Medicinal Monday - Skunk Cabbage

You will never forget an unexpected step on a skunk cabbage plant especially when you smell the putrid odor this plant exudes!  One whiff of this "odor-ific" plant and you will understand how it got its name! Native Americans had several ingenious ways of using this early springtime plant for food as well as for medicinal purposes.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Skunk cabbage is a wildflower that is one of the earliest wild plants to send up a blossom in the spring.  Skunk Cabbage is usually found in swamps, wetlands, woods and near streams.  Look for a cone-shaped furl of mottled purple leaves that are waiting to bloom in March.  The leaves of this plant are large, almost pre-historic looking and mottled with contrasting patches of bright green making them easy to spot. 

In addition to its putrid smell, the most interesting characteristic of this plant is that it can regulate its temperature well above the outside temperature throughout the day and night.  This allows the skunk cabbage plant to melt the ice and snow around it!  The leaves decay in the early summer but unlike other plants whose leaves dry out and fall off, the leaves of this plant dissolve into a black slimy substance that soaks back into the ground.

Medicinal and Other Uses

Native Americans would harvest the root and then dry and pound it into a powder.   This peppery flavored powder would be added to a tea or stew and used to sooth lung ailments, including asthmatic and bronchial spasms.  

The dried leaves of this plant were also used by Native Americans who would brew a tea with them or put them in a medicinal stew in order to treat coughs, and be used as a blood purifier, kidney cleanser and to ease the pain of labor.  Many Northwest Native people used the leaves as a soothing poultice for cuts and swellings.

The roots of this plant were harvested and steamed in-ground cooking pits and were sometimes referred to as Indian potatoes.  The large older leaves called "Indian wax paper" was used to collect and dry berries.  Skunk cabbage was also used in combination with other herbs for tattooing.

Did you Know...

The leaf, flower, and root of this plant should never be eaten raw because it contains calcium oxalate crystals that produce a terrible burning sensation.

The age of a skunk cabbage can be found through its leaves. Young plants have many just a few leaves and old plants have many.

The eastern skunk cabbage have roots that grow down and contract, the plant is pulled into the earth. As the plant sinks deeper and deeper, the lower leaves are forced underground.  To find out if it is an old plant, dig down into the ground to look for leaves. 

The odor of the skunk cabbage attracts bees and flies which pollinate the plant.

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.

The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

The Art of Flintknapping @ Institute for American Indian Studies

Have you ever wondered how Native Americans survived in the wilderness without any modern tools?  If you have, then make sure to attend the flintknapping workshop at the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington with Jeff Kalin, a primitive technologist on Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

About Flintknapping

Flintknapping is the age-old traditional way that Native Americans created sharp-edged tools and weapons from stone.  The use of implements made from flint was widely practiced in New England because their survival depended on a material, like flint that could be used to produce sharp tools.

The first step in the flint knapping process is to quarry large pieces of chert or flint.  The use of flint to make weapons and tools has been used by humans for at least two million years. The composition of flint when fractured causes it to break into sharp-edged pieces.  Native Americans recognized this property of flint and learned how to fashion it into knife blades, spear points, arrowheads, scrapers, axes, drills and other sharp implements using a method known as flintknapping. If these tools were broken or damaged while being used they were sometimes reshaped into smaller tools that could be used in a similar way.

After finding a piece of flint it is hit with a hammerstone to break off a flake to make a tool or weapon. This tool is then roughed out and the general shape is made, this shape is referred to as a preform. The next step entails a striking tool made of an antler, bone or stone that is used to shape the stone into a weapon or tool.  This is followed by pressure flaking by pressing an antler or stone end to the edges to sharpen the piece.  The implement can be sharpened even more by striking the edge in a downward motion, the thinner the flint, the sharper the tool or weapon.

Flintknapping Workshop with Jeff Kalin, Cherokee

At this workshop, on April 28 and April 29 participants will discover the fascinating history of Native American flintknapping from primitive technologist expert, Jeff Kalin, of Cherokee ancestry.  During the workshop, Kalin will explain the historic importance of flintknapping and how it was critical to the well being of the tribe as the implements produced touched every aspect of daily life by providing implements to use in hunting, fishing, making clothes, canoes, and structures.

Participants will learn percussion and flaking techniques from Kalin that will turn an ordinary piece of flint into a useful tool.  This workshop is best for adults and children 15 and older.  Call the Institute at 860-868-0518 or email media@iaismuseum.org to reserve your spot because this popular workshop is expected to sell out. 

About Jeff Kalin

Jeff Kalin has more than 25 years of experience in the field of primitive technologies and is a consultant to museum curators and archaeologists in the analysis of artifacts. He is a recognized expert in Clovis point replication and other types of stone tools. 

