Category: Connecticut Travel

These days there are many ways to trace one’s ancestral roots — from DNA kits to massive websites; but sometimes insider knowledge can save a person a great deal of time and aggravation. This is especially true for tracing one’s Native American ancestry. To start your voyage of discovery or to get past a research hump, join Jeanne Morningstar Kent to learn how to trace your Native American heritage on May 12, at the Institute of American Indian Studies in Washington Connecticut, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Tracing Native American genealogy can be tricky because there are very few official records about early Native Americans. Morningstar is an enrolled member of the Nulhegan Band, Coosuk-Abenaki of Vermont, and descended from Nipissing, Montagnais, and the Algonquin People from the Quebec area of Canada, making her uniquely qualified to help you navigate the somewhat complicated ways of tracing your Native American ancestry.

Participants in this workshop will learn the best places to begin research, which can be a fascinating and rewarding process. The focus of this workshop will be most helpful for people tracing Native Ancestors in New England and Quebec, Canada. “This talk is geared to New England and Quebec because it is based on my own genealogy work for myself and my father’s family. This is what I am most familiar with. I am currently working on another family line that is in the Midwest and southern states, so I will be able to answer some questions regarding pursuing non Native research in those areas,” says Morningstar.

Highlights of this program are the helpful hints that Morningstar will share to make your research easier. Some hints will be places to find information and how to recognize Native names even though they sound like Christian names.

Based on her successful research of her own Native American ancestry, Morningstar will provide essential information on the best techniques for tracing your Native past. “Anyone who has heard family stories about an ancestor being Native with possible roots from Canada will be most interested in what I cover. I am open to answering whatever genealogy questions I can as I am now pursuing my mother’s side of the family, which is not Native and primarily requires research in the Midwest and southern states of the USA. It is different.

This workshop, Moccasin Tracks: Native American Genealogy with Jeanne Morningstar Kent is expected to sell out and reservations are required. Call 860-868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org to reserve your place. Adults are $15, Seniors $13, Children are $11 and members of IAIS are $5.

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.

Have you ever tasted raw clams and oysters fresh off an oyster boat, visited a 4th generation oyster farm or witnessed the blessing of a fleet of boats? Get ready for an unforgettable way to experience our shoreline at the Seaport Association’s Copps Island Oyster Luau on May 19, 2018, from 6 pm to 8 pm at one of Connecticut’s most revered oyster companies, Norm Bloom & Son Oyster Farm in Norwalk.

Tracing its origins back centuries to Mediterranean fishing villages, the annual Blessing of the Fleet ceremony hosted by the Seaport Association is based on a tradition meant to ensure a safe and bountiful season for the area’s commercial fishing community as well as for the Seaport’s vessel, C. J. Toth, that offers cruises to Sheffield Island from May through September.

Over the years, the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony has evolved into a variety of festivities hosted by the Seaport Association and this year’s new event, Copp’s Island Luau promises a night of good food and drink among friends, old and new. This New England style Luau has been organized to celebrate the treasures of our Connecticut coastline… clams and oysters! The event will be held on Copps Island at Norm Bloom and Son, a fourth-generation family owned farm that provides some of the freshest and most luscious oysters and clams that you will ever taste!

The fun doesn’t stop there! Expect to enjoy the tropical sounds of a ukulele trio, savor island-themed hors-d’oeuvres, and sip on beer and wine. The Seaport Association has even concocted “one” special tropical drink, called “Tropical Grace” to salute the “Grace P. Lowndes Oyster Boat. All of this is included in the cost of the ticket that helps to raise funds for the programs of the Seaport Association that include the preservation of our maritime heritage, the environment of Long Island Sound and to help children experience the 150-year-old Sheffield Lighthouse. So, pull out your most colorful Hawaiian shirt and join in the fun!

This unique experience is limited to only 200 special guests so be sure to get your ticket early as this event is expected to be a complete sellout. Tickets are $75 online before May 6 and $85 after May 7, and, at the door if space permits. This event welcomes adults 21 and up only. For Tickets click here. And, after this fantastically fun event, there is still time to explore all that Norwalk has to offer.

About the Seaport Association

Formed in 1978 by a group of local citizens the Seaport Association offers a cultural, environmental, and historical journey to the Norwalk Islands. The Sheffield Island Lighthouse and the Light Keeper’s Cottage provide a unique historical and educational landmark that strives to increase awareness, appreciation, and consideration of our environment and how the preservation of historic buildings and nature contribute to our quality of life.

It is our belief that preservation strengthens the perpetual partnership between the past, present, and future. As an Association, we are dedicated in our efforts to preserve our maritime heritage, the environment of Long Island Sound, and helping children experience our 150-year-old lighthouse on Sheffield Island.

About Copps Island Oysters

Norm Bloom and Son founded in 1994 have spent countless hours on the water doing what they love most, harvesting and farming oysters. The Bloom family has been involved in the oyster business since the 1940s and today, Norm Bloom and Sons is one of the largest oyster farms on the east coast.

With an eye to the future, Norm Bloom and Sons have teamed up with marine biologists and local oystermen to preserve Long Island Sound in order to create a sustainable breeding and farming environment for the shellfish industry.

