The Institute for American Indian Studies Hosts Inside with IAIS in April Monday, Wednesday, and Friday @ 2 p.m

 There are many inspirational stories about how different museums, companies, and individuals are coping with the social distancing restrictions brought about as a result of COVID19. The Institute for American Indian Studies https://www.iaismuseum.org has a few stories of its own and launched a series called “Inside with IAIS” in March. Back by popular demand and social distancing restrictions, the IAIS is continuing its video series “Inside with IAIS” in April. The educational staff at the Institute has pivoted from on-grounds educational programs to internet-based, distance learning programs that are entertaining and educational for the whole family. These programs will take place in April on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 2 p.m. on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum

The Institutes’ Staff Educators and Archeologists have filmed a series of videos that stream on Facebook. Each video has a different focus and story to tell. There are programs on archeological based learning, sessions on foraging and survival skills, as well as broadcasts on Native American Stories that teach a myriad of life lessons for young and old alike.

On Friday, April 10 and 17, Darlene Kascak (STN), a traditional Native American storyteller will entertain and educate with the popular “Tales from the Rabbit Bag,” and on Monday, April 6, there will be an archeological look at the importance of rocks.

If you want to stretch your legs in the great outdoors, take a virtual Nature walk with Institute Staff to learn how to ID plants, trees, and animals this spring on Wednesday, April 8. If you are a fan of survival shows, learn how to forage on Monday, April 13 – you will be amazed at the things you can find that have always grown right under your nose! On April 15, learn what clever tool Native Americans and, many other cultures from around the globe used to hunt with before the invention of the bow and arrow.

Check back often on our Facebook page for updates, new videos, Wisdom Wednesday, Medicinal Monday, and other programming so you can continue to learn from the comforts of home!

One way you can help the Institute for American Indian Studies during this time is to become a member. Our mission is to educate and preserve Native American history and culture and we need your help to accomplish this. Please click the link here and become a member today. As an IAIS Member, your benefits include unlimited free admission to the museum, reduced or free admission for special events, discounted workshop and summer camp fees, discounts in the IAIS Museum Shop, quarterly calendar of IAIS activities and workshops, invitations to exhibit openings and special events, and your choice of one of four books as a welcoming gift.

About The Institute for American Indian StudiesLocated 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.

List of Inside with IAIS Videos

Inside Community - https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum/videos/3047169402008405/

Nature Journaling for Kids https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum/videos/236181334191364/

Difference between natural rocks and artifacts https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum/videos/636067410292358/

Outdoor Survival Shelter Building - https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum/videos/618339135563401/

Native American Story About Frogs - https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum/videos/245374036631763/

Native American Story – How the Rabbit Got His Ears - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=204133197525826&external_log_id=aed5153351e60a51774e54128afc4979&q=Inside%20with%20IAIS

The Institute for American Indian Studies is Bringing Native American Stories and History To You!

Since you can't come to the Institute for Native American Studies, so the Institute is bringing the Museum to you, virtually! Although we're not able to welcome you on-site, our staff is doing everything we can to stay connected to you and to our community. While we're closed, we're using technology to keep us together. You can keep in touch with us on Facebook, Instagram, and through updates on our website, https://www.iaismuseum.org or you can email us at general@iaismuseum.org. We will be providing stories and learning experiences for you until we can be together again.

In the spirit of enjoying our museum from home we are inviting everyone to join us Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum at 2 pm for the month of March for a new video series we are calling “Inside with IAIS.” On Wednesday, March 25, at 2 p.m. there will be a lesson in archaeology with the research staff that will reveal the finer points of this fascinating discipline. On Friday, March 27, join Darlene Kascak, Native American Storyteller as she weaves a tale of how the animals as we know and love today came to be. To finish off the month of March, on the 30^th kids are invited to explore the world of nature journaling by learning how to set up a journal that will help them record all their outdoor discoveries. Two videos have already appeared and can be found https://www.facebook.com/IAISMuseum.

At the end of March on our Museum Facebook Page, we will ask a series of questions related to our live Facebook Page Video Sessions. Answer all the questions correctly and be entered into a contest to win an amazing prize!

