Mohegan Cultural Program Institute for American Indian Studies – October 22

On Sunday, October 22 at 1 p.m. the Institute for American Indian Studies is hosting David Eichelberg (Pataqaham Wahsoohs), the Outreach and Traditional Specialist from the Tantaquidgeon Museum. This museum, located in Uncasville, is the oldest Native American-owned and operated museum in the United States. Their mission is to share the Mohegan culture with visitors and this interactive program hosted by the Institute will give participants the unique opportunity to learn about the Mohegan people from their perspective.

 

This fascinating interactive program brings the Mohegan culture to a wider audience, which is the dual mission of both museums. It will help participants to better appreciate the lifeways of Native Americans in the Eastern Woodlands in the past and the present. As a tribal member, David, dressed in traditional garb, offers a deep understanding of the Mohegan Tribe’s history. During this fascinating program, David will share insights into the Mohegan’s oral traditions, beliefs, and music.

 The presentation will include storytelling, dance, and drum demonstrations, as well as the presentation of authentic and replicated Tribal artifacts such as traditional clothing, furs, and other visual materials that bring this tribe’s history to life. The program concludes with an informative question and answer session allowing full interaction from the participants to broaden this cultural learning experience.

 

This program costs $5 for members and $15 for non-members. Pre-registration can be made online at https://iaismuseum.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/13627. For more information call 860-868-0518 or email events@iaismuseum.org.

 

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 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 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 at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

 

 

Medicinal Monday...Common Spiderwort

A native plant to the Eastern United States, Tradescantia virginiana attracts many pollinators including bumblebees and honeybees, and can be seen today in many woodland gardens. Native Americans found several interesting medicinal uses for this showy violet-colored flowering plant. The beauty of Common Spiderwort, in addition to its medicinal uses, is that for a time, it is rarely out of bloom.

About Tradescantia virginiana

There are 70 species of the genus Tradescantia found in the temperate and tropical areas of the Americas with 17 being native, including Tradescantia virginiana to North America. It is in the Dayflower family. This species can be found in New England including Connecticut, and south to Georgia and west to Missouri. It prefers a dappled shade and moist soil.  It can be found in woodlands,  along streams, or ponds, and in moist prairies, open woods, and meadows. Common Spiderwort is characterized by its crouching spider-like leaf arrangement and web-like flower filaments. The stems, which can be either solitary or clumped rise from roots that survived the winter. Stems are smooth, and the leaves are bright green and elongated ending in a tapered tip. At the apex of the central stem, there are small side stems with small clusters of buds and one violet flower. The flowers have three violet rounded petals, six showy yellow stamens, and spidery violet hairs. They often droop from their small hairy stems which are known as pedicels. The flower rises above a cluster of buds opens in the morning and closes in the sunny afternoon; they may stay open longer if it is cloudy or if they are in the shade. Common Spiderwort blooms from late spring through mid-summer and produces oval brown seeds from September through October. The root system often produces offshoots. 

Medicinal Uses

All Tradescantia species bear clusters of needle-like crystals in their inner tissue that can cause skin irritation. The most common use of this plant by Native American communities was to make an infusion of it to treat stomaches from overeating, a compound was used for kidney trouble, and a compound infusion was taken for female cramps. Many communities also mashed the plant and rubbed it on insect bites to relieve itching. It has been documented that the Cherokee made a poultice of the root and used it to treat cancer. The Cherokee also picked the young leaves and fried or boiled them with other greens.

Did You Know...

The name Tradescantia honors the naturalist John Tradescant, gardener to Charles the First of England.

The species name, Virginiana, indicates that this is where common spiderwort was first collected.

In 2008, the Virginia Native Plant Society named Spiderwort as the Wildflower of the Year.

Deer, rabbits, and turtles nibble the foliage.

Finding Your Bearings October 15 @ Institute For American Indian Studies

 

If you want to learn about the various ways to find directions, including traditional indigenous techniques as well as how to read a map and a compass, don’t miss the “Find Your Bearings Orienteering Workshop" on Sunday, October 15 at 1 p.m. at the Institute for American Indian Studies at 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut. 

Participants will join IAIS educator and ecologist, Susan Scherf for an interactive in-person workshop to learn how to get their bearings should their GPS lose its signal! A highlight of the workshop is to practice these newly acquired skills by completing an orienteering scavenger hunt on the Museum’s colorful autumn trails, which add to the fun. 

