Medicinal Monday - St. John's Wort

Originally from Asia, Europe, and Africa, St John's Wort was introduced by Europeans to much of North and South America including Connecticut.  It is used by Native American communities as well as by people from all over the world for centuries. 

About St John's Wort

This herbaceous perennial plant is known botanically as Hypericum perforatum and can grow up to three feet high.  It grows in prairies, pastures, and fields and prefers sandy soil. From late spring through early summer, it has bright yellow flowers with five petals and black dots. The leaves are narrow and oblong in shape and, the stems are woody near the base of the plant. In many places, it is considered to be aggressively invasive and is considered a weed. It spreads by creeping rhizomes. The seeds are black and rough, netted with coarse grooves, and when crushed they produce a reddish liquid.

Medicinal Uses

The Cherokee and the Iroquois use a decoction of this plant to treat menstruation, they also use an infusion for bowel complaints and to treat fevers. The milky substance of this plant is rubbed on sores to soothe them. The Cherokee also crush the plant and sniff it to stop nosebleeds. Some Native American communities chew a portion of the root and swallow it to treat snakebite. The Montagnais make a decoction of this plant and use it as cough medicine. This plant is known among Native American communities for its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

Did You Know...

St John's Wort is named because the plant blooms on or around St. John's Day, referring to St. John the Baptist. The red spots that appear on the leaves of this plant around August 29 are the symbolic representation of the blood spilled when St. John was beheaded.

The red liquid of this herb was used to treat the wounded during the crusades.

St John's Wort has demonstrated an ability to act as an antidepressant in cases of mild depression and anxiety. This action is linked to the plant's properties of hyperforin and hypericin.

It has also been used to treat premenstrual syndrome.

It also appears to have antibacterial properties and may act as an antiviral.

If taken it can interfere with prescription medication and can cause sun sensitivity and allergic reactions.

If ingested by livestock in large doses, St. John's Wort can cause death.

Medicinal Monday- Poisonous and Pretty American Pokeweed

Even though the American Pokeweed is poisonous, this plant is used as a wild edible when young and as medicine by many Native American communities as the plant matures. Its name comes from the adaptation of an Algonquin word, pocan, puccoon, or poughkone, and can be found growing in Connecticut and throughout New England.

About American Pokeweed

American pokeweed is a member of the Phytolaccaceae family that is usually found growing in tropical and subtropical climates with only two varieties being found in North America. Phytolacca americana or American Pokeweed is found throughout New England. This herbaceous, shrub-like perennial can grow up to ten feet high and has simple alternate leaf margins that are tapered at the end. When the leaves are crushed they have an acrid odor. This shrub has stems that range in color from green and pink to red. The plant flowers in clusters from May to October. The flowers are borne in pinkish clusters and range in color from white and green to pink and purple. They have five sepals, no petals, and about ten stamens. The berries this shrub produces are purple-black in color and about one-quarter inch in diameter with six to twelve seeds. American Pokeweed can be found at the edge of forests, in pastures and fields, and on the edge of habitats. They prefer open spaces where birds are able to roost.

Culinary, Medicinal, and Magical Uses

Even though the plant is poisonous in its mature state it has been used for food and medicine for millennia. In the early spring, Native Americans harvest shoots of this plant when they are about six inches tall. The young shoots are carefully blanched in water before eating to reduce the risk of ingesting toxins. The young greens are also mixed with other wild greens. The taste of American Pokeweed is said to be similar to asparagus. The Algonquian use the deep red color of the berries to paint and dye textiles and basket reeds.

There are many uses for this shrub medicinally. One of the most common ways it was used was to treat arthritis and inflammation. The Cherokee drink an infusion of the berries or roots and berries to treat arthritis. The Delaware roast and crush roots and mix them with sarsaparilla and grape bark and drank this mixture as a blood purifier and stimulant. The Iroquois made an infusion of roots and twigs and used this mixture as herbal steam to treat rheumatism. They also cooked the stalks as greens and used them to treat rheumatism. The Mahuna used the roots to treat severe neuralgic pain. The Cherokee, Mahuna, Delaware, and Iroquois used various parts of this plant, usually the roots and sometimes the leaves to make a salve to treat skin diseases, bruises, and chronic sores. The Delaware roasted the roots and used them to treat glandular swellings and the Iroquois used a compound of undried roots to treat bunions. The Mohegan used a poultice of mashed berries to cure sore breasts but considered the roots poisonous and didn't use them. 

The Iroquois used this plant for bewitchment. They also used this plant as a love medicine and would tie leaves in a poplar tree and place the roots of this shrub around the tree to attract their beloved.

Did You Know...

Regional names for this shrub are poke, poke sallet, dragon berries, redweed, and pokeberry.

Berries were once used to make ink, which is sometimes why this plant is referred to as inkberry.

The fruits of this plant are an important source of nutrition for mockingbirds, northern cardinals, and morning doves. Many songbirds are not affected by the toxins of this plant.

The name phytolacca means red dye plant.

