Medicinal Monday...Artemisia absinthium

 The first thing many people think of when they hear woodworm or Artemisia Absinthium is the Green Fairy liquor called Absinthe with its legendary hallucinatory effects. During its heyday in mid.-19th century France, folks went a little crazy from the high content of alcohol found in the beverage. Although wormwood does contain thujone, a compound that can cause seizures and even death, at extremely high doses, the concentration in absinthe won't cause you to see little green fairies dancing around your drink. Absinthe developed an illicit reputation due to its association with the counter culture of Paris in the late 19th century. In the 20th century, absinthe was banned by many European countries and in 1912, absinthe was banned in the United States, a decision that was rescinded in 2007. 

Even though the name, wormwood doesn't sound very appealing, this plant originally native to temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North Africa was widely naturalized in Canada and North America in the 1840s. Native Americans adapted this plant into their repertoire and used it medicinally to treat several ailments.  

About Wormwood

Wormwood can be grown and is found in Connecticut. Today it is usually grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. In the wild, it can be found on rocky slopes and on the edge of footpaths, and in fields and meadows. The plant is a herbaceous perennial with fibrous roots, straight stems, and beautiful grooved branched leaves that are silvery-green above and white below. The leaves are spirally arranged and have minute oil-producing glands. The leaves are highly aromatic with a pungent herby smell. The tubular-shaped flowers are pale yellow, grow in clusters, and droop amid the leafy branches of this plant. They bloom from early summer through early autumn. The fruit is a small achene that contains a seed. It spreads by self-seeding.

Medicinal Uses

The name wormwood stems from its historical use as an antiparasitic and many Native American communities used it as a vermifuge. The Yokia of Mendocino County for example made tea from boiled leaves and drank it to soothe bronchitis. The Chippewa boiled the leaves of the plant and used them as a hot compress to treat a sprain or strained muscles. The Mohegan made an infusion of leaves and drank it to destroy and expel worms in the intestine. The Okanagan-Colville made an infusion of the twigs of the plant and drank it to treat head colds. They also applied a hot poultice of the leaves to the chest to relieve coughing. An infusion of the split roots was taken for a variety of stomach ailments. Many communities also used fresh branches of this plant under sleeping mats or mattresses as a repellent for bedbugs and lice.

Did You Know...

There are more than 200 plants in the genus Artemisia or woodworm. Most have different flavors and aromas depending on where they are grown.

Other names of this plant are St. John's girdle, Green ginger, Holy seed, Old Man and Mingwort.

In the Alps, the native species of woodworm called genepi is brewed and the resulting yellow-green liquor is said to showcase the true flavor of wormwood which is bitter and herbaceous.

Vermouth can also contain some woodworm and it is believed that it was inspired by wormwood.

Because wormwood is a bittering agent, it was sometimes used as a hop substitute for beer in the middle ages when it was mentioned by Shakespeare in his play, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and in Romeo and Juliet.

Wormwood can be grown in Connecticut and the best way to find this plant is to use its Latin name, Artemisia absinthium.

Artemisia comes from Ancient Greek and refers to Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt.

“Blocks of Hope and Healing" A Community Quilting Project In May

The Institute for American Indian Studies has just announced a new quilting project for the month of May called “Blocks of Hope and Healing.” This community-quilting project is a way to support and bring attention to the MMIWG2S epidemic. MMIWG2S is an abbreviation for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2-Spirit People, respectively. 

Quilting serves as a testament to heritage and history, with each piece offering encouragement and solace. Quilts connect us to the world around us and are often symbolic of hope and comfort by providing physical and emotional warmth. The concept of this community-made quilt will be used to honor and remember the plight of missing and murdered Indigenous Women, girls, and 2- Spirit People.  

The Institute is inviting the public to become part of this important global movement by participating in two Quilt Workshops on Saturday, May 14, and Sunday, May 22 @ 11 a.m. that will be conducted by Education Director, Director Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation). If you don’t have much experience sewing, no worries, Kascak, will be there to walk you through the process. If you don’t complete your quilt package during the workshop, you can complete it in the comfort of your own home as long as you return it to the Institute by Wednesday, June 1, 2022. 

