Medicinal Monday -Purple and Pretty the Eastern Coneflower

The Purple Coneflower is a classic lavender-pink flower with big daisy-like blossoms and slightly drooping petals that make it hard to miss. It is still a widely used medicinal plant of the Plains Indians and many communities in the Mid-West and Northeast. In Western tribes like the Ute, coneflowers are associated with elk and called by the name "elk root." It is believed that wounded elk seek out this plant as a medicine. There are many fascinating uses for this plant medicinally and ceremonially.

About Purple Coneflowers

Coneflowers are a native wildflower of North American that is in the sunflower family. Its' habitats include dry open woods, prairies, and barrens. This is a herbaceous perennial that grows up to 47 inches tall and ten inches wide at maturity. It blooms throughout the summer and is easily identified by its cone-shaped flowering heads that are usually purple in the wild. The flower heads are both male and female and the plant is pollinated by butterflies and bees. Coneflowers can also be propagated from seeds and by dividing clumps of the root in the spring or autumn.

Medicinal & Ceremonial Uses

Native Americans use this plant to treat many ailments including wounds, burns, insect bites, toothaches, throat infections, and snakebite. The roots of the plant are chewed or made into a tea for internal problems. Sometimes the roots are pulverized and the powder is put on external wounds. The Choctaw chew the root and make a tincture from it to treat coughs. Delaware and the Delaware Oklahoma combine the root of purple coneflowers with staghorn sumac roots to treat general disease. It is also widely used as a painkiller. 

Coneflower has also been chewed ritually during sweat lodge ceremonies and at Sun Dances. The coneflower is considered to be one of the sacred Life Medicines of the Navajo Tribe.

Did You Know...

The Greek name of the plant is Echinacea Purpurea. Echinacea means "spiny one" in reference to spiny sea urchins and Purpurea means reddish-purple.

Many people use purple coneflowers as ornamental plants because they can grow in the light or in the shade and thrive in both moist and dry soil. 

Rabbits eat the foliage of this plant when it first emerges in the spring.

Today, many herbalists recommend it to help boost the immune system and to help the body fight infection.

Celestial Fireworks - See Jupiter, Saturn and the Full Buck Moon July 4 and 5

​If you are disappointed about the lack of fireworks, don't be, just look to the sky for a celestial "fireworks" display. This coming holiday weekend, Mother Nature has planned her own program of fireworks! ​According to the Institute for American Indian Studies, the full moon on July 4 and 5 is called the Buck Moon or the Thunder Moon according to Native American traditions.  This full moon will be enhanced by two shining planets, Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system with four moons and Saturn. 

Jupiter will be very bright and hover to the moon's upper right while Saturn, one-third as bright will appear to stand off to the moon's upper left. Taken together they will form a triangle in the sky. If you have a small telescope or a pair of binoculars you will get a better view of Jupiter along with all four of the Galilean satellites that include Io, Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto. They were first seen by Galileo over 400 years ago.

Like June's full moon, the full moon of July brings about a penumbral eclipse, which occurs when the moon crosses through the faint outer edge of the Earth's shadow called a penumbra. When this occurs, the moon appears to be slightly darker than usual. This eclipse will be visible from most of North America including Connecticut and will begin at 11:04 Eastern Standard Time on July 4 and end at 1:56 a.m. If you miss it on July 4, check the sky on July 5 at 10:56 p.m. The Buck moon will appear the biggest to the naked eye on the U.S. East coast during and just after moonrise.

The Algonquin people of the Eastern Woodlands did not record time by using months or calendars. They tracked time by observing the seasons and the lunar months and phases of the moon. The Algonquin people called the full moon in July the Buck Moon because at this time of year a buck's antlers are growing daily. Another Native American name for the full moon in July is Thunder Moon because of the frequency of July thunderstorms. Colonial Americans adopted some of the Native American names for the full moon and, they are still in use today. Some of the most recognized names that come from the Algonquin people include the Harvest Moon, the Blue Moon, and the Supermoon.

The Institute for American Indian​ Studies is open Friday, July 3 until 4 p.m., closed Saturday, July 4, and open on Sunday, July 5 from 12 noon to 4 p.m. The indoor museum and outdoor village and trails are open.  The Institute is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington CT.

Medicinal Monday - Feverfew

It is hard to figure out exactly how  Native Americans determined which plants might have medicinal benefits.  It is widely believed that they used a trial and error method.  Feverfew has been used for centuries by Native Americans for their medicinal and ornamental value.

About Feverfew

Feverfew tansy is native to southeastern Europe and is now common in North America (including Connecticut) and Australia.  American Feverfew is found in glades, upland prairies, rocky open woods, forest openings, ledges, pastures, and roadsides.

Feverfew is a perennial that grows to two or three feet in height and produces lovely clusters of yellow daisy-like flowers that bloom amid feathery leaves.  This plant flowers May - September.  It is a close relative of chamomile and is sometimes confused with this herb. The difference is that medicinal oils are found in the flowers of chamomile while the therapeutic ingredients of feverfew are found in the leaves.