Most of this program is being held outside, and some of the woodland terrain may be uneven, so wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. Space is limited and pre-registration is requested at http://www.iaismusueum.org or by calling 860-868-0518 or via email at events@iaismuseum.org. This program costs $10 for non-members and $5 for members. 

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 the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present 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 at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

Medicinal Monday... Tall Goldenrod - Don't Confuse It with Ragweed!

In general, Goldenrods get a bad rap. They are not allergens, that's ragweed! Best of all, they add to the colors of fall foliage and, better yet, attract important pollinators including migrating Monarchs. Several species of goldenrod grow in the United States and Solidago altissima L. or Tall Goldenrod is one of them. This plant is in the Aster or Sunflower family and can be found throughout New England. It is similar to Giant Goldenrod and Canada Goldenrod and, in fact, so similar that all of them often share common names. 

About Tall Goldenrod

This plant is among the tallest of the goldenrod plants as its name implies. It loves the sun and can be found in open fields, meadows, prairies, grasslands, old fields, along roadsides, railroad tracks, and at the edge of open forests. The flowers grow in a pyramidal cluster at the top of the plant in yellow clusters or individually. Each plume-like head has five ray flowers and numerous disc flowers; both are yellow.  Tall Goldenrod flowers from August through November depending on the part of the country it is growing in. The stalks are sturdy and very hairy.  The minutely toothed hairy leaves alternate and are broadest in the middle tapering to a sharp point at their tip. The fruit is a dry seed or achene with a tuft of white hair or pappus attached to the tip of the seed which helps it be carried off by the wind. The root system is fibrous and it spreads by creeping rhizomes that cause Tall Goldenrod to grow in clusters that most often form dense colonies.

Medicinal Uses

The most common use for Tall Goldenrod was to make a compound of the flowers and apply them to burns, this was a documented use of the Chippewa. Another use was to make a poultice of moistened dry flowers or roots and apply them to ulcers, skin problems, and boils.

Did You Know...

Sometimes, due to stem boring insects, this plant forms galls (abnormal growths) mid-stem.

Tall Goldenrod was once designated to the Compositae Family because its flowers are a composite of many flowers.

Tall Goldenrod has been introduced to Europe and Asia where it is considered a dangerous weed.

Bees, wasps, butterflies, and beetles, especially soldier beetles, are attracted to the flowers.

Solidago altissima L. is the state wildflower flower of  South Carolina.

Tall Goldenrod is deer resistant. 

 

Medicinal Monday... Majestic Purple Meadow Rue

Purple Meadow Rue is a tall, stout, plant that can grow up to six feet. There are six different species of this plant that can be found in the wetlands, meadows, and open woodlands of most states on the eastern seaboard of the United States including Connecticut. Many Native American communities living in this area found several medicinal and cultural uses for this beautiful plant that gets its name from its purple stem.

 About  Purple Meadow Rue 

The scientific name of this particular plant is Thalictrum dasycarpum and it is a member of the Buttercup family. This plant grows from rhizomes and has a stout purple stem that usually branches out at the top. The smooth leaves grow in pairs and have three shallow lobes. In the spring they are olive green and turn an attractive shade of pink or yellow in the fall.  The starry white flowers grow in clusters and have no petals. This plant is dioecious, that is male and female, and flowers bloom on separate plants. The white color of the flowers is from the filaments of the stamens which give them a misty quality. The flowers are followed by an ovoid-shaped achene (seed) that grows in clusters. The mature seed is veined and dark brown.

Medicinal Uses

The most common use of Purple Meadow Rue is to make an infusion of the plant to treat nosebleeds. An infusion of the root was also commonly used as a gall medicine. To treat dry skin and to scent it, the Lakota chewed the seeds and rubbed them on their hands. The Lakota also fed their horses the seeds in order to give them energy. The Pawnee mixed the entire plant with clay and rubbed the mixture on the muzzle of their horses to stimulate them. The Ojibwa made an infusion of the roots and used this mixture to treat fevers. The Potawatomi made a compound of the leaves and seeds and applied this mixture to treat cramps.

Among other uses, the Montagnais use the leaves of Purple Meadow Rue to flavor salmon. The Dakota stored the mature seeds in bags or rubbed or scattered them on clothing for their pleasant scent. Children, including those of the Omaha, Pawnee, Ponca, and Lakota communities, used the hollow stems of this sturdy plant as a toy flute. The Potawatomi smoked the dried seeds while hunting to bring good luck, they also mixed the seeds with tobacco and smoked it as a love medicine before visiting the lady of their choice. Bachelors in the Ponca community rubbed their hands on the tops of this plant as a love charm.

