April fun at the Institute of American Indian Studies

The Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut's Litchfield Hills has a busy April planned that will be fun for the whole family. In the Artist Corner for example, the IAIS is proud to highlight the artistry of Takara Matthews, a member of the Abenaki Sokoki tribe and  a Champion Women's Fancy Dancer and Jingle Dress Dancer. For sale will be a variety of beaded purses, medallions, earrings. Takara also proudly serves her country as Airman 1st Class in the Vermont Air National Guard.

April 26 is a big day at the IAIS as two exciting events are planned. At 1 p.m. in honor of Earth Day, the IAIS will be showing the Emmy -award winning documentary Journey of the Universe: An Epic Story of Cosmic Earth and Human Transformation. Weaving together Weaving together the findings of modern science with cultural traditions of the West, China,Africa, India and Indigenous peoples, this documentary explores the human connection to the cosmos. Fee: Included in regular museum admission: $8 Adults; $6 Seniors;$5 Children; IAIS Members Free.

Also on April 26 at 5 p.m. the Litchfield Hills Archaeology Club presents A Taste of Native America.  This dinner will feature traditional foods and includes roast venison, rabbit with wild rice, steamed mussels, garlic mashed potatoes, acorn squash, pumpkin soup and Indian pudding. Non-alcoholic beverages included (BYOB if desired). Good food, music and conversation regarding the Club's recent and upcoming archeological excavations will abound. Limited seating. Prepayment and registration required. Please call for reservations. The fee is $50 per person.

On April 27 from 12:30 - 3:30 the Institute is hosting Nature's Bounty: Foraging for a Healthy Lifestyle that will teach participants to identify common edible plants in Connecticut.  

Make a primitive pendant at Institute for American Indian Studies

If you like jewelry and have an interest in ancient tribal jewelry, the Institute for American Indian Studies has the perfect workshop for you. On Saturday, March 29 from 12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. the Insitute is running a "Stone Pendant" Workshop with primitive technologist Jeff Kalin of Cherokee descent.

It is said that pendants, charms and amulets were often found in and around grave sites. They were believed to protect the wearer from disease and other calamities. These ground, polished and carved stones were often made from slate and worn around the neck. They were often carved as effigies. The Thunderbird and various animals are some examples of effigies that were commonly sculpted.

Learning from Jeff Kalin, workshop participants will use steatite, slate and pipe stone to fashion pendants and beads. Students will learn to shape, polish, incise and drill, using stone age traditional tools and techniques. Call 860-868-0518 to reserve your space today.

Registration is required and the cost of the workshop is $60 which includes materials for non-members and $55 for members of the Institute.  The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Rd. in Washington CT. For more information visit www.iaismusuem.org.

For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

Famous Native American Potter at the Institute for American Indian Studies

The contemporary pottery of Melvin C. Cornshucker of Cherokee descent is being featured in the Litchfield Hills at the Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Rd. in Washington CT through the month of March.  Cornshucker is an award winning Cherokee potter, who works in stoneware, porcelain and raku clay. 

Mel's work can be found in collections across the United States, Europe, and Africa, and he has been invited to exhibit at museums in Illinois, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, California, Kansas and now Connecticut. Mel also participates in annual juried shows and exhibitions including the Santa Fe Indian Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Eiteljorg Indian Market in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Art Show in Phoenix, Arizona, the Contemporary Indian Art Show at Cahokia, Illinois, and many other notable venues.

His work is widely sought in international collections as well as in the United States. His work has been exhibited and sold all over the world from Santa Fe, Arizona to South Africa.

Mel's work is noted for being unique, functional, and aesthetic art pieces that are decorated primarily with Native American motifs.  His signature designs are influenced by the generations of jewelers and weavers in his family. Mel strives to make his stoneware, porcelain and raku clay pieces visually pleasing and functional. It is his desire to create pieces that communicate the Native American spirit both past and present. 

Mel, born in Oklahoma but raised in Missouri, comes from an artistic family. His father was a silversmith, his grandfather a rug weaver and his aunts are basket weavers. While attending law school at Southwest Baptist University, he became interested in a ceramics class. After completing the class, he left school to pursue his new passion of pottery making. Within a few years, he became a master potter. Mel owns and operates a studio in Tulsa,

Oklahoma where he sells his work and teaches the art of pottery.