All participants in this project are asked to make a $25 donation to the National Indigenous Women’s Rights Council (NIWRC). The Institute will give all participants a quilt block packet, complete with all necessary materials and instructions for creating your section of the community quilt. Please call (860) 868-0518 or email events@iaismuseum.org to reserve your section on this community quilt, sign up for one of the quilting workshops, or if you have any questions about this initiative. Donations to NIWRC can be made at the following link: https://www.niwrc.org/donate. 

 About MMIWG2S 

MMIWG2S refers to initiatives intended to address the ongoing violence and continued genocide of women, girls, and Two-Spirits. Each year thousands of Native American women and children go missing or are found murdered in the United States and Canada. Gaps in data make the true scope difficult to estimate, but some sources suggest that the total number of cases may approach 10,000.

Medicinal Monday...Pleurisy Root

Pleurisy Root has been used medicinally by Native American communities living in the Eastern, Midwestern, and Southwestern areas of North America. Pleurisy Root became popular in the 19th century as an expectorant and to moisten tissue. Its historical use during pleuritic chest pain continues today.

About Pleurisy Root

This perennial herb is native to North America with the genus name Asclepias tuberosa L.  It has fleshy white tuber-like roots that produce stout, erect, round, hairy stems without milky juice that can grow up to three feet high. The leaves are lance-shaped and darker green above than beneath. The leaves can emit a watery sap. Pleurisy Root can be found in dry fields, woods, meadows, prairies, and sandy soil along the east coast and westward as far as northern New Mexico. The bright orange flowers bloom from July through September and have five petals that are bent downward and topped by a crown of five hoods. The seeds are elongated hairy shaped spindle-shaped pods with fine silky fibers that help transport them in the wind. This plant is primarily pollinated by bees and wasps.

Medicinal Uses of Pleurisy Root

Generally, Native Americans chewed the dried root or made tea by boiling the root as a remedy for bronchitis, pneumonia, diarrhea, and dysentery. A poultice of the root was made and applied to bruises, swellings, and to relieve rheumatism. Some of the documented uses of this plant by various Native American communities include the following unique uses. 

The Cherokee used the roots for breast, stomach, and intestinal pains and use the stems of this plant to make belts. The Delaware made tea from the root that was given to women after childbirth. The Iroquois use a poultice of smashed roots as sports medicine and would apply it to legs and running shoes to increase running strength. The Navajo make the roots into a lotion and use it ceremonially. The Navajo Ramah make a decoction of the roots to treat dog or coyote bites and, the Rappahannock use a poultice of leaves to treat snakebites.

Did You Know...

In addition to being called Butterfly Weed and Pleurisy Root, this plant is also called Asclepias, Canada Root, Flux Root, Chigger Flower, Orange Swallow Wort, Swallow Wort, Tuber Root, White Root, and Wind Root.

One species of this plant in the Far East was used as a hallucinogen which is known in the Hindu religion as "Soma." 

The genus name Asclepias is named after the Greek God of medicine, Asklepios. The species name tuberose refers to its knobby roots.

Medicinal Monday - Creosote Bush

Creosote Bush is a very hardy and drought-resistant plant whose pungent smell led Native Americans living in the Sonoran, Chihuahua, and Mojave Deserts to test this plant for medicinal properties.

About the Creosote Bush

This hardy evergreen bush is a flowering plant in the family Zygophyllaceae with the name Larrea tridentata which refers to its three toothed leaves. This bush can be found in portions of southeastern California, Arizona, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, New Mexico, and Texas as well as in Mexico. This bush can grow up to ten feet tall and has a stem that is resinous with dark green leaves. The yellow flowers are about an inch in diameter and mature into small grey fruits that are enjoyed by desert mammals. The entire plant has an odor of creosote, from which its name derives. Creosote can live to 90 years old and when the old crown of the plant dies, a new one becomes a clonal colony from the previous plant that is composed of many separate stem crowns all from the same seed.