One way you can help the Institute for American Indian Studies during this time is to become a member. Our mission is to educate and preserve Native American history and culture and we need your help to accomplish this. Please click the link here https://www.iaismuseum.org/support/membershipbenefits/and become a member today. As an IAIS Member, your benefits include Unlimited free admission to the museum, reduced or free admission for special events, discounted workshop and summer camp fees, discounts in the IAIS Museum Shop, quarterly calendar of IAIS activities and workshops, invitations to exhibit openings and special events, and your choice of one of four books as a welcoming gift.

About The Institute for American Indian StudiesLocated 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.

WCSU Observatory to offer spring planetarium shows & sky viewings

Connecticut State University will host planetarium shows and telescope viewings of the evening sky during the spring Public Nights series from March 14 through May 16 at the WCSU Planetarium and Observatory on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury.

Each of the six Saturday events will feature two one-hour planetarium shows, including a new presentation starting at 4 p.m. during March and April and at 5 p.m. during May. The early show has been introduced this spring to accommodate families with children and other individuals who wish to enjoy the planetarium feature without needing to stay out late.

The second planetarium show each evening, starting around sunset, will be followed by telescope viewing of the moon, Venus and prominent star systems, clusters and nebulae visible during the spring months. The WCSU Observatory, located atop a hill near Pinney Hall, offers viewings through a 20-inch, computer-controlled Ritchey-Chretien reflector telescope.

Admission is free and the public is invited; planetarium seating is limited to a maximum of 40 persons and entry will not be allowed once capacity is reached or the show has begun. Limited parking is provided adjacent to the observatory, with more extensive parking available on University Boulevard. Planetarium shows are appropriate for adults and older children and will be canceled only in the event of hazardous road conditions or severe weather that would pose a safety risk. The viewing period will not be offered on evenings when cloud cover prevents sky observations. For updates to confirm plans for a scheduled show and viewing, call (203) 837-8672 on the day of the event.

Following is the schedule of WCSU Planetarium and Observatory Public Nights, with the most prominent visible objects listed in the order of their celestial appearance during the viewing period for the evening:

·      March 14: The hourlong planetarium shows will start at 4 p.m. and at 7 p.m., with sky observation following from 8 to 10 p.m. Visible objects will include Venus, the Orion Nebula and Sirius.

·      March 28: The hourlong planetarium shows will start at 4 p.m. and at 7 p.m., with sky observation following from 8 to 10 p.m. Visible objects will include the crescent moon, Venus, the Orion Nebula, Sirius and the Beehive star cluster.

·      April 4: The hourlong planetarium shows will start at 4 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m., with sky observation following from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Visible objects will include the waxing gibbous moon, the double-star Mizar and Alcor, and the binary star Algieba.

·      April 18: The hourlong planetarium shows will start at 4 p.m. and at 7:30 p.m., with sky observation following from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Visible objects will include Algieba, the red giant variable star R Leonis, and Mizar and Alcor.

·      May 2: The hourlong planetarium shows will start at 5 p.m. and at 8 p.m., with sky observation following from 9 to 11 p.m. Visible objects will include the waxing gibbous moon, Algieba, Mizar and Alcor, the red giant variable star Y Canum Venaticorum, and the M5 star cluster.

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·      May 16: The hourlong planetarium shows will start at 5 p.m. and at 8 p.m., with sky observation following from 9 to 11 p.m. Visible objects will include Mizar and Alcor, and the M5 and M13 star clusters.

For more information, contact the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Weave Through History @ The Glebe House

The Glebe House Museum will continue its “Colonial Life Series” focusing on the Colonial Life of Women. This series is presented with the help of a grant received from the “Women’s Giving Circle of the Connecticut Community Foundation”. The Colonial Life Series was designed to present the “lost” arts of colonial life, in an intimate setting, at our historic site. Immerse yourself in history in these programs based on the important contributions of women during the colonial period that affected not only their immediate household but their local community and beyond.

Weaving Thru History

Saturday, March 14 @ 12:00 pm

Weaving was already an ancient art in the colonial era, but how did it evolve and what were the advancements made by the 18^th century that allowed colonial women to provide their families with linens & clothing. Join Glebe Director, LoriAnn Witte, for this presentation about the history of weaving and its effect on the production of necessities, decorative arts, and fashion.