This Exhibition is in the "Four Directions" Gift Shop of the Institute for American Indian Studies and runs through March 31, 2014. There is no charge for this exhibition.  The museum is open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm Sunday 12 Noon to 5 pm and the last admission 4:30 pm. For more information http://www.iaismuseum.org. For information on the Litchfield Hills www.litchfieldhills.com

Little Coyote Story Hour at The Institute for American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies is located in Washington Connecticut on 38 Curtis Road was founded in 1975 as an outgrowth of local efforts to recover New England's then-largely-unknown indigenous history.  A respect for the earth and for all living things is central to Native American lifeways and this is reflected throughout this museum, which is nestled in 15 acres of woodlands and trails.

Inside, the museum exhibits present information on a spectrum of topics related to the lives and cultures of prehistoric, historic and contemporary Native Americans. Permanent exhibits include Quinnetukut: Our Homeland, Our Story; From East To West: Across Our Homelands; Digging into the Past: Archaeology in Connecticut; a Sachem's wigwam (longhouse) classroom with a beautifully painted lifeways mural; and a replicated early-1900s Northeastern reservation house room.

The Institute also presents a series of special programs throughout the year. On January 14 and January 28, the Museum is presenting "Little Coyote Story Hour" from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.  This program will introduce pre-school age children to the wonders and joy of traditional Native American stories! Why does Bear have a short tail? Who is Gluskabi and from where did his superpowers come? And why is Coyote known as a "trickster"? Kids are invited to join Janis "Four Hearts Whispering" Us of Mohawk-Shinnecock descent in a beautifully replicated 16th century indoor Sachem's house for delightful and heartwarming stories. The story hour is included with regular admission - Adults: $8, Seniors:$6 and Children: $5, members are free. 

Outdoors visitors will find a Simulated Archaeological Site, Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens, as well as a replicated 16th century Algonkian Village. The village is based upon traditional knowledge and archaeological research and is built from local natural materials. Self-guided trails let visitors explore the seasonal world of Woodland Indian peoples.

Changing exhibits and the shop's Artist's Corner round out the experience. IAIS is open seven days a week year-round. 

For more information visit www.iaismuseum.org or call 860-868-0518. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

Native American Quill and Beadwork in Litchfield Hills

In northwest Connecticut's Litchfield Hills, The Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington is presenting and exhibition of the quill and bead work of Chris Bullock who is of Wampanoag descent. The Wampanoag is an tribe whose ancestors lived on Martha's Vineyard.

Since childhood, Chris has participated in Native American cultural events and has been crafting his own work for 47 years. He also provides educational programming on eighteenth century Native culture.

Chris oversees the daily operation of The Wandering Bull, LLC, a family business his parents began in 1969 that is located in Washington, New Hampshire. The Wandering Bull sells Native craft supplies, as well as vintage and antique Native art with a focus on the Northeast Woodlands.

The exhibit runs through November 30, 2013. There is no charge for this exhibition. Museum Hours: Monday through Saturday 10am to 5pm Sunday from 12 Noon to 5pm Last admission at 4:30pm.

For more information www.iaismuseum.org. For information on Litchfield Hills visit  www.litchfieldhills.com

Twined Art at the Institute for American Indian Studies

The exhibition Woven from Milk Weed by Wabanaki Artist Vera Longtoe Sheehan opens at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut runs through May 31, 2013. There is no charge for this exhibition. The Museum is open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday 12 noon to 5pm.  The last admission is at 4:30 pm.

Vera Longtoe Sheehan is a fiber artist who follows in the footsteps of her ancestors. When she was young, her father started teaching her how to harvest and process plants to make cordage. He also taught her the various techniques that she uses to make twined bags, baskets and textiles.

Vera combines her tribal and family knowledge with many years of researching Wabanaki history, culture and tradition to create her one of a kind twined woven items. She uses both hand-rolled and commercially rolled plant fiber cordage. Each of the hand items can take hours, days, weeks or even months to complete.

