Learn About An Ancient Technology Atlatl Workshop @ Institute For American Indian Studies May 22, 2021

 

​When people think of Native American hunting tools, bows and arrows are among the first things that spring to mind, and with good reason. Just about every Native American community had some form of a bow and arrow. What many people don’t know is that for thousands of years, many Native Americans used a different type of hunting tool. The atlatl is a dart thrower that allows hunters to throw a dart or spear farther and faster than by hand alone.

On Saturday, May 22 the Institute for American Indian Studies​ in Washington, Connecticut will be hosting an in-person Atlatl Workshop from 12 noon to 2 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. that will highlight the many uses of this ancient technology, how to make your own atlatl, and how to throw it. Essentially an atlatl is a dart thrower that allows hunters to throw a dart or arrow farther and faster than by hand alone. 

 If you like to make things with your hands and throwing sports, don’t miss this intriguing workshop. Participants will learn about the history of the atlatl, one of the first true weapon technologies developed by cultures from all over the world. Different designs of this useful ancient tool that is both a projectile and launching device used by Native Americans will be a highlight. Under the guidance of the Institute’s Educator, Susan Scherf, participants will learn about the different designs of the atlatl before making their own atlatl and dart. 

The fun really begins when participants learn how to use their newly made atlatl and seeing how much farther their dart travels. The atlatl session ends with a friendly atlatl throwing competition. If you become an atlatl fan, you might end up competing in atlatl competitions that are held throughout the world! 

There are two-time slots for this workshop, one at 12 noon to 2 p.m. and the next one is at 2 pm. – 4 p.m. The Atlatl Workshop is $30 for members of the Institute and $40 for non-members and, an adult must accompany participants under 18. To reserve your spot for this fun and educational workshop https://www.iaismuseum.org/event/atlatl-making-workshop-in-person or call 860-868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org. Masks and social distancing are required. 

About the Atlatl 

An atlatl is one of humankind's first mechanical inventions that preceded the bow and arrow in most parts of the world. Basically, an atlatl is a type of lever that was used to throw a spear farther and faster towards the quarry. The word atlatl comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs who were using them when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. 

According to the World Atlatl Association, early people in the Americas used atlatls to hunt mammoths and mastodons around 11,000 years ago. Much later, a variety of atlatl types were used in different parts of North America. 

Atlatls continued to be used alongside bows and arrows by many Native Americans after the introduction of the bow. 

Typically the projectile point or spear point was made of stone such as chert using a process known as flint knapping. The point was attached to a wooden shaft made of hardwood such as ash, hickory, oak, cedar, walnut, or birch. 

In time, an atlatl weight was added to the spear-thrower as a counter-balance. Weights became more stylized and ornate using fine stone-like banded slate to make each piece a unique work of art. About 

The Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS)

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. We have an outdoor replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village, the 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 in Washington Connecticut.

Medicinal Monday - Jimson Weed - A Sacred and Poisonous Herb

Datura stramonium has many common names from Jimson Weed and Thorn Apple to Devil's Weed and Angel's Trumpet. This herb is in the Nightshade family and was used by Native Americans carefully as this plant has powerful effects as well as a long history of use by humans. Native Americans were well aware of its uses long before European contact.

About Datura stramonium

In the same family as mandrake, henbane, and belladonna, this perennial belongs to the alkaloid-rich Nightshade family. The root of the plant is thick, fibrous. The pale yellow to the purplish stem stands erect and leafy. The stems branch off repeatedly and each fork has a leaf and a single white to creamy or purple-colored trumpet-shaped flower that blooms throughout the summer. The coarsely toothed leaves are dark green on the top and a lighter green on the bottom and have a bitter taste. The flowers open at night, emitting a pleasant fragrance. The egg-shaped four-chambered seed capsules can grow up to three inches. They are covered with spines and when mature they split to reveal dozens of small, black seeds. All parts of this plant contain dangerous levels of tropane alkaloids. The risk of a fatal overdose is high especially among recreational users who ingest the plant for its psychoactive effects. Datura stramonium intoxication produces delirium, hallucinations, hyperthermia, and bizarre behavior. The effects can last up to two weeks.

Medicinal and Ceremonial Uses

Datura can be found all over the world and is a sacred herb to nearly all Native American communities. Medicine Men use the hallucinatory power of Datura to manifest divine inspiration and visions that foretold the weakness of their enemies and revealed hidden truths. Some tribes administer a brew containing Datura during ritual dances initiating adolescents into manhood. The Virginia Algonquian peoples use this in an ancient coming of age ritual, the huskanawing ceremony.

Medicinally the Cherokee use a poultice of wilted leaves to treat boils. They also smoked the leaves to treat asthma. The Delaware, Rappahannock, and Mohegan use a poultice of leaves to treat open wounds and mixed crushed seeds with tallow to treat piles. A poultice of leaves mixed with tallow was also applied to the chest and to bruises. The leaves were also applied externally to horses to treat sores or bruises. The Iroquois considered the seeds poisonous.

