Medicinal Monday...the Wonders of White Willow

Medicinal treatment using herbs has long been recognized as being an instinctive use of plants to help cure certain ailments. Many plants and herbs have a long history of culinary and medicinal use and many of the things we take today are based on herbal remedies. Aspirin, for example, was created from two plants, the white willow, and meadowsweet. Native Americans were quite knowledgeable about both plants.

About White Willow

The white willow (Salix alba) gets its name from the silvery-white underside of its leaves. It is native to Europe and Central Asia and was brought to the United States in the 1700s.  It is now naturalized in much of the country.  It is a majestic tree that is one of the first to leaf in the spring and one of the last trees to lose its leaves in the fall.  This is a relatively fast-growing tree that can reach up to 80 feet. The bark of the tree is furrowed and grayish in color with yellow-brown branches and twigs. The leaves are green on top with a white downy underside that gives this tree its name. The leaves turn a beautiful bronze color in the fall. This tree thrives in wetlands and is often found around ponds, streams, and lakes.

Medicinal and General Uses White Willow
White willow is a staple in medicinal treatment in many Native American communities. The Cherokee chewed white willow twigs for hoarseness.  They make tea from white willow bark and use it to treat pain, chills, and fever. They also made a preparation with white willow twigs, bark and pussy willows to treat a number of ailments including the treatment of fever. Sometimes the bark was ground into flour and bread was made. 

This tree is not only used medicinally. It also has several practical uses.  For example, the bark and twigs of the white willow tree are collected in the spring to make baskets.  The bark is easiest to remove this time of year because this is when the sap begins to flow.  Many containers and types of baskets in all sizes and shapes were made from this beautiful tree.

White Willow Tree in Autumn

Did You Know

White willows are the original source of salicylic acid, the precursor of aspirin.

White willow was used by the Chinese as a pain remedy since 500 B.C.

There are around 400 species of willow trees around the world.

The white willow tree is the largest species of willow trees that can grow over 80 feet tall.

Willow trees do not live long. A willow tree that is 70 years old is considered a very old tree.

Willow wood is used to make charcoal for drawing.

Willow wood is used to make baskets, brooms, boxes and cricket bats.

Medicinal Monday - Meadowsweet - More than a Pretty Flower

Using plants to treat ailments was highly valued by Native Americans across the country.  Today, people continue to use herbs with medicinal chemicals daily, most of the time not realizing the important role plants have played throughout history in helping to make us feel better. One of these plants used by Native Americans in several interesting ways is Meadowsweet.

About Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet (Filipendula rubra) is native to the northeastern and central United States, and southeastern Canada and belongs to the genus Rosaceae. This plant can grow up to eight feet high and has flowers that vary from white to deep pink. This plant prefers full sun and moist soil but can tolerate drier soil and partial shade as well. The leaves are fernlike and pointy and the sweet-smelling flowers blossom above the leaves. The numerous stamens give the flowers a fuzzy appearance when in bloom during the summer months. This plant has creeping roots so it spreads in an aggressive manner. Interestingly this plant is known for its airborne pollination that is only effective when the pollen is transferred from a different plant.  Bees help with the pollination process.

Medicinal Uses

Native Americans use the root of this plant in traditional medicine for treating heart problems. The root has very high tannin content making it useful as an astringent and for treating dysentery and bleeding. The Meskwaki used the root of Meadowsweet to make a compound that was used as a Love Potion.

Did You Know...

This plant is often called Queen of the Prairie.

This plant was first recorded in Massachusetts in 1875.

Filipendula rubra is considered endangered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, and New Jersey.

The deep pink flower of this plant was given an Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticulture Society, London's leading garden charity in 1993. 

A European member of this plant species, Filipendula vulgaris was used to flavor mead.

Salicylic acid used to make aspirin was first derived from the flowerhead of Filipendula ulmaria.

Many gardeners prize this plant as an ornamental addition to their gardens.

Celebrate National Indian Heritage Month @ Institute for American Indian Studies With Annawon Weeden

November is National Indian Heritage Month and many institutions nationwide join in paying tribute to the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans. Each year, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut organizes special programs that highlight the rich cultural diversity and traditions of Native American communities through hands-on activities, arts and crafts, exhibits, music, and interactive programs.

This year’s highlight of National Indian Heritage Month at the Institute for American Indian Studies will be a highly interactive program by actor, activist, dancer, and Tribal mentor, Annawon Weeden. This special program will take place at 1 p.m. on November 16. Weeden is the founder of the First Light Foundation whose mission is to highlight the importance of preserving and celebrating diversity to reinforce the identity of each individual served.