Her twined art is environmentally friendly because it is made from plants, which are quick growing, renewable resources. She is currently teaching her children to twine, so that this endangered art form is not lost. Some of her twined bags, baskets and textiles have appeared in films and literature.

The artist and her family reside in Vermont. She offers a variety of programs for schools, museums and historic sites. 

“Meet the Artist” Reception is Sunday, April 7th from 1pm -3pm.  The reception includes refreshments at 2pm.

For more information about the Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Rd. in Washington CT call 860-868-0518 or visit www.iaismuseum.org.  For area information www.litchfieldhills.com.

Native American Drum Making Workshop at The Institute for American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut located in the heart of the Litchfield Hills is offering a workshop to celebrate the drum because it is considered to be the most important Native American instrument.  Most Native Americans prefer to use drums made from traditional materials made by a master drum maker or make their own. This is because of the strong spiritual associations of the drum....it is the heartbeat of Mother Earth.

Indigenous peoples made several kinds of drums; log drum, water drum and the most common, the hand drum. Hand drums could be single or double-headed. In the northeast region they were traditionally made using a wooden base and an animal hide; typically deer or elk.

The drum is considered to be the first musical instrument used by humans; historians believe the drum has been virtually every culture known to mankind. The original purpose was for communicating over long distances as a type of signal.

On Saturday, February 23 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Allan Madahbee, Ojibway artist and musician, will instruct participants in making their own single-face drum while sharing the importance of the drum in Native American culture. This workshop is recommended for cildren ages 12 and up. The workshop fee is $150; $125 IAIS Members. Reservations and a $50 nonrefundable deposit is required by calling 860-868-0518. The museum is located on 38 Curtis Rd. in Washington 

Connecticut. For additional information www.iaismuseum.org. For area information www.litchifieldhills.com

About The Institute for American Indian Studies

IAIS is a Not-For-Profit organization. We do not receive monies from the State, Town of Washington nor any other museum or gaming facility. We reply on membership, programs and contributions for support.

Winter Happenings at The Institute for American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies is offering a series of January events that will help families warm up to this chilly season of the year.  On Tuesdays through February 12 from 10:30 a.m. through 11:30 a.m. for example pre-school children will enjoy the wonders and joy of traditional Native American stories. Why does Bear have a short tail? Who is Gluskabi and from where did his superpowers come? And why is Coyote known as a "trickster?"  An added treat is that the stories are told in a beautifully replicated 16th century indoor Sachem's house.  The story hour is included free with regular museum admission of $5 Adults; $4.50 Seniors; $3 Kids; IAIS Members Free. www.iaismuseum.org

On Saturday January 19 and Sunday January 20 at 2 p.m. guests will enjoy a Winter Film Festival that features a documentary called Reel Injun. Native American peoples have long been a topic in Hollywood filmmaking, but the picture presented of them was not always flattering or accurate. Most westerns of Hollywood's Golden Age presented "Indians" as either ruthless savages with no sense of honor or fools who were lost without the help of the white man. Adding insult to injury, they were usually played by white actors in make up. In the 1960s movies began to show a more positive and realistic portrayal of American Indians and Native American actors were given a greater opportunity to present their story in television and the movies. Director Neil Diamond (a member of Canada's Cree community) offers a look at the past, present and future of Native People on the big screen in this documentary. The film is included free with regular museum admission of $5 Adults; $4.50 seniors; $3 Kids; IAIS Members Free. www.iaismuseum.org

Also on January 26 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. it is time to put on your winter boots and go on a Winter Tracking Walk.   Certified wildlife tracker Andy Dobosof Three Red Trees School of Natural Living will lead you through the winter woods to discover how the animals live in this stark time of year.  He will also demonstrate some of the skills ancient people employed to survive during the winter months. Fee: $8 Adults; $6 IAIS Members; $4 Children. www.iaismuseum.org

About IAIS

Through discovery, research and education, the Institute for American Indian Studies enriches contemporary society by engaging the public and making more visible the history, cultural values, beliefs and living traditions of the indigenous peoples of the Western Hemisphere, especially those of the Northeast. With its museum, archaeology, research and unique collection, IAIS creates a focal point for the community by preserving the knowledge of the continuing stories of these indigenous peoples.