Feverfew is rich in vitamins and minerals especially niacin and thiamin, chromium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium and selenium.

Medicinal and Culinary Use

Some Native American tribes pounded the feathery leaves of this plant into a poultice and used it to treat burns.  The ashes of the leaves of feverfew were also used to treat the sores on the back of a horse. 

 Additionally, Native Americans used feverfew to heal wounds, deal with cramps and to achieve a meditative state.  Many healing practices and spiritual ceremonies are earth-based honoring and respectful of Father Sky, Mother Earth, Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon.

Did you Know

The name feverfew is derived from the Latin term febrifugia which means to "drive out fevers."

Dioscorides, an ancient Greek doctor used this plant to speed the birth process.

In the 1700s, American clergyman, Cotton Mather recommended chewing feverfew to ease tooth pain.

In the 1980s a study in Britain demonstrated that feverfew was effective in treating migraine headaches and helped to reduce the number and severity of these attacks.

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.

The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

Medicinal Monday... Mountain Mint

In the summer months, Mountain Mint attracts many insects to its delicate white flowers, especially bees, wasps, flies, beetles, and small butterflies. In addition to its beauty and sweet minty smell, Native Americans found many medicinal uses for this highly scented densely flowered plant.

About
Sometimes called Virginia Mountain Mint, this name is misleading because this plant is not found in high elevations. Mountain Mint can be found growing in moist meadows, and swamps, along streams, and on the shoreline of ponds and lakes. This is a perennial herbaceous plant that can grow up to three feet tall and has a bushy appearance because it has so many branches. The leaves grow to two and a half inches and are long and narrowly lanced. When the leaves are crushed they give off a strong minty smell. 

Each umbel-like cluster can consist of up to 50 flowers at the tip of the stem, measuring 3/4 of an inch across. Not all the flowers bloom at one time, and they are white with tiny purple spots. The blooming period occurs during the middle of summer and lasts about a month. Each small flower produces four tiny, finely pitted, dull black seeds. The root system produces rhizomes, which spread a short distance from the mother plant, producing a colony of mountain mint plants.

Medicinal
The Chippewa and Lakota make a compound of the leaves and took this mixture to help them with coughs, chills, and fever. The florets of this plant are used as a stimulant and made into a tonic. Another use of the florets is to crush them and then apply the crushed leaves into the nostrils of a dying patient in order to rally them. The dry leaves are also used to make tea. This tea is drunk before the beginning of the hunt as a good luck potion.

Did You Know

Catnip and lavender are in the same family as Mountain Mint.

The flowers open at different times, beginning at the outer edges of the cluster.

Another name for this plant is American Mountain Mint

The Genus name comes from the Greek pyknos meaning dense and anthos meaning flower.

Medicinal Monday -A Fern fit for Royalty!

The Osmunda var. spectabilis commonly called the royal fern is not just pretty to look it.  It is one of North America's largest ferns. It is noted for its bold textured light green leather-like leaves that give it a tropical appearance. This hardy fern is used by Native Americans to treat a variety of ailments.

About the Royal Fern

Known for its unique form and texture this tall, robust, deciduous fern changes throughout the seasons. In the early spring wooly hair covered fiddleheads emerge that mature into pink leaves on wine-colored stalks that unfurl into bright green leaves edged with minute teeth. This fern produces both sterile and fertile fronds and, each has very different characteristics. Sterile fronds grow to 3.5 feet long and have up to six pairs of widely separated leaves. The fertile fronds are more upright and develop distinctive tassel-like clusters. These clusters or pinnules are green before maturing into a dark rusty brown after their spores are dispersed.

The leaves are green in the summer and change from yellow to brown in the fall. The Royal fern prefers partial shade and humus-rich consistently moist soil. It is often found in wet forests, bogs, and along streams and lakes.  The Royal Fern can grow up to six feet high and has a spread of three feet. The Royal Fern spreads slowly by rhizomes.

Medicinal Use

Many Native American communities use the Royal Fern for medicinal purposes. For example, the Iroquois make an infusion of the fronds and mix it with wild ginger to treat children with convulsions from intestinal worms. A decoction is given to women for strong menses. The Menominee use the root to treat general ailments and the Seminole use a complex infusion for a variety of chronic conditions. The leaves are also used in a steam bath to treat insanity. 

Did You Know

Another name for the Royal Fern is the Flowering Fern because of its lovely summer flowers. Other names include American Royal Fern, Regal Fern, and King Fern.

The name of the fern, Osmunda is thought to derive from Osmunder, a Saxon name for the god Thor. The species name regalis is from Latin and means royal.

The Royal Fern is a good food source for wildlife. The Osmunda Borer Moth consumes its stems and rhizomes.

This fern is threatened in Iowa and considered exploitable and vulnerable in New York State.

There are no edible uses for this fern and many sources caution against eating this fern. The fiddleheads that this fern produces are considered to be carcinogenic. 