Pokeweed has been celebrated in the hit single "Polk Salad Annie" written by Tony Joe White and sung by a variety of performers including Elvis Presley and Conan O'Brien. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4csFnpZXek

Canned Pokeweed was sold by Bush Brothers in Arkansas until 2007.

Institute for American Indian Studies Participates in Smithsonian Day - Sept. 18

The Smithsonian in Washington D.C. has announced that the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut is part of the nationwide event called Museum Day that will take place on September 18th. In this initiative, participating museums across the United States open their doors for free to those who download a branded ticket from the Smithsonian Magazine's website. This event allows museums nationwide to emulate the spirit of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. which offers free admission every day. 

This year's theme, "Experience America," represents a return to normalcy in the safest possible way. The Institute for American Indian Studies will have safety precautions in place for this year's event so guests can comfortably enjoy their time at the museum. "We are thrilled to join forces with Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day to bring educational experiences to families and children and to help foster a limitless quest for knowledge," said Chris Combs, Executive Director of the Insititute. "Museum Day goes beyond getting visitors through museum doors, it also serves as a reminder of people, places, and cultural experiences that have the power to educate and unite us all."

Tickets are currently available for download on the Smithsonian Magazine's Website. To locate the Institute for American Indian Studies click Get a Ticket and filter your search by state, location, or the type of museum. To get a ticket for the Institute for American Indian Studies, click here. You will be asked to enter your name, email address and to confirm the museum you wish to visit before downloading a ticket. To get free admission, guests must present an official Museum Day Ticket. This ticket provides general admission for the ticket holder plus one guest. You may download one ticket per email address so choose wisely, there are no takebacks. If you go to Museum Day with more than one guest, other guests will have to pay full admission.

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.

From Earth to Sea -Come Join the Fun! Clambake, Native American Dancing and A Silent Auction!

Every September the Institute for American Indian Studies hosts an al fresco traditional clambake, called From Earth to Sea. This year the clambake will be held on Saturday, September 11th, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Riverwalk Pavilion on 11a School Street in Washington Depot. There will be plenty of socially distanced tables set under a large open-air pavilion in a beautiful park setting.

This annual event honors the founders of the museum and celebrates Connecticut's Indigenous people and the bounty harvested from our fields and waterways. A new highlight this year is the Silent Auction that is taking place as part of the fun. Auction items will be on display and guests can bid on them during the event. Auction items include gift certificates from local restaurants and shops, plus beautiful Native-made jewelry, baskets, and more.

In addition to a delicious lobster dinner served with all the fixings - corn, clams, and potatoes guests are in for a special treat - a riveting performance by the highly esteemed Thunderbird American Indian Dancers. The dance troupe was founded in 1963 and is the oldest resident Native American dance company in New York.  Their mission is to preserve dances, songs, and traditions that might have otherwise been lost. They have toured across the United States, as well as internationally in Japan, Canada, and Israel in order to bring a greater understanding of American Indian people through dance. Guests will be regaled with stories, dances, traditional drumming, singing, and colorful regalia that celebrate the diversity of Native American culture in the United States.

Tickets are limited and pre-registration is required by September 9th. To register, click here. The cost of the traditional clambake dinner including dancing and drumming by the Thunderbird Dancers is $50 for IAIS Members and $55 for non-members. There is a special price for children and non-seafood eaters of $10 and that meal consists of hot dogs, chips, and lemonade. The proceeds from this event will go toward the education department to support schools' indigenous curriculum through the Institute's programs.

Medicinal Monday - American Vetch

This slender scrambling vine-like plant, American Vetch, has been used as a source of food and medicine for Native American Communities for centuries. It has a pretty purple flower and is in the sweet pea family.

About American Vetch

The scientific name of this plant is Vicia Americana and is in the genus Vicia family. This herbaceous perennial has a stem that grows across the ground and climbs onto surrounding vegetation where it attaches itself to them by means of willowy tendrils. It spreads by creeping rhizomes to form a cluster that sprawls more than two feet out from there. The egg-shaped, elliptic leaves are toothless and hairless with a tendril on the end that winds around other plants for support. This plant can be found in many parts of the U.S. and Canada, including Connecticut. It prefers well-drained soil and the sun and can be found in damp or gravelly slopes, in thickets, and in meadows. The color of the flower is purple and appears in elongated loose clusters of four to six blossoms. It typically blooms from May through September.  Fruits of this plant are green to reddish-brown pods that contain an average of ten seeds.

Culinary and Medicinal Uses

Many Native American communities would cook and eat the young shoots of this plant. The stems, pods, and seeds were boiled or baked then eaten. The stout roots were used for tying objects. The roots were also considered to be a good luck charm when gambling. This plant was sometimes used as fodder for horses and cattle.

Medicinal uses include treatment for soreness by bathing in the crushed leaves of this plant. An infusion of the plant was used as an eyewash as well as being used as a "life medicine."  Leaves were rubbed onto the hands and applied to spider bites.  The Iroquois used an infusion of the root of this plant as a love medicine. The Navajo smoked this plant next to horses to increase their endurance.

Did You Know

This plant has been used successfully in soil restoration projects.

It can fix nitrogen in the soil, and functions to help restore disturbed land.