He has constructed prehistoric sets and props for filmmakers and his pottery, handcrafted from river clay is in many public and private collections. Kalin has built nearly 200 aboriginal structures, either free-standing or congregated in villages. 

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.


The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

FOLLOW A BABY PANDA ON ITS IMPORTANT ADVENTURE AT THE MARITIME AQUARIUM AT NORWALK

Take a giant-screen journey to China to watch as a “bear whisperer” from New Hampshire helps a young panda learn to live in the wild in “Pandas,” a charming new IMAX movie opening April 6 at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

Filled with scenes of the adorable black-and-white baby bears, “Pandas” will play at noon and 2 & 4 p.m. daily in Connecticut’s largest IMAX theater, with a screen that’s six stories high. (Times will shift June 30.)

“Pandas” arrives with excellent pedigree, having been made by the same team that created “Born to Be Wild,” one of the most popular movies ever shown at The Maritime Aquarium. (The Aquarium is the fifth-highest-grossing theater in the world for “Born to Be Wild,” a 2011 release that follows efforts to rescue and reintroduce orphaned baby elephants and orangutans back into the wild.)

This new IMAX film travels to Chengdu Panda Base in China, where scientists breed adult giant pandas in order to introduce the cubs into the wild. Those and other efforts have stabilized the panda population, to the point that the International Union for Conservation of Nature changed its listing for giant pandas in 2016 from “Endangered” to “Vulnerable.”  However, the IUCN also notes: “The optimism engendered by these positive trends is dampened by evidence indicating that some panda populations are decreasing, particularly those found in the smallest and most degraded habitat patches …” Threats include climate change, habitat loss, population fragmentization, and human intrusion.

“Pandas” introduces audiences to Rong Hou, a researcher at the Chengdu Panda Base whose passion leads her to initiate a new technique inspired by the work of Ben Kilham, the only licensed bear rehabilitator in New Hampshire. developed a successful technique for preparing the bears for life on their own in the woods.

What starts as a cross-culture collaboration becomes a life-changing journey for Hou, Kilham and a very curious female panda cub named Qian Qian (pronounced chee-an chee-an). Follow Qian Qian on an exciting new adventure in the mountains of Sichuan, as she takes her first steps outside her protected habitat, discovering her true animal nature, even as she faces the challenges of the unknown.

Also showing daily on the IMAX screen is “Backyard Wilderness” at 11 a.m. and 1 & 3 p.m.  Filmed in Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County, N.Y., the film celebrates the wonders of nature we can enjoy right outside our homes, if only we would put down our devices.

One IMAX movie is included with admission to The Maritime Aquarium, which is $24.95 for adults, $22.95 for seniors (65+), and $17.95 for children (3-12). Kids under 3 are free.

View movie trailers, buy tickets to skip the lines, and get more details at http://www.maritimeaquarium.org.

Two New Exhibits @ Litchfield Historical Society

The Litchfield Historical Society, located on 7 South Street in Litchfield has curated two exhibitions that will run through November 25, 2018.  

The major exhibit this year is By the Virtue of its Citizens: Educating a New Nation at Sarah Pierce's Academy.  The exhibition explores the innovative educational philosophy of the school's founder, Sarah Pierce, and its influence on later social and educational reforms. It also investigates the lively social and intellectual community created by the Litchfield Female Academy and the Litchfield Law School.

Items from the Litchfield Historical Society's extensive collection of artifacts and archives from the Litchfield Female Academy will be on display, as well as several ornamental arts pieces on loan from regional institutions.
Also featured is the Litchfield Historical Society's newest acquisition: a portrait miniature of a young Miss Sarah Pierce!


The second exhibition is titled 

To Weep with Those Who Weep: 

Mourning Practices in Litchfield.  Mourning practices of the 19th century were largely affected by the death of George Washington, with an increase in memorializing the dead. The exhibit documents the tangible and intangible manifestations of loss in Litchfield and the surrounding area. 

Stories of loss within the community form the basis of the exhibit, highlighting correspondence sharing condolences, discussing funerals, and reflecting on life and death. The exhibit will also touch upon reactions of Litchfield Female Academy students to death. Artwork portraying those in mourning and those being mourned will be on display, as well as poems written for those who died and objects created in their memory.

Earth Day @ the Institute of Native American Studies

Long before Earth Day was established in 1970, Native Americans celebrated the earth in many ways because every day is Earth Day to them.  Many native groups believe that all living and non-living things have a spirit or manitou, from the largest mountain to the smallest animal or most fragrant flower. Native Americans recognize that all things are equal and that humans are just one part of an interconnected natural world. And, one of the best places in Connecticut to celebrate Earth Day on April 21 is at the Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut.

Earth Day @ the Institute of Native American Studies

The staff of the museum has organized a celebration for Earth Day on April 21 from 12 noon to 4 p.m.  This very special celebration will honor our connections to each other and to the natural world that we live in.  Spark your child's creativity and imagination while learning ways to best take care of Mother Earth.

