Falling Leaves Full Moon Walk Institute for American Indian Studies October 2

 Respect for the natural world is embedded in their culture and traditions. The moon and stars have a special significance for Native Americans. On Friday, October 2, at the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington, visitors will find out why the moon is so important to the rhythm of Native American life when they participate in the Full Moon Falling Leaves Walk that begins at 7 p.m. 

Susan Scherf, IAIS Museum Educator, and Ecologist will lead an invigorating and easy walk on the trails of the museum that makes social distancing easy. It is a short but moderate walk along the museum's trails that lets participants experience the woods at night, under a bright harvest moon just like the Eastern Woodland Indians have done for millennia. This experience will give participants an understanding of what the moon meant to Native Americans and how it guided and influenced their daily lives. Early Native Americans had no access to paper calendars but they did keep track of the seasons using the lunar cycle. Learn how the moon alerted Native Americans to the change of the seasons and how they adapted to survive the coming winter. A highlight of this walk is to learn how animals including owls adapted to the change of seasons and why it is important. 

The walk concludes with hot apple cider being served around a campfire at the Institute's 16th century replicated Algonkian Village that consists of a massive longhouse, several wigwams, and a three sisters garden. The cost of this event for Non-members of the Institute is $10 per person. Members are free. To register call 860-868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org. This event is weather permitting, to confirm please call 860-868-0518 or visit the Institute's Facebook Page on the day of the event. Masks are required in the museum, and outdoors when you are within six feet of other visitors or staff. For an optimal experience, it is suggested that participants bring a flashlight along.

About the Falling Leaves Moon

Traditionally, the full moon, called the Harvest Moon or the Falling Leaves Moon occurs closest to the September equinox, the astronomical start of the fall season in the Northern Hemisphere, when the sun rises later and night falls earlier. What makes this October moon special is that the moon rises above the horizon around sunset. This extra early light in the evening is what makes the October full moon so special; traditionally it gave Native Americans and farmers extra light for harvesting beyond the sunset. 

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 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,

Medicinal Monday...Lucky & Useful - Red Clover

Red Clover, is part of the legume or bean family and is widely found throughout eastern North America. It was introduced to the Americas from Europe and was widely used by Native Americans. Through the centuries, this herbaceous flowering plant has had many uses from medicinal and culinary, to feed for cattle, sheep, and horses.

About Red Cover
Red clover is a short-lived perennial plant that grows eight to 31 inches tall with hollow hairy stems. Each leaf consists of a slender stalk with three broad green leaves with a pale crescent on the outer half of the leaf. They grow from crowns and have a deep taproot that consists of many branches that make this plant drought-resistant. The flowers are dark pink with a paler base. The seed pods are short and contain kidney-shaped seeds that vary in color from yellow to deep violet. Red clover is tolerant of a wide range of soil.

Medicinal and Culinary Uses
One of the most common uses of red clover is to make a tea from the leaves and flowers to treat whooping cough. This tea also became a general remedy for cancer and has a history of use as an ointment for venomous bites. The Algonquin made an infusion of this plant to treat whooping cough, and, the Cherokee made an infusion from the entire plant to treat fever. The Iroquois make a decoction of the flowers to purify the blood. They also make a cold infusion of the flowers to treat menopause. The Rappahannock make an infusion of the stems and leaves and use this as an ingredient in blood medicine. The Tompson make an infusion of the flower heads and drink it as a treatment for stomach cancer. In California and Arizona, red clover became a food crop and the plant was cooked. Many Native American communities grind this plant into flour and use it in baking.

Did You Know...
Today, the most common use for Red clover is as forage for grazing and for feed. The protein content of red clover is almost as high as alfalfa and its long taproot can produce three to five tons of forage per acre.

In the 1800s, the drug company, Parke-Davis used red clover for the treatment of niacin deficiency, for whooping cough, and as a wash for ulcers.

Today it is still considered useful in the treatment of eczema. It is also used in combination with other herbs for coughs.

Ancient Greeks and Romans associated the plant with the triad goddess trinity, Celtic priests associated it with their three-lobbed symbol of the sun, and Druids believed the blossoms could ward off evil spirits.