Did You Know...

The genus name, Datura is derived from the plant's Hindi name.

In the United States, its most common name is Jimson Weed deriving from Jamestown, Virginia, where English soldiers consumed it while attempting to suppress Bacon's Rebellion and spent 11 days in an altered mental state.

Until the onset of the 20th century, a prescription of morphine and scopolamine containing plants such as Datura stramonium was used in surgery and to reduce inflammation and pain. The plant fell out of favor because it could lead to death if taken in high doses and, because of the advent of modern synthetic pharmaceuticals. 

Institute for American Indian Studies Launches ReDress Exhibit through May 9 with Special May 7 Program

The ReDress Project is a national movement, started by Jamie Black, Metis that has been embraced by the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut, and by the town of Washington in honor of Native American women and children that have gone missing or have been murdered in the United States and Canada. This awareness project is symbolically illustrated by the red dresses that will be fluttering in the wind for an ephemeral moment in Washington and Washington Depot on Saturday, May 1, and Sunday, May 2 and can be seen on the grounds of the Insititute through May 9, 2021.

The ReDress Project will also be displayed as a temporary exhibition on the newly developed outdoor installation, Red Trail at the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, from May 1 through May 9. Over 1oo supporters have donated red dresses of various sizes and shapes. These dresses will be displayed along our museum trails and at various locations in Washington Depot to create a visual representation of the missing spirits of these individuals. At the museum, staff and volunteers will be available to answer questions, discuss this serious topic at various age levels, and provide resources for further action.

There is no admission fee to this outdoor installation at the Institute for American Indian Studies. On May 7, at 7 p.m. the Institute is hosting a virtual discussion about the ongoing efforts to raise awareness about the missing and murdered indigenous women and children and Two Spirits, led by Education Director, Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke, Tribal Nation.

Medicinal Monday - Legendary Salmonberry

 The salmonberry is a species of brambles in the rose family that is native to the west coast of North America from west-central Alaska to California. This bright red fruit is valued for food, medicine, and its role in Native American and First Nation stories. 

About the Salmonberry

For centuries these berries have been used by native communities such as the Chehalis, Cowlitz, Lower Chinook, Makah, Quinault, Quileute, Inupiat, and Swinomish. Many Native stories are told about this berry. The Chinooks of the First Nation, for example, told a story about a coyote that was instructed to place these berries in the mouth of each salmon in order to ensure good fishing, which is how this berry got its name. Other stories compare the berries to the red eggs of a salmon.  According to anthropologists, the salmonberry plant is a symbol of "respect" among many First Nation Communities of the Pacific Northwest. It is thought that harvesting these berries represents a fulfillment of an obligation for certain clans. In a Makah legend, it is said that if a child stays out past dark, the basket woman will come and take the child and roast him or her for dinner. One night a child named Salmonberry stayed out after dark to see if the basket lady existed. The basket lady appeared and took Salmonberry to her hut to be cooked for dinner!

The salmonberry or rubus spectabilis is a perennial shrub that grows up to 13 feet tall. It has three toothed leaves with larger leaves on either side. The plant resembles the raspberry plant. The flowers have five pink petals and bloom in early summer. The berries look like a large blackberry and ripen from May through July. They thrive under red Adler and can be found in moist forests, in coastal forests, and along streams.

Medicinal, Culinary and Practical Uses

Native American people eat the young shoots of this plant in the spring. Traditionally the berries are eaten with salmon or mixed with oolichan grease from a candlewood fish (that resembles a smelt) or salmon roe. The berries are also eaten as an accompaniment to smoked salmon. 

The Kaigani Haida people make baskets with the salmonberry plant. Some communities use the leaves of the plant to wipe fish down. The Makah make tobacco pipes from salmonberry brambles.

The bark and leaves have an astringent property and are made into a tea that is taken for diarrhea or dysentery. The Quileute have a spiritual and ceremonial connection to the salmonberry coinciding with the time when the first shoots appear and, then again, when the berries appear. The Bella Coola make a decoction of the root to treat stomach troubles and the Kwakiutl apply powered bark to burns. The Makah make a poultice of bark to treat sores and toothaches, and the Quinault, use a decoction of bark to lessen labor pains.

Did You Know...

Traditionally women were responsible for the harvest of the salmonberry.

Swainson's Thrush is also called the salmonberry bird because it arrives every May when the berries begin to ripen.

Today it is widely grown as an ornamental plant because of its beautiful flowers.

Traditionally the berries were not dried because of their high moisture content.

Today, due to refrigeration and pectin, jams and jellies are made with the berries.

Medicinal Monday... Wild Comfrey - Blue and Rare

This beautiful blue flowering plant is in the borage family and is native to the Eastern United States including Southern New England. It makes its first appearance in Connecticut in the spring. It was formerly far less rare in New England and Connecticut than it is today.