Did You Know...

Non-scientific names for this species include King of the Meadow, Tall Meadow-rue, Late Meadow-rue, Meadow-weed, Muskrat-weed, Silver-weed, and Quicksilver-weed.

The flowers of Purple Meadow Rue are important to bees and butterflies in addition to a number of beetles.

The Greek name Thalictrum refers to plants that have divided leaves.

The species name, dasycarpum, is from two Greek words, dasy, meaning 'hairy or thick' and carpus, meaning 'fruited'

The genus Thalictrum is quite large with 200 species worldwide.

Medicinal Monday...Marginal Wood Fern

When we think of marginal, we think of something that is not of central importance. In regards to plants, marginal refers to a plant that grows in water adjacent to the edge of land. This elegantly shaped evergreen fern is native to North America and was used medicinally by many indigenous people. The Marginal Wood Fern is present in Connecticut.

About Marginal Wood Fern

Dryopteris marginalis or marginal woodfern has large leathery dark green to bluish green leaves that form a tidy ascending asymmetrical clump. It is a non-spreading perennial. The branches are lance-oblong in shape tapering to a point and stalkless. They have up to 20 leaflets. The lower branches are shorter than the lobed upper branches.  The lower stem is reddish brown and covered with brown scales and the upper stem is green to brown and has no scales. The spores or sori are found on the underside of the leaf near the midrib of the leaf segments, near the margin of the leaf segments. This evergreen fern is very tolerant of dry shade conditions and is often found in shaded crevices of rocky ledges and bluffs from Newfoundland to Georgia and west to Minnesota.

Medicinal Uses

One of the most common uses of this plant by Native American communities was to make an infusion of the root to treat rheumatism. Another common use was to take a warm infusion of this plant to ease the pain of a toothache.  The Cherokee took an infusion of the root as an emetic. The roots of this plant contain filicin, a substance that kills tapeworms, making it one of the most effective treatments for tapeworms. The treatment was followed by a non-oily purgative to expel the worms.

Did You Know...

Marginal Wood Fern resembles Lady Fern.

It gets its name from the spores because they are located at the margin or edge of the underside of the leaflets.

Another name for this plant is Marginal Shield Fern.

Although it is widespread in New England, it was not discovered until 1981 in Minnesota.

A recent study found that the essential oil had antioxidant and antibacterial properties.

Medicinal Monday -- Lovely Little Larkspur

Larkspur has a storied history with many symbolic meanings. It is called Larkspur because the flowers have a distinctive spur at the back. It is in the Delphinium genus of about 300 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the Ramunculaceae or Buttercup family. They are native to eastern North America and are also found in parts of Africa. In the language of flowers, larkspur represents dedication and sincerity.

About Little Larkspur

The scientific word for the common name larkspur is delphinium, which originates from the Greek word for dolphin because the flower buds resemble a dolphin and, Little Larkspur or Delphinium bicolor Nutt is part of this family. This species of larkspur is native to North America from British Columbia to South Dakota. It can be found in mountain forests, meadows, scrub hillsides, and prairies. The root system branches out and produces a single stem about 16 inches high that is green with a reddish base. The petiolate leaves have rounded lobes and grow low on the stem that holds a large spike of a loose cluster of flowers, made of up to 15 blossoms. The flowers have deep blue lower petals. The upper petals are light blue petals with white markings.  This plant is highly poisonous to cattle and bison.

Medicinal  and Other Uses

The basic use of this plant by many Native American communities was as an antidiarrheal. In regard to other documented uses, the Blackfoot made an infusion of this plant that was used by women to shine and straighten their hair, an infusion was also given to children with fainting spells and for teething. The Blackfoot used the flowers as a blue dye for their quills, and bows and arrows. The Gosiute considered the entire plant as poisonous.

Did You Know...

Another name for this plant is flathead larkspur.

Little Larkspur can absorb toxic substances like herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants.

The color of the individual larkspur flower traditionally holds varying inherent symbolism with blue larkspur flowers associated with grace and respectability; pink with fickleness, love, and affection; purple with first love; and white symbolizing happiness and joy. 

Little Larkspur has long been thought to hold the ability to ward off evil, earning it a place in cottage gardens during the Victorian era.