This program will be presented in the “kitchen” of the Glebe House Museum (c.1750), immersed in colonial artifacts and history. Light refreshments will be served.

Class Fee: $20 each for members - $25 each for non-members

*Registration is Required / Limited Seating

Call 203-263-2855 or office@glebehousemuseum.org

Over & Under: The Art of Weaving

Sunday, March 22 @ 1:00 pm

Have you ever wanted to learn how to weave, but find all of the available information complicated and the supplies pricey? Then this is the workshop for you! Participants will learn how to make a simple loom and the techniques for set up and basic weaving to get started. Glebe Director, LoriAnn Witte, will share her knowledge of 25+ years of weaving in the technique and tools of the trade. Join us for this hands-workshop presented in the “kitchen” of the Glebe House Museum (c.1750), immersed in colonial artifacts and history. Light refreshments will be served.

* Please contact Museum Director for information about Materials Fee.

Class Fee: $20 each for members - $25 each for non-members

Materials Fee: Please contact the Museum Director.

Registration is required / Limited seating.

Call 203-263-2855 or office@glebehousemuseum.org

Sign up for both programs and receive a $10 discount. 

All proceeds benefit the Glebe House Museum.

For more information about these programs, please visit our website at www.glebehousemuseum.org

To register please contact the Museum Office at 203-263-2855 or by email at office@glebehousemuseum.org.

Native American Traditional Maple Sugar Festival March 14

Maple Sugaring has been a tradition in New England for centuries that heralds the first glimpse of spring. This tradition was practiced long before the colonists arrived by Native Americans, who in fact where the first people to tap the sugar maple in order to make sugar. The gathering of sap and production of maple sugar is an important event in the annual lifecycle of Native Americans. It is a time when large extended families would gather at Sugar Maple plots to share in the work of making maple sugar.

On March 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington Connecticut, there will be a maple sugaring demonstration by Jeff and Judy Kalin of Primitive Technologies. The Kalins will demonstrate several traditional techniques of collecting sap and boiling it down into sugar. This maple sugar celebration, collection and boiling down process will take place in the newly restored 16th century replicated Algonquian Village. Visitors will listen to traditional Native American stories of the ways the sap was collected and how important the seasonal gift of maple sap is to the Native American community.

"We want visitors to the Institute to understand how Native people learned to transform the sap from a tree into sugar," explains Jeff Kalin. "We will be demonstrating the traditional techniques of collecting and evaporating this sap using a variety of tools and containers. Hot stones pulled from the fire will be used to evaporate the sap from wood containers, which alone would not have been able to withstand the direct fire." Kalin will explain how water is evaporated from sap using simple techniques and items made and collected from the forest, which is key to how Native Americans made maple sugar traditionally. Visitors will also learn about the importance of how understanding seasonality and their environment, made it possible for local inhabitants to use the sap from the maple tree to provide an annual supply of sugar for their use or trade among the Native American communities and colonists.

An added sweet bonus of this event is the “made from scratch” pancakes served up with local maple sugar, coffee, and orange juice. The Maple Sugar Demonstration is noon – 3 pm., the Pancake Brunch is 11 am – 2 p.m., and children’s activities are 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 pm. The cost is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, children are $6, and members are free. The pancake breakfast is an additional $5.

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 a 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.

Etuaptmumk- Two-Eyed Seeing February 22 @ the Institute for American Indian Studies

On Saturday, February 22, the Institute of American IndianStudies is hosting a culturally important program on research and sharing in regard to Indigenous People called Etuaptmumk- Two-Eyed Seeing. Etuaptmumk is a Mi’kmaw saying that translates to “Two-Eyed Seeing.” This concept refers to learning how to see from one eye the strengths of Indigenous knowledge and from the other eye the strengths of Western knowledge. The idea of “Two-Eyed Seeing” has been developed by Albert Marshall, an environmental voice and culture keeper for Eskasoni First Nation in Cape Breton. 

Join the IAIS Education Coordinator and Traditional Storyteller Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation along with IAIS Educator and Ecologist Susan Scherf for an interactive presentation and discussion that examines how people can include Etuaptmumk or “Two-Eyed Seeing” concept in their daily lives. This method of thought and research is a way for Native and Non-Native people to understand one another and to collaborate. Community engagement between the two groups is of paramount importance and leads to authenticity.