When people think of Native American weapons, bows and arrows are usually the first thing that springs to mind and with good reason. Just about every tribe had some form of a bow and arrow that was used for hunting or warfare, and sometimes for both. Before the bow and arrow, Native Americans used something called an Atlatl for hunting and fishing. To learn more about this ancient technology and to make and throw your own atlatl, The Institute for American Indian Studies is hosting a very special workshop, Before the Bow and Arrow: Atlatl, on May 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with Gary Nolf, past president of the World Atlatl Association.

About the Atlatl

An atlatl is one of humankind’s first mechanical inventions that preceded the bow and arrow in most parts of the world. Basically, an atlatl is an ancient type of a spear thrower that was used to throw a spear farther and faster towards the quarry. The word atlatl comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs who were using them when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s.

According to the World Atlatl Association, early people in the Americas used atlatls to hunt mammoths and mastodons around 11,000 years B.C. Much later, a variety of atlatl types were used in different parts of North America. Many of the large stone projectile points found in North American sites were used with atlatl darts and not arrowheads. Atlatls continued to be used alongside bows and arrows by many Native Americans. Experimentation through the years taught Naive American hunters that by using a spear throwing stick, or atlatl and using a whip-like action to release the spear the weapon would go a greater distance and have a deeper penetration.

Atlatls were used to fish and to hunt large and small game animals. Typically the projectile point of the spearhead was made of hard stone such as flint that was made by a Native American flintknapper. The spearhead was attached to a wooden shaft made of hardwood such as ash, hickory, oak, cedar, walnut or birch. The spear measured about 4 feet long and the atlatl thrower measured about two feet long and was typically made of wood or antler. In time, an atlatl weight was added to the spear thrower as a counter-balance and good luck charm to help the hunter hit his quarry. The spear holder was retained after the spear was thrown and sometimes a leather thong was attached to help the thrower retain it.

The Workshop

Participants in the atlatl workshop will learn the history of the atlatl and how there were used by Native Americans. Under the guidance of atlatl expert Gary Nolf, you will learn about the different designs of this ancient weapon before making your own atlatl and dart.

If you like to make things with your hands and test your skills, then this workshop is for you. A highlight of the day is the test of your workmanship and skill in a just for fun atlatl throwing competition! If you become an atlatl fan, you might want to compete atlatl competitions that are held worldwide!

This workshop ($13 seniors, $15 adults, $11 children, $5 IAIS members) is expected to sell out so make sure to reserve your space by calling 860-868-0518 or emailing general@iaismuseum.org. Please note that an adult must accompany participants under the age of 18.

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.

WOTOWN THE MUSICAL presented by Worklight Productions is coming to the Palace Theater May 11 – 13 for four performances. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.palacetheaterct.org, by phone at 203-346-2000, or in person at the Box Office, 100 East Main St. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 203.346.3011

Featuring more than 40 classic hits such as “My Girl” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” MOTOWN THE MUSICAL tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and so many more. MOTOWN THE MUSICAL’s arrangements and orchestrations are by Grammy and Tony Award® nominee Ethan Popp (Rock of Ages), who also serves as music supervisor in reproducing the classic “Sound of Young America,” with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Tony Award® nominee Bryan Crook (“Smash”) and dance arrangements by Zane Mark (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL was originally produced by Tony Award® winning producer Kevin McCollum (Rent, In the Heights, Avenue Q), Chairman and CEO of SONY Music Entertainment Doug Morris and Motown Founder Berry Gordy, in association with Work Light Productions. For more information, visit www.MotownTheMusical.com.

About the Palace Theater

The Palace’s primary purpose is to revitalize the Greater Waterbury community through the presentation of the performing arts and educational initiatives in collaboration with area cultural and educational institutions. Its mission is to preserve and operate the historic Palace Theater as a performing arts center and community gathering place that provides a focal point of cultural activity and educational outreach for diverse audiences. For more information, visit: www.palacetheaterct.org.

Did you know that Saturday, April 28 is Independent Bookshop Day? Independent Bookstore Day marks its fourth year of celebrating independent bookstores
nationwide on Saturday, April 28th, with literary parties around the country. The Hickory Stick Bookshop will be celebrating with refreshments, giveaways, and activities throughout the day, as well as two book signings: Deborah Dayal and Rose Petruzzi will sign Dancing Inside, a book of poetry with watercolor illustrations, at 1pm; Bibi Gaston will sign Gifford Pinchot and the First Foresters at 2:30pm, coinciding with
The Steep Rock Association’s Family Workshop Weekend.

The Hickory Stick Bookshop will also offer exclusive day-of merchandise created especially for Independent Bookstore Day by major publishers and authors. Since its inception in 2014, more than 200 authors have demonstrated their support for independent bookstores by donating work for Bookstore Day.

The 2018 IBD author ambassador Celeste Ng (Little Fires Everywhere and Everything I Never Told You) says, “My favorite thing about independent bookstores is that they all have their own distinct personalities: each reflects not just the tastes but also the ideals of its community. From the second you walk in, you get a sense of what the people who shop there know and enjoy—as well as what’s currently on their minds, what they want to learn, and what they value: in short, what kinds of people they want to be. Bookstores are more than just repositories of knowledge, they’re living, breathing, evolving representations of our best selves. I love Independent Bookstore Day because it asks readers, writers, and booksellers to join in celebrating all that bookstores represent. It’s a gathering to remind ourselves that the written word can change both us and the world, and of what’s possible when we all come together.”

This event is free and open to the public. For more information please call The Hickory Stick Bookshop at 860-868-0525, email books@hickorystickbookshop.com, or visit www.hickorystickbookshop.com.

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.