Persuasive and powerful, authentic and imaginative, the stories and performance of Annawon Weeden reveal the unexpected ways Native Americans are embedded in our cultural identity as well as in our pop culture, sometimes accurately, and sometimes erroneously. Drawing on his Mashpee Wampanoag, Narragansett, and Pequot lineage, Weeden will explore the pre- European Tribal history of the People of the Dawn and share his personal experiences and insights. Through this interactive program, visitors will walk through time with Weeden and discover that Native American cultures are alive and well today, thriving and evolving across the United States. This program helps to foster a better understanding of Native American culture and traditions while dispelling some of the historical misinterpretations.

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 16^th 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.

About Annawon Weeden

Weeden is an enrolled member of his mother’s Mashpee Wampanoag tribal community. He currently works in the MPTN Cultural Resource Department as the Eastern Woodland song/dance instructor for his father’s Mashantucket Pequot Tribal community.

Growing up on the Narragansett reservation he was instructed on the traditional dances and customs of New England’s Native American Communities. As an adult, Weeden has developed a comprehensive knowledge of the vast diversity of native customs and traditions.

In October 2016, Congressman James Langevin took special notice of Weeden and decided to commemorate the life efforts of Weeden awarding him with a Congressional Honor as Culture Bearer for the entire New England Region.

Weeden’s knowledge of indigenous people and his ability to share his tribal culture is highly sought because it educational and inspiring.

Medincinal Monday - American Chestnut Tree the Redwoods of the East

The majestic American Chestnut Tree was once common throughout the forests of eastern North America, providing sweet, meaty chestnuts for humans and wildlife. American Chestnut trees once grew prolifically across the east coast with an estimated four billion trees blanketing the landscape from Maine to Florida.  These huge and ancient trees could grow up to 100 feet high and nine feet around. In addition to providing wood and shade, these trees also provided edible nuts.  Native Americans found many uses for this tree, which is rare in the wild today.

Winslow Homer - The Chestnut tree (1878)

About American Chestnut Tree

The American Chestnut tree is a large monoecious deciduous tree of the beech family and is native to eastern North America.  This hardwood tree grows rapidly and was one of the most common trees found in the northeast. As compared to its European cousins, the American Chestnut has larger and more widely spaced saw-teeth leaves and hairless twigs and branches. The American Chestnut is self-compatible and requires two trees for pollination.  It is also a prolific bearer of nuts.  There are usually three nuts enclosed in a spiny green burr that is lined in a tan velvet-like material.  The nuts develop during the summer and fall to the ground after the first frost.

A fungus imported from Asia infected chestnut trees, the first chestnut was thought to be infected in the 1890s and the first blight was reported in 1904 in New York's Botanical Garden. By 1910, panic spread as the population of chestnut trees continued to die.  This airborne fungus killed up to three billion American Chestnut trees. There are many efforts today to breed blight-resistant chestnut trees by the American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation and the Canadian Chestnut Council.

William Henry Holmes 1846-1933

Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Native American communities on the East Coast used various parts of the American Chestnut to treat ailments such as whooping cough, heart conditions and chafed skin.  The Cherokee made a cough syrup from the leaves of the American Chestnut Tree, they also made an infusion of year-old leaves that were taken for heart trouble.  The Iroquois ground the wood of this tree into a powder to use on the chafed skin of babies and the meat of the nut was ground and combined with bear grease and used to treat hair. Another use was to mix the bark of this tree into dog food to treat worms. The Mohegan's made tea from the leaves to treat rheumatism and colds. An infusion of leaves was also used to treat whooping cough.

Chestnuts were roasted, ground into flour for cakes and bread and stewed into puddings and soups.

Chestnut Trees at Bolton, Lake George by Samuel Lancaster

Did You Know...

In colonial America, chestnut was a preferred species for log cabins, especially the bottom rot-prone foundation logs. Later posts, poles, flooring, and railroad ties were all made from chestnut lumber.

Chestnut ripening coincided with the Thanksgiving-Christmas holiday season, and turn-of-the-century newspaper articles often showed train cars overflowing with chestnuts rolling into major cities to be sold fresh or roasted. 


Chestnuts are unique among nuts because they are high in carbs, not oil.

Institute for American Indian Studies to Honor Golden Paugussett Native American Veterans

Historically, American Indians were known as warriors. It is a deep tradition that has continued to modern times. Perhaps this is why Native Americans have a long- standing record of proud military service on behalf of the United States as well as a higher rate of military service than any other racial or ethnic group in the country. Native American patriotism is inextricably connected to the land itself.

Design by Harvey Pratt/Butzer Architects and Urbanism, illustration by Skyline Ink, courtesy of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian.

