses was to make tea to ease childbirth. Another was to make tea from the boiled roots to induce vomiting. The seeds were ground into a powder to relieve swellings and the dried root was mixed with water and used as a laxative. Many used the root as a soap and the gourds for washing. Many communities pulverized the seeds or made a decoction of the roots to treat venereal sores. Specifically, the Apache and the Coahuilla made a poultice of the leaves, stems, and roots and applied the mixture to sores on horses.  The Shoshoni made an infusion of the entire plant and gave it to their horses to get rid of worms. The Cahuilia found three interesting traditional uses for this plant. They ground the shell of the fruit and used it as a shampoo, they applied the pulp of the fruit mixed with chopped-up roots on open sores and made physic from dried roots. The Keres and Zuni made a poultice of crushed roots and applied the mixture to boils and sores, the Kiowa took a decoction of peeled roots as an emetic, the Omaha pulverized the root and took it for pain, and the Paiute made a decoction of the root to kill maggots in wounds.  The roots are boiled and used for chest pain by Isleta-Pueblo Indians.

In addition to medicinal uses, the seeds were roasted and eaten as food or ground and made into flour. The dried gourds were made into rattles and ladles. The yellow flowers were used as a dye.

Did You Know...

Other names for Buffalo Gourd are Stinking Gourd, Missouri Gourd, Stink Gourd, and Wild Gourd.

This plant gets its nickname Stink Gourd because of its foul odor when bruised.

The mature fruit is poisonous to humans depending on weight and susceptibility to the poison.

Cucurbita is Latin for the word gourd and the species name, foetidissima comes from Latin meaning very bad smelling.

A mature gourd can clean wooden floors.

A soap-like foam forms when the fruit of the gourd is crushed in water because of the saponin glycosides and is used on laundry stains.

Medicinal Monday... Field Pumpkin

In New England, we see pumpkins everywhere in the fall. It is Autumn's official mascot, adding charm to decor and spice to our muffins, coffee, and pastries. In addition to using pumpkins in traditional recipes, Native American communities also found several interesting medicinal uses for the field pumpkin.

About Field Pumpkins

Cucurbita Pepo L more commonly known as Field Pumpkin is an annual climbing vine that sprawls along the ground with bright yellow flowers in the summer that bear large luscious fruits in the fall. The fruit can be fried, baked, or added to soups, cakes, cornmeal, stews, and more. The seeds are scooped out and baked and even the blossoms are eaten.  This species is monoecious which means that the flowers are either male or female, but both flowers that are pollinated by insects can be found on one plant. It is considered to be Native to North America and has been cultivated for thousands and thousands of years. Most experts believe that this plant, which is in the cucumber family originated in Mexico, and made its way to the north where it was cultivated in prehistoric North America.

Medicinal Uses

There are many interesting medicinal uses for this plant. The most common use was to make an infusion of the seeds and give it to children with urination problems and tapeworms. The seed was ground into a powder put into a liquid and given to children to rid them of internal parasites. The seeds were also taken to relieve dropsy.  Specifically, the Cherokee feed their children browned seeds to stop them from bedwetting. They also used the seeds as an ingredient in Green Corn Medicine. The Meskwaki made a decoction from the stem and gave this mixture to women with "female problems," and the Navajo ate the leaves to relieve upset stomachs. The Pima made a powder from the seeds ground it into a paste and applied it to their face as a moisturizer. The Zuni used this plant as an ingredient in"schumaakwe" cakes which they ate to ease swelling and rheumatism.

Did You Know...

Cucurbita Pepo is considered by experts to be one of the oldest domesticated species of squash that is thought to have originated in Oaxaca, Mexico around 8,000 years ago.

As a gourd, these plants were made into cups, ladles, duppers, and containers. 

The Zuni used this gourd as a receptacle for holding precious objects. They also wore the gourds in dances and made rattles from them. 

The Iroquois ate squash at feasts of ceremonial importance and in Long House ceremonies.

Medicinal Monday - Buckbean

Buckbean is a woodland ephemeral that blooms in the spring for a short time. It is the only member of the genus Menyanthes native to North America. Buckbean can be found in Connecticut. Today it is protected in the United States. Its bitter-tasting leaves and other parts of this plant have been used in traditional Native American medicine.