The pea-like flowers are attractive to insects and are pollinated by bees.

Vetch is eaten by horses, cattle, sheep, deer, rabbits, and groundhogs.

There are more than 200 species of vetch worldwide.

Medicinal Monday...Simply Seneca -Snakeroot

This beautiful flowering plant got its common name, Seneca from the Seneca First Nation's use of it as a treatment for snakebite. This was just one of its traditional medicinal uses. Seneca-snakeroot can be found in Connecticut, although you will have to look hard for it because it is considered to be rare.

About Seneca Snakeroot

Polygala senega or Seneca snakeroot is a flowering plant in the milkwort family and is native to North America. It is found in southern Canada and the central and eastern United States, including all of New England. It grows in wetlands, on river banks and woodlands, and in limestone and marble bedrock. This perennial plant grows from a knotty rhizome or horizontal underground stem. A distinguishing feature is its toothed leaves that grow in clusters. The plant produces spires of white flowers with keels and crests in June and July. The petals are fused into a cup and the fruit is dry and splits open when ripe.

Medicinal Uses

This plant was named after the Seneca, a group of indigenous Iroquoian-speaking people who historically lived south of Lake Ontario, one of the five Great Lakes of North America. They used this plant to treat snakebite. The root was chewed and swallowed and the snakebite wound was covered with a poultice made from the roots. The Cherokee used root powder as an expectorant, a diuretic, and to treat inflammation. It was also taken internally to treat rheumatism. The Chippewa used a poultice of the root to treat convulsions and wounds that were bleeding. The Ojibwa used a decoction of the root to treat coughs and colds. They also made a drink from an infusion of leaves that destroyed water bugs that were swallowed. The Cree chewed the root to treat toothaches and sore throats. The Cree also included powdered root from this plant in a variety of herbal remedies. The Blackfoot used a decoction of the roots to treat respiratory diseases.

Did You Know...

In the 1930s Canadians exported more than 700,000 pounds of the dried roots of this plant that was used in many over-the-counter remedies. Roots were specifically used to treat bronchitis. 

Today in Canada, the plant is mostly gathered from its wild habitat in Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. The Cree and Metis people are the main foragers of this wild plant.

Recent studies indicate that Seneca snakeroot contains several chemical compounds that act as expectorants. It can be found in herbal and over-the-counter medicines in Europe and Asia.

Seneca snakeroot is cultivated in Japan, India, and Brazil.

In Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont this plant is considered to be extremely rare. In Canada, it is not considered endangered, although it is experiencing a loss of habitat due to overexploitation, overgrazing, and conversion of land to urban use. 

This plant is also known as senega snakeroot, senegaroot, rattlesnake root, and mountain flax.

Medicinal Monday...Distinctive and Beautiful - the Tupelo Tree

This slow-growing deciduous tree known as Tupelo is native to the Northeastern United States. Tupelo is a Native American food and is used medicinally. The name tupelo is of Native American origin, coming from the Creek words toi (tree) and opilwa (swamp).

About Nyssa sylvatic

This tree has a distinctive pyramidal form. It emerges with dark green leaves in the spring with the glossy pointy leaves turning crimson, yellow and orange in the fall. Its furrowed black bark adds an interesting contrast to the leaves. As the bark ages, it resembles alligator hide on very old stems. The tree blooms from May to June. The flowers are greenish-white on long stalks and are an excellent nectar source for bees. The flowers give way to an oval-shaped blueish black fruit that resembles a blueberry. It is primarily a lowland tree that is found in wet woods as well as on dry rocky wooded slopes. The Tupelo tree can grow up to 115 feet but averages between 66 and 85 feet tall.

Culinary and Medicinal Uses

The fruit is the only edible part of this tree and it is said to be very tasty. It is somewhat sour but sweet enough to enjoy raw. Although the fruit appears to be very large, they are not as fleshy as they look because of the large seed inside the fruit. The fruit is eaten raw by Native Americans and used to flavor stews and drinks. The Chippewa used the wood of this tree to make awl handles, mauls, and war clubs because the wood was strong and didn't split. The wood is also used to make shuttles for weaving.

A mixture of the tree compound was made into a decoction and used as an antidiarrheal. The inner bark was used to induce vomiting and ooze from the roots was used as an eye medicine. A twig was used to clean teeth. The Cherokee in particular found the Tupelo tree a great resource for making medicines. Children with parasitic worms were given a soothing bath with water infused with the bark of this tree. The Creek used a decoction of the bark as a bath to treat tuberculosis. The Koasati made a decoction of the bark and applied the mixture to gunshot wounds.

Did You Know...

Nyssa sylvatica is also called sour gum.

In the Northeast, it is called pepperidge. 

On Martha's Vineyard, it is called beetlebung because the wood was used to make mallets that were used to hammer bungs or stoppers into barrels.

The fruit is attractive to birds and wildlife. 

The Genus name comes from Nysa or Nyssa, one of the water nymphs in Greek mythology.

The limbs of these trees deteriorate early and the decayed holes make good dens for squirrels, opossums, raccoons, and honeybees.