To commemorate Native American and Alaskan American contributions, service, and sacrifices, in November of 2020, a $15 million memorial, Warriors Circle of Honor is set to open in Washington DC. The structure incorporates many items involved in Native American ceremonies. It was designed by a Marine veteran, Harvey Pratt, a member of the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and will be situated on the National Mall.

Closer to home, in Washington, Connecticut, the Institute for American Indian Studies is holding a traditional Native American ceremony that includes prayers and drumming to honor the contributions and valor of Native American and non- Native Veterans on November 10 beginning at noon.

Gary Tinny

Each year, the Institute for American Indian Studies honors local Native Americans who have served their country. This year, the ceremony will recognize Golden Hill Paugussett community members who represent past, present and future veterans. The honorees at this year's ceremony include Chief Aurelius Piper Sr., deceased, who served during World War II; Gary Tinney, who served in Germany, England, Korea and Stateside; and the sons of Clan-mother Shoran Piper, Jeremy Cole, and Nikita Kuznetsov that are currently serving in the military. 

The drumming and prayer ceremony will begin at noon and take place in the Institute’s newly restored 16^th century Algonquian Village. After the ceremony, visitors are invited to a light lunch in the museum with the opportunity to explore the Institution’s vast collections. This event is free and open to the public. 

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 16^th 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.

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 an 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 - The Sour Crabapple Tree!

Autumn is apple time in New England when the sweet smell of newly harvest apples scents the air.  Malus coronaria, also known as sweet crabapple is a North American species of Malus. Native Americans used this tree in several unexpected ways from treating eye problems to using parts of this tree as a gastrointestinal aid.

About Sweet Crabapple
This tree grows primarily in the Great Lakes Region and the Ohio Valley but can be found in New England, Long Island, and as far south as Alabama.  This tree is small and only grows to about  33 feet in height.  It is noted for its broad open crown and small ovate leaves that don't grow longer than two inches. The leaves are red-bronze when they are in bud, and emerge bright green when they are full grown. In the fall the leaves turn yellow. This tree flowers in May and June when the leaves are fully grown. The flowers are a striking pink and are usually clustered in six-flower umbrels on slender branches.  The fruit of the crabapple tree ripens in October. The fruit is globular and about an inch to an inch and a half with white flesh that is said to be sour.

Medicinal and Culinary Uses
The Cherokee use an infusion of the bark of this tree to treat gallstones and piles. A wash made from the bark to treat a sore mouth.  The Iroquois make a cold infusion that was used to treat black eyes, sore eyes, and, as a cure for snow blindness. A decoction of the root was also used to suppress menses and cause abortion.

The fruit was sometimes buried in the ground overwinter or dried and stored for later use. When fully ripe, this fruit can be eaten.  It is also rich in pectin and was added to thicken stews or jam.

Did You Know...

One of the first explorers of North American fruits and vegetables, Pehr Kalm described the fruit of the American crabapple tree as small, sour and unfit for anything but to make vinegar of it!

All members of this genus contain the toxin hydrogen cyanide in their seeds and possibly in their leaves, but not in the fruit.

The flowers attract bees and wasps.

Black Bear, Grey Fox, Opossum, Raccoon, Striped Skunk, Fox Squirrel, Grey Squirrel, Meadow Vole and Deer Mouse eat the fruit of this tree.

White Tail Deer and Cotton Tail Rabbits eat twigs and foliage.

Artifact Identification Day -October 27, 2019

The very basic definition of an artifact is an item, large or small that is made or given shape by humans.  Through the centuries, artifacts have taken many forms with the most common being a tool, a work of art, or an object of archeological interest.  Many times these items in the world of archeologists have some type of cultural meaning and in the context of Native Americans, these items can represent stone tools and weapons, pottery, and items for personal use or adornment.

On October 27 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Lucianne Lavin, Ph.D., the Director of Research and Collections, at the Institute for American Indian Studies will be available to identify and provide expert commentary about your local stone objects and other Northeastern Native American cultural items. The public is invited to bring up to 12 objects to be examined. Although the Institute cannot offer an appraisal of your object, they certainly will be able to enlighten you as to the what, where, when, and how of your mystery items!

Artifact identification can be a tricky business. You might want to ask if your object is archaeological or geological. Another question may be who made the artifact and where does it come from. To help with the identification be prepared to tell Dr. Lavin where you found the artifact - in the field, in a shop, or if you inherited it from a relative or friend. Anything about the context of an artifact is important in terms of identification. A final question might where you can learn more about your mysterious treasure from the past.

Artifact Identification Day is included in the price of admission, members of the Institute are free, Adults $10, Seniors $8 and children are $6. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut. 

About The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the IAIS preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. We have a 16^th 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.