About Buckbean

Buckbean can usually be found growing in bogs, marshes, and on the edges of wetlands. This aquatic flower is a hermaphrodite with both male and female parts and is pollinated by bees, moths, and butterflies. Buckbean can grow up to ten inches and its three rounded leaflets gather around the base of the flowering stems. In May and early June, clusters of white or purple-tinged star-shaped flowers emerge. Buckbean flowers are very fragrant. The short hairs of the flowers on five or six pointed lobes give it a fuzzy appearance. The fruit is a capsule that contains many seeds that are shaped like beans giving this wildflower its name.

photo K. Ziarnek

Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Buckbean has a long history of culinary use. Many Native American communities traditionally dried and ground the rootstocks into flour for bread and cakes.

Medicinally, one of the most common traditional uses was to treat stomach aches and gas pains and as an aid to help digestion. It was also used as an emetic. An infusion of the dried leaves was used to treat rheumatism and skin diseases. The Aleut made a compound of the roots to make a laxative, and the Kwakiuti made a decoction of the stem and roots and drank it to spit blood; they also took this decoction to gain weight.

F. Vasen

Did You Know...

In some parts of Europe, the bitter leaves of this plant were used as a substitute for hops in flavoring beer and they were also boiled in honey to make mead.

Another name for buckbean is bog bean.

Its scientific name is Menyanthes trifoliata. Trifoliata is a reference to its three leaflets. The name Menyanthes comes from a Greek water plant.

As a plant of the wetlands, it has little impact on the lives of wildlife; however, several bird species use it as part of their breeding area.

The Qing Dynasty used it as a sleeping aid.

Medicinal Monday - Plants Used for Witchcraft and Magic

During the year, as we are writing Medicinal Monday, we occasionally run across a plant, tree, shrub, or herb that was used by Native Americans for witchcraft and magic. These beliefs were passed down, by oral tradition in the form of stories, rituals, and ceremonies.  Historic records show that Algonquian and Iroquois accepted witchcraft as part of their world and would use it to explain disasters. Many plants were used to ward off witchcraft and evil spirits or to explain disasters and illness. Here are this year's additions.

Red Cardinal flowers are hard to miss because of how tall they are and their vibrant red color. In the Bluebell family, this flower can be found in the far west United States. Interestingly, it was used in both love and witchcraft. The Iroquois made an infusion of the roots and used it as a love wash to attract their beloved. They also made a special drink with roots to treat trouble caused by witchcraft.

Taken at face value, crinkleroot is an attractive wildflower that can be found in the Eastern U. S. and Canada including Connecticut. Although the root was used to treat everything from headaches to belly aches, it had other uses too. The Iroquois, for example, believed that the roots of crinkleroot had magical powers and used them in a variety of ways to counteract all types of poison. They also used smashed roots in witchcraft rituals to identify the perpetrator.

We know that smoking tobacco is bad for you. But this Indian Tobacco (Lobelia Cardinalis) as opposed to Nicotiana tabacum had an unexpected benefit. Indian Tobacco is native to New England and has extended its range west to Oklahoma. The Iroquois made a decoction of Indian Tobacco to counteract the sickness caused by witchcraft

A pretty two-toned yellow plant nicknamed Butter and Eggs was an unexpected addition to this year's witchcraft list. This plant originated in Eurasia but has naturalized over much of the country including Connecticut. Although one of the most common uses of this plant by Native Americans was to treat gastrointestinal problems, some communities found other uses for it. As for magic, a compound of smashed plants was taken as an anti-love medicine to remove bewitching.

Honoring Native American Veterans November 3 @Institute for American Indian Studies

 Many people may be unaware of the major contributions Native Americans have made to our armed forces. They have fought valiantly in the United States military in every conflict since the American Revolution, even before Native Americans gained U.S. citizenry in 1924.

 

Each year, in honor of Veterans Day, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut honors the exceptional military service of Native Americans in a formal dedication and ceremony. This year, the Institute is once again inviting the public to participate in the program that will honor Native and non-Native Americans whose passion and loyalty have helped to make America what it is today on Sunday, November 3 at 12:30 p.m. The Institute is located at 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.

 

This year the Institute is honoring three people that collectively represent three branches of the military: Army, Coast Guard, and Navy. The honorees are, Valerie Gambrell (US Army, Eastern Pequot), Sargeant, Reginald Mitchell (US Coast Guard, Golden Hill Paugussett),  and Petty Officer 2nd Class Alicia King (US Navy, Golden Hill Paugussett).

 

Culturally, Native Americans have always celebrated their warriors. This year the Institute is honoring several local Native Americans who have served in the United States Armed Forces. The Crow Hill Singers Drum Group led by Aaron Athey (Mohegan) from Uncasville will perform traditional songs to honor the contributions made by Native American Veterans and all Veterans. A new highlight is that Tails of Joy will have a canine ambassador as part of the proceedings. Tails of Joy is a non-profit dedicated to providing animal-assisted therapy. Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to enjoy light refreshments in the museum.