Medicinal Monday - the Common Blue Violet

Viola sororia is known as the common blue violet that is native to the eastern U.S. and can be found in the late spring in Connecticut. This colorful spring plant is consumed by Native Americans and used medicinally.

About Viola Sororia
This plant is a low rosette-forming wildflower with elegant tooth heart-shaped foliage. The leaves and flowers emerge directly from underground rhizomes. In mid.-spring leafless stems rise from the foliage bearing a 1 inch blue-violet or white flower. The blossoms have five petals with tufts of white hair toward the base. The flower petals are marked with dark purple veins. In late summer inconspicuous flowers form at the base of the stem and seeds mature inside the self-pollinated closed flower that eventually drops on the soil.  These flowers have an elaiosome ( a fleshy structure that is attached to the seeds that contain lipids and proteins) that attracts ants! After the ants feed on the elaiosome they discard the seed, which consequently spreads the plant.  Violets are found in meadows, lawns, gardens, open woods, and on shaded banks and borders of rivers, lakes, and ponds. Some consider this lovely perennial a pest or weed!

Medicinal and Culinary Uses
Viola sororia has historically been used for food and for medicine by Native Americans for centuries. The flowers and leaves are edible and they taste somewhat like cucumber.  The flowers are slightly bitter with a floral tang. The most common use of this plant is to treat a headache with a poultice of leaves. An infusion is used as a blood medicine as well as to treat coughs, colds, and dysentery. Traditionally, the root is crushed and made into a poultice to treat skin irritations and boils.  Another way that Native Americans use violets is to mix the roots with corn seeds and distribute the mixture as a pre-planting insecticide.

Did You Know...

The flowers are rarely visited by insects, however, caterpillars of some species of butterflies do feed on the foliage.

Ants consume the proteins found on the seed and birds and small mammals eat the seed.

Other common names are blue-violet, hooded blue-violet, Florida violet, woody blue-violet, and wood violet.

Violets are the state flowers of Illinois, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.

Violets have many look-alikes, many are inedible or poisonous, so only harvest them when the flowers are present and you are 100% sure that you have a violet.

Violets were the favorite flower of England's Queen Victoria.

Until the early 1900s, violets not roses were associated with Valentine's Day.

Institute for American Indian Studies Modified Summer Camp June 26-August 7, 2020

We all know that this summer will be different. We also know that it is important for children to get out of the house and be engaged socially, mentally, and safely. With that in mind, the Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington, Connecticut announced that they are opening a modified summer camp program of weekly themed outdoor fun and education that follows strict state guidelines. The Summer Camp is available one week at a time, Monday- Friday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., from June 26 through August 7. The programs are geared for children ages 6-13. “We decided to offer our camp programs because we feel it can be a gateway back to normalcy for children. We expect these experiences will help our young campers face new challenges with resilience,” Chris Combs, Executive Director said.

There are so many benefits to sending children to summer camp, especially this summer. It gives children the chance to develop confidence and get unplugged; it allows them to make new friends, experience the great outdoors, and to explore new interests while learning at the same time. “This year, parents can definitely expect to see safety as the first and foremost focus at our camp, Chris Combs, Executive Director said. “ For all of our staff, the health and safety of our campers is paramount. All camp activities will be held outdoors and there will be regular sanitizing, social distancing, and smaller group activities as well as staggered arrivals and pick-ups, all in accordance with guidance issued by various state and federal agencies,” Combs continued. For more information, registration and protocols click here 

 Camp Director Gabriel Benjamin and Assistant Camp Director Susan Scherf have developed a range of exciting activities and projects that follow current health guidelines. Each week, campers will join experienced educators on a journey through one of several themes that relate to the museum's core mission, such as ecology, archaeology, and traditional skills. While hiking in the woods, playing games, and creating crafts, campers will practice survival skills, teamwork, and problem-solving as they develop confidence while experiencing the great outdoors, and making new friends. Besides the memories that will last a lifetime, campers will learn valuable skills and connect with a culture that has more than 10,000 years of history in this area.

Summer Camp Themes

Weekly camps will have different experiences. On June 29- July 3 the theme is “Wonderful Wildlife” and will include exploring the forests and rivers of the Eastern Woodlands. The camp running from July 6- July 10 will focus on the gifts of the natural world and how Native Americans used their understanding of the natural world to thrive for thousands of years right here in Connecticut.

On July 13 to July 17, children will learn outdoor survival skills similar to those used for centuries by Native Americans. And, if your children love science and technology sign them up for the week of July 20-24 to learn how people of the past figured out creative ways to move around, construct shelter, find food, and make tools."

For budding archeologists and kids that are intrigued by puzzles, don’t miss the July 27 – July 31 camp where they will learn how to dig and discover.

The last camp of our 2020 summer season, from August 3-7 is for kids that like a challenge – and don’t they all! If your kids want to be amazed, sign them up, and challenge them to put their skills to test! They will come away enriched and confident.  

For complete registration information, visit http://www.iaismuseum.org.

About The Institute for American Indian StudiesLocated on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 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.