Medicinal Monday - Sweet Strawberries

In America, our "official" one day of gratitude is celebrated in November at Thanksgiving. Native Americans, however, have a tradition of routinely giving thanks more than once a year, especially to the plants and animals that provide sustenance and medicine in their lives.  In Connecticut, June is strawberry season and this fruit has a long and interesting history in Native American culture. Strawberries have been used as medicine, in cuisine, and ceremonially.  In Native Culture, they represent life and good health.  To fete the strawberry,  the Institute for American Indian Studies is hosting the Strawberry Moon Festival on June 16 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., a delicious celebration not to be missed!

About Strawberry Plants

Early wild strawberries are believed to be much like today's wild strawberries that are sweeter and smaller than today's cultivated varieties that we see in the stores.

Wild strawberry plants are made up of several short thin vines that creep out from a central underground root. White flowers emerge in the spring and as the temperature gets warmer they turn into green or white berries that eventually ripen into a bright red color in early summer.  Because of their small size, they were not always popular as a cultivated crop, although, many times you can find them in a three sisters garden.  Strawberry plants were easily found in meadows and open woodland and prefer cool, moist climates.

Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Strawberries are a popular food item for many tribes and even play a ceremonial role.  To the Mohawks, the strawberry was the first berry food to appear and the plant was gathered and eaten as a blood purifier.  In California, the Pom hold special Strawberry Festivals and  Dances representing the renewal of life.  To the Iroquois, strawberries are symbols of thanksgiving and blessings, the Cherokees believe the strawberry is associated with love and happiness and they consider it good luck to have strawberries in the house.  To the Navajo tribe, the strawberry is considered one of the sacred life medicines.

The most common medicinal use of strawberries was as a treatment for burns and sores. The leaves were dried and applied to a burn as a healing remedy.  For sores, the leaves were ground up and mixed with a fatty substance (perhaps deer fat) and applied. The roots were chewed to help clean teeth and to help inflamed gums.  Tea made from the leaves was brewed and drank to alleviate stomach issues. This plant was even used in infant care, the leaves would be dried and ground into a powder then applied to the unhealed navel area. 


In their cuisine, Native Americans often ate both fresh and dried wild strawberries. They were mixed with cornmeal and baked into a strawberry bread, that can be considered as a forerunner of strawberry shortcake.  Strawberries were also blended with animal fat and used as an energy bar. Excess berries never went to waste, they were harvested, sun-dried and stored for winter.  Strawberries were added to soups, bread and used as flavorings in meat dishes. 

The sweet juicy nature of strawberries made them perfect for beverages like the strawberry moon tea that was made with mashed strawberries mixed with cold water and sassafras tea.

Did you know

Wild berries are very sweet and have a unique aroma

The name strawberry is an English term that refers to the erratic way the plant grew and strayed from the central root.

European folklore holds that if two people share a double berry they are bound to fall in love.

Medieval stonemasons carved strawberries on cathedrals to symbolize perfection.

For additional information http://www.goodfoodworld.com/2012/11/the-wild-strawberry-a-sacred-purifier/

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.