Medicinal Uses

Native Americans of the Southwest hold the belief that this bush can be used to treat many illnesses, including TB, chickenpox, menstrual cramps, sexually transmitted diseases, and snakebite. The Coahuila use it for intestinal complaints and to treat tuberculosis. The Prima drink a decoction of the leaves as an emetic and apply boiled leaves to wounds and sores. The Pima also inhaled smoke from this plant as a remedy for laziness. The Tohono O'odham prepared the plant to treat snake bites and stiff limbs. Tea was made from the plant and used to treat respiratory problems. The Diegueno used a decoction of leaves in a bath to treat arthritis and rheumatism. The Hualapai used an infusion of leaves to treat congestion and asthma. The Kawaiisu used a decoction of leaves as a wash for sore limbs, they also applied heated leaves to sore and aching body parts. The Mahuna used an infusion of this plant to treat dandruff as well as a disinfectant and deodorizer. The Paiute used an infusion of the leaves as a cold medicine, and the Yavapai used a decoction of leaves and stems to treat sore throats. The Cahuilla made a liniment from the plant and used it to treat swollen limbs caused by poor circulation.

Did You Know...

Only the jackrabbit eats the leaves of this plant when nothing else is available.

The Arabian camel brought to the U.S.readily eats the creosote bush.

The shrub is widely used in Mexico as herbal medicine.

Creosote was used as firewood, feed for livestock, and thatch material for the roofs of adobe homes.

After burning, the creosote plant smolders down to charcoal that is green, blue in color and was applied to the skin to decorate tattoos.

Medicinal Monday - Beautiful and Elusive Violet Wood Sorrel

Violet Wood Sorrel is very rare in New England with only a handful of populations found in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont. There are other parts of the country where it is more common. For centuries Native Americans have found medicinal and culinary uses for this elusive plant.

About Violet Wood Sorrel

Violet Wood Sorrels's scientific name is Oxalis violacea and it is a member of the Wood Sorrel family, Oxalidaceae. It is a low-growing perennial herb found growing on woodland slopes and in clusters on stream banks or in moist prairies. It has heart-shaped, purple-tinged leaves and purple flowers that bloom from late May through early June. This plant is stemless and only grows to ten inches with leaves and stalk emerging from a scaly bulbous base. The leaves have a similar appearance to small clovers like the shamrock.  The flowers have five petals and are arranged in an umbel atop a stalk that has overlapping leaves. The root system consists of small bulbs with fibrous roots that can multiply forming clonal offsets. The range of Violet Wood Sorrel extends from Connecticut and Massachusetts west to North Dakota, New Mexico, and Arizona and south to the Gulf States.

Medicinal & Culinary Uses

All parts of this plant are edible, flowers, leaves, stems, and the bulb. It was a traditional food source of the Apache, Cherokee, Omaha, Pawnee, and Ponca peoples. The bulbs were eaten raw or broiled. The leaves were mixed with other leaves and cooked. The Omaha and Pawnee pounded the bulbs and fed them to their horses to increase their stamina. The Cherokee among other Native American communities found many medicinal uses for this plant. They made a salve of an infusion of leaves and mixed it with sheep grease and applied it to sores. An infusion was taken and used as a wash to treat children with hookworm. A cold infusion of the leaves was taken to stop vomiting. The leaves were chewed to relieve a sore throat and to treat a sore mouth.

Did You Know

Today, Violet Wood Sorrel is rare in Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Michigan.

The Oxalis species is also known as sour grass and shamrock.

Oxalis is from the Greek word meaning sour.

This plant should not be eaten in large quantities due to the high concentration of oxalic acid which can be poisonous.

Bees are attracted to the flower for nectar or pollen.

The seeds are eaten by upland game birds, and songbirds including Morning Doves, Field Sparrows, and Horned Larks.

The Cottontail Rabbit sometimes eats the foliage even though it has a high concentration of oxalic acid.