 

Although this planned event will take place outdoors, if the weather is, inclement it may move indoors. Advance registration is appreciated for this free event. Click here for tickets

https://iaismuseum.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/20669

 

About the Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland, the IAIS offers educational programs, both permanent and changing exhibits and a replicated 16th-century Algonkian village. Its research department maintains extensive archeological and ethnographic collections and conducts archeological digs and other research. Its “Wigwam Escape” escape room offers an opportunity to solve a puzzle while learning about Indigenous life before European settlement. With a focus on “two-eyed seeing”, visitors can learn about the history of the American continent that incorporates more than 12,000-year history of human habitation. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, Connecticut.

 

About Veterans Day

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary marking the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for the annual observance and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors military veterans with parades and speeches across the nation and a remembrance ceremony takes place at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. The ceremony honors and thanks all who served in the U.S. armed forces.

 

 

Medicinal Monday... Butter and Eggs - Sounds Good Right?

There is a pretty little plant called Butter and Eggs that has been naturalized from Eurasia in North America including Connecticut. Named for its bright yellow flower that resembles a snapdragon, this invasive plant also had some traditional Native American medicinal uses.

photo credit Gilles

About Butter and Eggs

This plant grows to be between one and three feet tall and its slender stem is crowned with yellow flowers on top. The flowers are bright yellow with a distinct orange patch on the bottom lobe. Two lobes are on top and point upward and three are on the bottom and point slightly downward. The narrow blue-green grass-like leaves grow on multiple branches and resemble those of flax. This perennial spreads by rhizomes or by seeds. The plant is somewhat toxic as it contains glycosides.

photo Giles

Medicinal,  Practical, and Magical Uses

In traditional Native American medicine, the most common use of this plant was to make a cold infusion from the leaves to treat diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. Another common use was to make an infusion of the plant and flowers and give it to babies that won't stop crying or to make a compound of the plant and take it to induce vomiting. A practical use was to soak the leaves in milk and use it as an insect repellant. The Ojibwa specifically used a compound that included this plant as a respiratory aid in the sweat lodge. As for magic, a compound of smashed plants was taken as an anti-love medicine to remove bewitching.

photo R. Herring

Did You Know...

Another name for this plant is toadflax because the flower reminded people of the face of a toad!

Other common names include tode, yellow rod, gallwort, monkey flower, and ranstead.

Since coming to America, this plant has spread to 49 states and all of Canada!

Butter and Eggs were used as a dye in Germany and by the Mennonites in the U.S. 

In Scotland, you were advised to circle around a patch of Butter and Eggs three times to ward off evil hexes.

Stories from the Animals @ Institute for American Indian Studies with White Memorial Conservation Center

 Everyone loves a good story. Listening to stories especially those passed down through generations is one of the best ways to connect with each other and the world around us. The Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut in partnership with Litchfield’s White Memorial Conservation Center is presenting a powerful program called “Stories from Animals,” beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 19^th.

Colleen Harrak, White Memorial’s Environmental Educator will join award-winning storyteller, Darlene Kascak, of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation and IAIS Educational Outreach Ambassador for an entertaining program that includes stories and live, local woodland animals. The goal of this program is to show participants how to experience Etuaptmumk - a Mi’kmaw saying that translates to “two-eyed seeing.” This idea encourages people to look at the same concept from both Western and Indigenous knowledge.

Oral tradition is an important cultural component in Native American culture because it is the very stories told that keep the knowledge and the traditions alive. “As a storyteller in Native communities, I bear a profound responsibility,” said Darlene Kascak. “I am entrusted with the task of preserving, protecting, and passing down oral stories that are hundreds if not thousands of years old. This role is not a duty it is also a deep-rooted passion that I hold dear. I am driven by the urgency to keep this tradition alive so that future generations can experience the beauty of learning through storytelling,” Kascak added.

The highlight of this program is the combination of several live animal ambassadors brought by the White Memorial Conservation Center and the Native American stories about each of these animals that offer timeless life lessons. The price of participation is $15 for non-members and $5 for members of the Institute. Pre-registration is advised by visiting iaismusueum.org.

 

About the Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland, the IAIS offers educational programs, both permanent and changing exhibits and a replicated 16th-century Algonkian village. Its research department maintains extensive archeological and ethnographic collections and conducts archeological digs and other research. Its “Wigwam Escape” escape room offers an opportunity to solve a puzzle while learning about Indigenous life before European settlement. With a focus on “two-eyed seeing”, visitors can learn about the history of the American continent that incorporates more than12,000-year history of human habitation. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, Connecticut.