About Wild Comfrey

Andersonglossum virginianum known as wild comfrey is usually found in the forest in rich soil, on steep slopes, in New England uplands, and in recently burned areas. It is dependant on humidity, low temperature, and low competition. It has adapted the unusual ability to survive fire because it helps to eliminate competition and increases the light this plant gets so it can nurture itself.  It is an unbranched perennial that stands erect and has fine hairs on its leaves and stem. The leaves are simple and not separated into leaflets. They are denser at the lower end of the stem and get smaller as they go up. When blooming this plant has a light blue flower cluster, each flower has five round petals on separate stems. The flowers at the base of the stem develop first. The roots are thick and cord-like. The fruit is dry and does not split open when ripe. Wild Comfrey is in bloom from May to June and produces fruit from July to August. The flowers produce four grayish-brown seeds that stick to animals.

Medicinal Use

The Ojibwa use this plant as an analgesic. They burn the plant on hot coals and inhale the fumes to treat headaches. Wild Comfrey has also been used to treat wounds and to flush out any internal digestive disorders and respiratory infections. The Cherokee use the root compound to treat cancer. A tea is made from the root and taken to treat itches and urinary problems and is also used as a sedative.

Did You Know...

It is sometimes called blue houndstongue. It gets this name from the appearance of its leaves that resemble a dog's tongue. 

This plant should not be taken internally in great quantities because it can cause liver damage.

It was formerly placed in the genus Cynoglossum, it was transferred to the genus Andersonglossum in 2015.

In Connecticut, Wild Comfrey is considered extremely rare.

Ojibwa Story of the Lady Slipper

According to an Ojibwa Legend, a village was decimated by a dreaded disease that even killed the medicine man.  To deal with this crisis the chief asked his messenger to go to a nearby village to ask for medicine. This trip was very difficult especially in the winter without moccasins.  The messenger fell ill before he was able to go.  The messenger's wife, Koo-Koo Lee decided to go fetch the medicine instead to save the life of her husband and those members of her village that had been struck with this illness. 

On her journey, Koo-Koo- Lee was impervious to the sharp ice and snow.  Upon her return, the men and women of her village found her lying in the snow with swollen feet. Koo-Koo-Lee's bundle with the medicine was clutched to her chest, she kept it safe and sound.  The villagers were so happy to see that she returned with the medicine and was relatively unharmed. They carried her into the lodge. They wrapped her battered feet in thick warm deer skins to help heal them. For the devotion she showed to her people, Koo-Koo-Lee was renamed Wah-on-nay. Her foot wrappings became little flowers of yellow on her death, called by some Wah-on-nay moccasin, and by others as the Koo-Koo- Lee moccasin.  These beautiful yellow flowers are also known as Lady Slippers.

Medicinal Monday - Delicate and Endangered - PinkLady Slippers

The Pink Lady Slipper is one of the wild orchids that are native to North America. Pink Lady Slippers are the tallest native northern orchid and many believe it is the most beautiful.  Native Americans had many interesting uses for this delicate pink, a flower that even inspired a Native American folktale.

About the Pink Lady Slippers

Pink Lady Slippers, Cypripedium acaule, bloom from May to July and are usually found in Connecticut in the wet woods, among sphagnum ferns, as well as in bogs and shady swamps.  The plant only grows from six to fifteen inches high and is usually pink in color.  It takes many years for this orchid to grow and develop into a mature plant.  Like all orchid species, they depend on symbiosis to grow and thrive. They extract a fungus found in the soil that passes on nourishment that enables this plant to grow and survive. When it is mature, the fungus extracts nutrients from the roots of the Lady Slipper.  If left undisturbed, Lady Slippers will propagate and live for many years. The plant consists of a stout, hairy, leafy stalk with elliptical, heavily ribbed, and hairy leaves. The plant bears one large flower that has six parts including a pouch called a labellum. The flowers left undisturbed will last between seven and fourteen days. 

Medicinal Uses

The Algonquin used a decoction of the roots to treat menstrual disorders, as a urinary aid,  and to treat stomach aches. The Cherokee make an infusion of the roots of the lady slipper plant for neuralgia pain as well as for spasms and fits.  An infusion of roots is used to treat colds and the flu. The Iroquois used a decoction of this flower that is taken as a blood medicine for fever and for pains all over the skin and body. A poultice of the plant was made and used to treat the bite of a mad dog. The Meskwaki make a compound of the root and use it as a love medicine.  The Micmac and the Penobscot use a tincture of the root as a sedative, and the Rappahannock mix a compound of the dried root with whiskey to treat general ailments.

Did You Know...

If you pick a Lady Slipper it will not rejuvenate.  This plant has less than a 5% transplant rate of success.

Some species of Lady Slippers are categorized as endangered in New England.

Regulations regarding picking Lady Slippers vary from state to state but in general, picking these precious flowers is discouraged and in some states illegal.

Lady Slippers became the state flower of Minnesota in 1902 where they were displayed on church alters until it became illegal to pick them in 1925.

In 2009, the Green Mountain National Forest Staff in Vermont discovered a historic population of more than 1,000 Lady Slippers not seen since 1902.