May Programs  For Myriad Interests At IAIS

WASHINGTON — The Institute for American Studies (IAIS) has a number of programs planned during the month of May. Details and pricing for each program follow.  The museum is at 38 Curtis Road (off Route 199), and can be reached by calling 860-868-0518.

*“An Introduction to Flower Essences” will be offered Saturday, May 10, from 1 to 2:30 pm.

Connecticut Herbalist and Flower Essence Practitioner Lupo Connell will offer an introductory workshop on the world of flower essences, dilute extracts of various types of flowers that are used to help alleviate negative emotional states that may contribute to illness or hinder personal growth.

Ms Lupo will discuss the history of flower essences, how flower essences work in the body, and the use of flower essence therapy for people, pets and plants. Participants will receive free literature and samples.

Cost is $15 per person ($12 for IAIS), and Connecticut educators can earn 0.15 CEUs for participating.

*Artifact Identification Day will take place Sunday, May 18, from noon to 2 pm.

Did your spring cleaning uncover some mysterious items? Bring those unidentified Indian stones and cultural items to IAIS for identification.

Director of Research & Collections Dr Lucianne Lavin will be available to offer her expertise acquired from 20-plus years experience in the field of archaeology. There is a limit of 12 items per visitor.

The ID workshop will be included in regular museum admission ($5 adults, $4.50 seniors, $3 children).

*The Litchfield Hills Archaeology Club lecture for May will concern “Military Archaeology & Why the Revolutionary War is Important to 21st Century Americans.”

On Sunday, May 18, at 3 pm, Dr Laurie Weinstein, of Western Connecticut State University, will  present new and important information discovered during her investigation of a Revolutionary War encampment in western Connecticut aided by Dr Bethany Morrison, her co-director.

This lecture was originally scheduled for January; this is the make-up snow date.

Admission is free for members of Litchfield Hills Archaeology Club and $5 for non-members.

*Ever wonder how indigenous peoples of Connecticut  hunted, created fire and crafted tools from stone? On Saturday, May 24, visit IAIS for a fun afternoon of primitive skills, when Jeff Kalin leads “Primitive Skills Day” from 11 am to 2 pm.

Mr Kalin, of Primitive Technologies Inc., will demonstrate various flintknapping techniques used for making projectile points, awls, and scrapers and discuss the various types of stone materials used. Outside in the museum’s Algonkian village Judy Kalin will show how Native Peoples cooked using clay pottery and the seasonal foods available; and survivalist Jamie Leffler will teach visitors how to use bow and twist drills to create fire,  as well as the process of making glue for bows, knife handles, etc.

Finally, participants will be invited to test their throwing arm with anthropologist and IAIS educator Kimberly Parent, when she demonstrate how to throw a spear using an atlatl.

Cost for the workshop is $10 for adults and $6 for children.

*Finally, IAIS’s Film Festival will continue on Saturday, May 31 and Sunday,  June 1, with screenings at 2 pm.

Part five of the six-part film festival from TBS series The Native Americans will feature the next installment, “The People of the Plains: The Coming of the Horses, the White Man and the Rifle.”

The horse, rifle and alcohol all changed the life of the Native Americans. Viewers will see accounts of the Sand Creek and Wounded Knee massacres as lived and recounted by the Crow, Comanche, Sioux, Kiowa, and Apache. The film has a running time of 50 minutes, and the festival is included in museum admission.