This fascinating program strives to share research paradigms and approaches that align with Indigenous worldviews. A trend in the academic world, that many scholars are using Marshall's Two-Eyed Seeing as a framework to understand and use western methods and theory with indigenous knowledge. When Indigenous people become part of the research rather than those being researched, the results of this research and understanding will be transformed. Questions will be framed differently and priorities will change.

The Etuaptmumk- Two-Eyed Seeing program takes place at 1:30 p.m. on February 22 and is included in the price of admission that is $10 adults, $8 seniors, and $6 children.

Haight-Brown Vineyard Winter Fest in Litchfield

The Haight Brown Vineyard in Litchfield on Chestnut Hill Road is hosting a Winter Fest on February 15 and 16. The event will feature roaming wine pairing and live music by Tom Burgess.

Participants will taste a portfolio of wine that is paired with tapas, cheese, and chocolate.  The wines and pairings will be served in different rooms at the vineyard. A highlight of the day will be the release of Haight Brown Vineyard's new wine Aqua Vita.

Tickets to the winter fest are available in advance by clicking here for the 15th and here for the 16th.  The winter fest runs from noon to 6 p.m. and it is suggested that you arrive no later than 3:30 pm. Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door on the day of the event.

February the month of Love and the Magic of Courting Flutes @ Institute for American Indian Studies February 15, 2020

February is often called the month of love – a time for Valentine’s Day and, the time to remember and emphasize the importance of love in our lives. In Native American culture the mind, the spirit, the love of one’s roots, the love of nature, and of others is ingrained culturally. Stories are one way of communicating the love of nature and of life and courting flutes are another way of expressing feelings of love and the appreciation of the beauty of nature.

The Institute of American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington has organized a program on the magic of courting flutes that allows visitors to delve into traditional Native American Music. It is a wonderful way to top off Valentine's Day week. On Saturday, February 15, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Ojibway artist, and musician Allan Madahbee will explain the cultural significance and the hauntingly beautiful sound of the Native American courting flute. The legend of the courting flute will be told highlighting these beautifully made instruments that are deeply rooted in the traditions of Eastern Woodland indigenous peoples. Participants will see and hear a variety of courting flutes and will have the chance to examine them as they listen to their soothing sound. Courting flutes are available in our gift shop and there will be a limited selection of courting flutes available for purchase on the day of this event. If you already own a flute, feel free to bring it along!

About Allan Madahbee

Today, makers of Native American Flutes like Ojibway artist and musician AllanMadahbee craft their personal style and sound into their creations. Madahbee began to research the Chippewa flute culture and was influenced and mentored by Joseph Firecrow of the Cheyenne Nation. "We became friends and he provided guidance and feedback and explained some of his methods of flute making. With his passing last year, we have all lost a great Native American flute maker and musician. I am proud to continue our flute making traditions." The sound of the courting flute that is usually made of cedar has an uncommon scale for Western music and is entrancing.

Born on the shores of Lake Huron, Allan Madahbee is a member of the Ojibway (Chippewa) Nation that has pursued the traditional arts and crafts of his ancestors. He has been making Native American flutes for about ten years. "I had always thought they were a product of the Southwest Indian tribes, but a book that I found that was written during the 1800s about Chippewa culture, had a passage about the Chippewa flutes, along with pictures. This made me realize that they were indeed a part of my Chippewa culture. Knowing that my ancestors constructed these flutes for hundreds of years has inspired me to continue this tradition. Also, the haunting sound from these mystical instruments is a large part of my inspiration."

Along with constructing Woodland flutes, beaded moccasins, woodcarvings, Native American regalia, and rock sculptures, Madahbee always returns to his artistic roots in paintings and weavings. Mainly self-taught, Madahbee attended school with fellow Ojibway artists Blake Debassige and James Simon - two well known Anishnawbe artists that are respected and have their paintings displayed around the world.

Space is limited and reservations are suggested. To make sure you get a spot call the Institute for American IndianStudies at (860) 868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org to reserve your spot. The program is included in the price of admission: $10 adults; $8 seniors; $6 children; IAIS Members free.

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 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.