The Irish embraced this plant and often looked for a four-leaf clover. A rhyme dating to medieval times says, "a four-leaf clover has one leaf for fame, one for wealth, one for faithful love, and one for glorious health."

A modern study indicated that isoflavones found in red clover may reduce menopausal hot flashes and may also decrease bone loss.

The bumblebee is one of the most important pollinators of red clover.

Educational Exploration - Private Classes Now Offered @ Institute for American Indian Studies

 This September, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut is offering three-hour private educational programs in the new Educational Exploration program that will spark your child's curiosity with a learning experience outside the classroom. The Institute's private lessons will teach important life skills that can be tailored for students from kindergarten to Grade 12. 

 

The new Educational Exploration Private Lessons were developed in response to the social isolation encountered by children this past spring and summer. The private lesson courses have been fine-tuned using the Institution's 45 years of experience educating countless school groups that have visited. The Museum educational staff has designed private lessons to provide students with engaging and meaningful experiences that leverage the Institute's collections and grounds. Components of these private classes will include the study of earth sciences, social sciences, social studies, survival techniques, traditional skills, and archeology. A special add on bonus is an experience in the award-winning Wigwam Escape room that will take students back to the year of 1518.

 

Age-appropriate private lessons are a good educational balance for children that are either learning remotely from home or going to school just two or three days a week. The Institute's private lessons offer one-on-one education and mentorship for those interested in further developing skills, working on special projects, or fulfilling a special interest. They will feature hands-on, interdisciplinary, inquiry-based programs led by experienced museum educators on a variety of interesting topics that will have connections to core social studies, science, reading, and writing curricula.

 

Educational Exploration programs are three hours long and are offered in the morning or in the afternoon and range from the minimum cost of $85 for members to $105 for non-members per lesson for one to three children. To book private lessons, call the Institute’s Education Department at 860-868-0518, Ext. 103 or email education@iaismuseum.org. Siblings, cousins, neighbors, and friends are welcome. There is an additional per child charge of $20 for more than three children. Wigwam Escape, an award-winning escape room can be included in any program for an additional fee.

 

Educational Exploration programs can be customized based on age, the number of participants, and topics for an additional fee. Students and staff are required to wear masks inside the museum. First aid and CPR certified staff members will be present at all times

 

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 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,

 

Medicinal Monday... Bright and Beautiful - the Barren Strawberry

Waldsteinia fragarioides is an evergreen wildflower with bright yellow blossoms that is native to North America. It was a medicinal favorite of the Iroquois and other Native American communities.

About Waldsteinia fragarioides
Also known as the Barron strawberry or Appalachian barren strawberry this lovely wildflower forms an evergreen mat and spreads by underground rhizomes. The colonies of this wildflower can become quite large. The leaves are distinctive because they have three glossy green toothed, fan-shaped leaflets. Although considered an evergreen, the leaves can turn a bronze color in the winter. In the spring, the plants have bright yellow blossoms. This wildflower can be found from New Brunswick to northern Georgia and west from Ontario to Minnesota, Indiana.  The species is indigenous to moist or dry upland conifer forests, mixed hardwood, and pine woodlands, as well as thickets, clearings, and fields.

Medicinal Uses
The Iroquois take a compound decoction of this plant as a blood remedy and apply a poultice of the smashed plants to treat snakebite.

Did You Know...

The Barren strawberry is not palatable to deer and rabbits.

It is called a barren strawberry because it resembles the strawberry plant, minus the berries! It can be distinguished from the strawberry plant because it has broader leaves, yellow flowers, and inedible fruit.

The Barren strawberry is a member of the Rose family (Rosaceae).

Barren strawberry is a good plant for supplying pollen to native bees.

It is listed as endangered in Connecticut, Illinois, and Maine.

Medicinal Monday Potentilia Canadensis- Part of a large family

There are over 300 species in the potentilla plant family that can be found all over the world. The Dwarf Cinquefoil, a species of cinquefoil (genus Potentilla) is native to North America. This interesting little plant is in the rose family and has a strawberry-like look. Native Americans have used this plant for centuries in traditional medicine.