Medicinal Monday - the Exotic Looking Pagoda Plant

Native to eastern North America including Connecticut, the Pagoda Plant is as beautiful as it is rare. Today, it can be found in many gardens as an ornamental plant. There was a time when it was more plentiful throughout Connecticut and New England when it was widely used by many Native American communities living in the Eastern Woodlands.

About Downy Wood-Mint or Pagoda Plant

Downy Wood-Mint is in the genus, Blephilia and its scientific name is Blephilia Ciliata. This plant, like most in the mint family, grows best in full sun to partial shade in good soil with good moisture conditions. It can be found in woods, thickets, fields, clearings, and on rural roadsides.  Its' root system forms clumps from short rhizomes and the plant spreads by the rhizomes and by self-seeding. The plant is erect and can grow up to three feet high on four-angled hairy unbranched stems. The leaves are more ovate-shaped near the base of the plant and more lance-shaped on the upper part of the stem. The leaves have forward-pointing teeth and fine hair on their underside and when crushed they have a slight minty fragrance, similar to peppermint. The flowers are tubular and vary in color from whitish to lavender with deeper colored lavender spots. They are arranged in whorls and are separated by a row of fringed brackets like round platforms or pagodas. There may be up to six or seven pagodas full of flowers per stem. This plant blooms from May through September.

Medicinal Uses

Downy Wood Mint is used as a ceremonial smudging herb by many Native American communities to drive away evil spirits when a person is dying. A tea is made from the leaves and drunk for coughs, colds, and chills. The Cherokee use a poultice of leaves to treat headaches. 

Did You Know...

The genus Blephilia is derived from the Greek blepharon meaning eyelid and cilia refers to the fine short marginal hairs that form something that looks like an eyelash. 

The species name Ciliata is from the Latin cilium which means eyelash.

Other names for this plant include the downy pagoda plant, Pagoda Plant, wood mint, monarda Ciliata, sunny wood mint, and Ohio horsemint.

Summer Camp Registration Open @ Institute for American Indian Studies Scholarships Available

 Spend the summer of 2022 @ The Institute For American Indian Studies! Our camp program offers immersion into the natural world and the culture of Connecticut's Eastern Woodland Native Americans through the exploration of our replicated 16th century Algonkian Village, our forests, trails, gardens, and museum.

 

The 2022 Summer Camp program will offer six weeks of programming best suited for children from six to twelve years old. Starting June 27 through August 12 camp programs run from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Institute’s experienced and professional educators that continually engage young and curious minds with exciting team-building programs conduct the camp. Each week has a different theme, but all sessions are fun-filled and designed to help children learn valuable life skills while appreciating nature and connecting to a culture with more than 10,000 years of history.

 

Unique activities of this program include exploring the interactive exhibits in our museum and in our outdoor replicated 16th century outdoor Algonkian Village, going on hikes in Steep Rock Reservation and along the Shepaug River, and visiting our traditional herb and flower gardens. Each week camp activities will vary and may include participating in mock archaeological digs, learning how to track animals and identify plants, how to survive outside without access to modern technology, and how to practice survival methods using traditional skills. A highlight is a camp program on Etuaptmumk which refers to learning how to see the benefits of both traditional Indigenous knowledge and Western scientific thinking.

Once again this year is the chance to apply for a scholarship that is being offered by the Institute due to the generosity of our donors. To find out more about the scholarship program email Camp Director, Gabriel Benjamin @ gbenjamin@iaismuseum.org The deadline for scholarship applications is June 1, 2022.

 

For complete registration information, visit http://www.iaismuseum.org. Pricing is $310 for members of the Institute and $345 for non-members, with special pricing for the week of July 5. To register click here. https://www.iaismuseum.org/summer-camp

 

The Institute will follow the most up-to-date COVID-19 policies for our summer camp in 2022, based on guidelines released by the Centers for Disease Control, Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood, and the American Camp Association. Given the fluid nature of the COVID-19 situation, families should be aware that policies are subject to change.

About 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 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.