Celebrate with the Institute for American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies is celebrating 50 years since its founding in 1975 with two summer events. On Sunday, August 10, we will present our renowned Green Corn Festival in Hollow Park, Woodbury. The 20th year of this festival recognizes that corn is an integral part of the annual life cycle of Native American People and celebrates the time when the first tender ears are ripe for picking. Welcome the first corn of the season with drumming, dancing, Indigenous-focused activities, vendors, Native storytelling, and more! Enjoy the Native Nations Dance Troupe led by Erin Lamb Meeches (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation) and flute music by Allan Madahbee (Ojibwe). The event will occur rain or shine from noon to 4:00 pm. Tickets are available on the website: www.iaismuseum.org, and on the day of the event.

On Thursday, August 14, we will celebrate our 50th Anniversary with a gala at Hopkins Vineyard. Honorary Chairs Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation) and Matt Kent, Pilobolus Artistic Director, invite you to join IAIS for hearty hors d’oeuvres, wine and other libations, flute music by Allan Madahbee (Ojibwe), and a special dance performance by Pilobolus. Darlene, the Institute’s Outreach Ambassador and acclaimed Native storyteller, collaborated with Matt Kent to provide narration and insight on Indigenous-inspired dances. The evening will also acknowledge founding member Edmund Swigart, respected archaeologist and teacher, and the inspiring guidance provided by Adelphena Logan, an esteemed elder of the Onondaga Tribe.

Gala tickets range from Quinnetukut, Wigwam, and Three Sisters sponsorship levels to individual tickets. Reservations are available at http://www.iaismuseum.org. For additional information, email events@iaismuseum.org or call 860-868-0518.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies
The Institute for American Indian Studies is a museum and research center dedicated to tracing more than 12,000 years of Indigenous accomplishments and celebrating the vibrant lifeways of contemporary Indigenous communities. Exhibits, programs, and a replicated Algonkian village provide opportunities to learn about the Woodland Indians who have lived in the northeast since time immemorial.

Washington’s Institute for American Indian Studies Holding Green Corn Festival Brings Visitors and Indigenous People Together August 13

The Institute for American Indian Studies, located in Washington, CT, is holding its 18th annual Green Corn Festival on Sunday, August 13th from Noon to 4:00 pm at River Walk Pavilion, 11a School Street, in Washington, CT. This festival gives visitors a glimpse into Native American life and traditions.

Corn is an integral part of the annual lifecycle of Native American people that have welcomed the season when corn ripens with a celebration for centuries. In recognition of this time-honored tradition, join IAIS Museum Staff as they welcome the first corn of the summer 2023 season with flute music by Allan Madahbee (Ojibwe), drumming, children’s activities curated by the Institute’s staff like making corn husk dolls to take home, and traditional stories told by a professional Native American Storyteller.

For shoppers and collectors, don’t miss the vendors that are selling Native American-inspired arts and crafts at a variety of price points. All the festivities are taking place in a beautiful park with a sheltered wooden pavilion, picnic tables, and plenty of free parking.

If you have always wondered what Indigenous food tastes like, you will be able to try some authentic Native American cuisine and more at the Green Corn Festival. Jason Cogswell Lamb, Schaghticoke, of Mashquanon’s Wetu will be cooking up some of his favorite contemporary and traditional indigenous cuisine sure to delight the palette. GV Bites Food Truck will be whipping up Colombian fusion food, and Polar Sweets Ice Cream will be serving more than 40 flavors of ice cream that will help beat the heat!

The annual highlight of the Green Corn Festival is the Native Nations Dance Troupe led by Erin Meeches, from the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation. Each dance performed has an uplifting and unique story or purpose. Some use movements that imitate animals and others represent an aspect of cultural significance. These traditional dances are sure to delight because they evoke the beauty, honor, and tradition of Native People. The Quahog Bay Drum Group led by Devin Wixon from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Nation will accompany the dances. The dancing will take place at 1 p.m. and at 3 p.m.

Admission for this event held rain or shine, is $15 for Adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for children, $10 for IAIS Members, and free for members’ children. Pre-registration is greatly appreciated, click here to register https://iaismuseum.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/13017.

About Green Corn
The expression “Green Corn” refers to the first ripened sweet corn that you can eat. The Green Corn Ceremony is marked with dancing, feasting, fasting, and religious observations. In the Eastern Woodland areas, Native people depended on three staples – corn, beans, and squash. These food items were so important that they were called “The Three Sisters.” The Three Sisters were mixed together to make a vegetable dish called succotash that is still popular today.

About 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 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present 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 at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.