Through hands-on, multi-sensory activities and games, your child will explore ways to recognize and use recycled materials in clever ways! Examples of potential activities: recycle relay and sensory identification boxes.

Participants will be encouraged to let their thoughts of appreciation roam free…and to commune with nature and take a moment to appreciate the sky, the breeze, the colors of  Mother Earth and the natural beauty that surrounds you.

 The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.


The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.

In Time We Shall Know Ourselves @ Bruce Museum

The Bruce Museum will open In Time We Shall Know Ourselves, an exhibition of black-and-white photographs by New Haven photographer Raymond Smith. The exhibition will be on display in the Museum’s Bantle Lecture Gallery through June 3, 2018.

Inspired by the photographs taken in the American South in the 1930s by Walker Evans, a teacher and mentor of Smith at Yale University, as well as by Robert Frank’s The Americans (1958), in the summer of 1974 Smith embarked on a photographic expedition of his own. Smith traveled with his friend Suzanne Boyd in an aging Volkswagen from New England through the South and into the Midwest, camping and photographing people and places he encountered during the three-month journey.

Intending to write a Ph.D. thesis in American Studies, Smith instead channeled his intense curiosity about his country and its inhabitants into a moving suite of portraits, works that are at once down-to-earth, melancholy, and filled with surprise.

The exhibition features 52 photographs, most of which are vintage prints. Smith also has produced a book, In Time We Shall Know Ourselves. In the book Smith explains where he got the title. Driving south toward New Orleans and on the outskirts of Hattiesburg, Miss., midway through his trip he saw this sign: “In time we shall know ourselves/ Even as also we are known/ As we ourselves are known.”

The Bruce Museum will host a reception and artist talk for the exhibition on Sunday, April 15, 3 – 5 pm. At 3:30 pm, Raymond Smith will present a lecture titled, “I Am a Camera,” which will be followed by a Q&A and book signing. The reception is free for Museum members and students (with valid ID); non-members $15. Advance registration is required, as seating is limited. To reserve your seat, please visit brucemuseum.org and click “Reservations,” or call 203-869-0376.

The Spirit of Spring @ Institute for American Indian Studies

If you have kids home from school on their spring vacation and want to plan a special excursion that will both educate and fascinate, head to the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut.  The Institute has planned a perfect combination of programs from April 18 to April 20 that will fascinate and educate your children.  Best of all the schedule is relaxed so whatever time you visit the museum, you are sure to find excellent programs to participate in.

The highlight of the day on April 18 will be a series of family activities that will focus on woodland animals found on the grounds...deer, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes and even bears.  Kids will learn how to ID animals by the tracks they leave behind.  There will also be an outdoor scavenger hunt along our trails leading up to the Native American Village that promises to be entertaining and educational at the same time.  If your children enjoy making things, there will be a craft session where kids will make the animal of their choice and be able to take it home as a memento of their visit.  The day will wind down with animal stories, like how the chipmunk got his stripes by Traditional Storyteller and the Education Coordinator of the Institute, Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke.

On April 19, the focus of the day will be honoring the trees and the gifts that they bring us. If you want your children to learn how to identify different trees, this is the day to visit the museum.  There will be a self-guided nature walk on the well-marked trails of the museum and a tree identification activity.  In addition, a craft session for kids is planned that will highlight trees and a special story time when Native American legends are told. Perhaps one tale will be the Cherokee Legend of why trees lose their leaves.

Native Americans have lived off the land and have used herbs and plants as a source of food, building material and, for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Programs on April 20 will focus on how Native Americans use plants and herbs. A highlight of the day will be the Iroquois story told by a Traditional Storyteller and the Education Coordinator of the Institute, Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke of the "Three Sisters" Garden of corn, beans, and squash.  There will also be a Three Sisters’ Garden planting activity to make and take them home. Children will delight in exploring their crafty side using natural materials found on a hike.

These events will take place from 12 noon to 4 p.m. on April 18-20 and all activities are included in the price of admission with one parent or guardian per group getting free admission!  Admission is $10 adults, $8 Seniors, and $6 children, members of the Institute of American Indian Studies get in free.

The Institute for American Indian Studies

Located on 15 woodland acres the IAIS has an outdoor Three Sisters and Healing Plants Gardens as well as a replicated 16th c. Algonkian Village.  Inside the museum, authentic artifacts are displayed in permanent, semi-permanent and temporary exhibits from prehistory to the present that allows visitors a walk through time. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut and can be reached online or by calling 860-868-0518.


The Institute for American Indian Studies preserves and educates through discovery and creativity the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Native American cultures. Through archaeology, the IAIS is able to build new understandings of the world and history of Native Americans, the focus is on stewardship and preservation.  This is achieved through workshops, special events, and education for students of all ages.  

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