Medicinal Monday - Moss Campion

There are more than 12,000 different types of moss that can be found throughout the world.  The oldest moss called Takakia grows high on the Tibetan Plateau and is thought to be over 350 million years old! The moss we are writing about today, Silene acaulis or Moss Campion has been estimated to reach up to 100 years in age, with the oldest known campion moss being 350 years old. Native Americans in the area have found traditional medicinal uses for this helpful plant.

About Silene Acaulis

This round ground-hugging mound of moss is known as a cushion plant. Its leaves are exposed to the elements and the flower buds are hidden between the leaves until they blossom and cover the little mound that resembles a cushion with flowers. It grows in rocky, cold windswept areas above the tree line. It can grow up to 18 " in diameter and two feet high. Under all the leaves is a sturdy taproot and a woody branched base. When this moss flowers pink flowers bloom on little stalks for several weeks in the summer. It is a very slow-growing moss that takes ten years before it blooms for the first side. The flowers are either male or female with more female flowers appearing at higher altitudes.

Photo: Matt Lavin

Medicinal and Culinary Uses

The Eskimos ate the raw root skins as a vegetable. In the Tundra and Arctic regions, Native Americans and First Peoples consumed the roots as a vegetable. The most common medicinal use was to use the plant to treat children with colic.

Photo: Matt Lavin

Did You Know...

This plant is common throughout the northern Arctic and can be found in the mountains of Maine, New Hampshire, and in the high-mountain areas of North America, Europe, and Russia. 

The U.S. Forest Service has reported studies that have shown that the temperature within a plant cushion can be up to ten degrees centigrade higher than the ambient temperature. 

Other names for this plant are cushion plant, cushion pink, or the compass plant because its flowers first appear on the southside of the plant.

Moss Campion is related to carnations.

The raw roots of this plant were consumed as a vegetable in Iceland and in the Arctic Regions.

Medicinal Monday - Hardstem Bullrush

Hardstem bullrush is in the Sedge Family, that is composed of perennial or annual grass like herbs. They are not actually grasses because their stem and leaves are arranged differently. Hardstem bulrush is a giant species of sedge that is native to freshwater marshes throughout much of North America. Many practical and interesting medicinal uses were practiced by Native American communities. This plant can be found in Connecticut and throughout New England.

photo M.Levin

About Hardstem Bulrush

There are two types of Hardstem Bulrush, schoenoplectus acutus var. acutus which is found in the northern and eastern parts of the United States, and schoenoplectus acutus var. occidentalis found in the southwest. This blog has to do with schoenoplectus acutus var. acutus. This tall reedy bulrush grows in marshes and in shallow fresh or brackish water. It has erect olive-green stems that are sturdy and have a diameter of up to four inches. Hardstem Bulrush can grow up to ten feet tall and has grass-like leaves.  At the top of this plant, the pannicle is stiff and made up of reddish-brown spikes that bloom from May through August. It spreads by rhizomes.

Practical and Medicinal Uses

Many communities cut up the roots crushed, boiled, and pounded them to make flour. The roots were often boiled to make syrup, and some communities peeled and roasted the roots. It was common for the lower, tender stem base to be eaten raw and for the young shoots to be eaten as greens.  Just some of the common items made from this handy plant by Native Americans include rafts, mats, rugs, baskets, handles, curtains, bedding, hats, bowls, storage containers, roofing, temporary shelters, and even clothing made by twining wefts and warps for cloth. Some communities made the long stems into a ball and used them in children's games.

Hardstem Bulrush also had several interesting medicinal uses with the most common use being to stop bleeding. The Thompson would burn the stalk and put the ashes on a baby's navel and the Cree made a poultice from the stem and applied it as a dressing to a wound to stop the bleeding. The Ciallam used the hollow stem to suck out the cause of an illness. The Navajo Ramah used this plant as a ceremonial emetic and the Okanagan-Colville and the Thompson used the stems to make headdresses for Indian doctors.

M. Lavin

Did You Know...

Hardstem bullrush or Schoenoplectus acutus var is also called tule, tule rush, or viscid bulrush.

This plant once lined the shoreline of Tulare Lake in California. Until this lake was drained it was the largest freshwater lake in the western United States. This plant is so common in California that there is a town called Tulelake, as well as Tule Lake, a Tule River, and a Tule Desert in California, and California's dense fog, Tule Fog is named after this plant.

This plant is used today to control erosion.