About Dwarf Cinquefoil
Similar to Barren strawberry and strawberries, the dwarf cinquefoil spread by an underground system of rhizomes. The stems of this plant are hairy with five-parted oblong leaves that have blade teeth and are rather rounded at the tip in profile. Similar to the strawberry plant, dwarf cinquefoils have runners. Bright yellow flowers bloom on a single stem in June and July. The petals are not fused. The fruit of this plant is dry and has just one seed. The plants can be found in meadows, fields, and along stone walls.

Medicinal Uses
This plant is a natural astringent and was widely used to treat diarrhea, dysentery, and sore throats. The Iroquois would pound the roots and take them to treat diarrhea. A decoction of leaves and stems would be used as a topical solution for inflammation of the body and joints. The Natchez that lived in the Lower Mississippi Valley, near the present-day city of Natchez, Mississippi would use this plant to treat someone that was bewitched in order to break the spell.

Did You Know...

The fruit of this plant doesn't split when it is ripe.

This plant is sometimes confused with potentilla angelica.

Dwarf Cinquefoil can be found in all New England states.

Most cinquefoil species have similar yellow or white flowers so identification is based on leaves.

Two Outdoor Events August 29 and 30 @ the Institute for American Indian Studies

Finding the perfect end of the summer outing can be a challenge.  Not to worry, the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut is offering two good options on August 29 and 30. The special programs planned will get parents and children out in the fresh air and participating in a variety of activities that make the Institute a perfect spot for a late August day trip.  These innovative programs are sure to bring you and your family closer to nature creating the perfect backdrop for a hands-on experience. 

The first program, on Saturday, August 29 takes place from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you want to learn more about river ecology and bugs, this program is a must! Families and youngsters will take a half-mile walk to the Shepaug River to look for the creatures that live in and around the water. This interactive program will teach families about the bugs and the animals and fish that live in and near the river. Kids will enjoy the challenge of spotting bugs, frogs, and other creatures. A highlight will be to learn about what these animals tell us about the health of this ecosystem and the steps we can take to help preserve it.  It is suggested that participants wear water shoes so that they can get into the action on the river.

The second outdoor program offered by the Institute will take place on Sunday, August 30th from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will focus on the natural history of birds, bears, and beavers. Lead by Susan Scherf, museum educator, and former wildlife rehabilitator, attendees will participate in an interesting discussion about the wildlife that can be found in northwest Connecticut. It is fun to learn about the habitat that these wild animals live in. This wildlife experience will bring out the "naturalist" in all participants and give tips on how to spot local wildlife and the steps we can take to protect these beautiful animals.

These two events at the Institute for American Indian Studies are included in the price of admission; $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 children. Members are free. Due to COVID-19, the Institute is practicing social distancing at all outdoor events. The museum is also open and if visitors want to visit it before or after an event, masks are required. 

About the Insitute 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.

Medicinal Monday...Blue for Bluets

Bluets, also known as azure bluets or Quaker ladies are members of the family Rubiaceae and are known for their beautiful blue color. Native Americans found medicinal uses for this tiny and delicate perennial wildflower that is native to the Eastern United States.

About Bluets
Bluets first appear in the spring but can continue to bloom in the summer and fall. The flowers appear on a 2 to 2 and a half inch stalk and have 1/2 wide four-lobed flowers that are pale blue with a yellow center. Each stalk supports just one flower. The flowers are very small but they bloom in mounding clusters and can form large colonies creating a carpet of blooms. The foliage is a basal rosette. Bluets thrive in moist acidic soil in shady areas and grow especially well in the grass. Bluets self-seed and once you see them in one area, you will most likely see them in the same place the following year.

Medicinal Uses
The Cherokee used an infusion of bluets to cure bedwetting. The flowers were also brewed as a tea to strengthen the bladder.

Did You Know...
Bluets are called Quaker ladies because the shape of the flower is similar to hats once worn by women of the Quaker faith.

Bees and other insects visit this flower for nectar.

The flower symbolism of bluets is contentment.

Bluets are also known as Little washerwoman, Venus's pride, Little innocents, and eyebright.