At The Museum

Compare the lives of Native Americans years ago to life in the Northeast today. In this program students will learn how Native Americans interacted with their environment. Students will understand tool innovations, why specific homes were created, and how available materials were used. These adaptations were crucial to survival and are still in use today. Participants will learn about Northeastern Indian family life, as well as indigenous peoples’ interaction with the woodland environment and their progression through time.

Standard Program Length: 2 to 2½ hours

$12 per student with $180 minimum (15 Students)

Common Core Standards

Connecticut State Standards

Learn about the fight for resources through activities and guided discussions from the perspectives of both Native Americans and Colonists. Explore how tribal economy and identity was impacted by westward expansion. Discover how the lives of Connecticut Natives changed with the environment, and how climate shaped many Native cultures across the United States.

Standard Program Length: 2 to 2½ hours

$12 per student with $180 minimum (15 Students)

Common Core Standards

Connecticut State Standards

Initiate meaningful discussion of European-Native American interactions. Students will explore post-contact history and its impact on public knowledge and Native identity. These young adults will identify with both points of view when two cultures clash.

Standard Program Length: 2 to 2½ hours

$12 per student with $180 minimum (15 Students)

Common Core Standards

Connecticut State Standards

Quinnetukut: Our Homeland, Our History

Much of what we learn about Connecticut’s past comes from a colonized perspective that has almost entirely left out the voices of Indigenous people who have called this land home for over 12,000 years. How knowledge about the past is preserved and passed down in different cultures affects how history is perceived. In this presentation, led by Education Director Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, participants will get a more complete and accurate view of the history of Connecticut that takes the perspectives of Native people into account.

Etuaptmumk: Two-Eyed Seeing in Our Daily Lives

Etuaptmumk is a Mi’kmaw saying that translates to “Two-Eyed Seeing.” This concept refers to learning how to see the strengths of Indigenous knowledge from one eye and the strengths of Western knowledge from the other.  Two-Eyed Seeing can lead to powerful transcultural and collaborative work to leave the world a better place for future generations. Join IAIS Education Director and Traditional Storyteller Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, and IAIS Educator and ecologist Susan Scherf to discuss how people can include this “Two-Eyed Seeing” concept in their daily lives. 

Food For Thought: The Thanksgiving Story

What does Thanksgiving mean to you, and how do you celebrate it? Is it a day to spend time with family and friends? Is it a time to eat lots of delicious food? Is it a time to be thankful for the positive things in your life? As you can see, this holiday can mean different things to different people. For Native Americans today, answering the questions above is not so simple. Join an IAIS Educator to discuss the myths and misconceptions surrounding this holiday. From documents written at that time and from Wampanoag oral histories, you will find the history of Thanksgiving is more surprising than you might think.

More Than A Number: MMIWG2S

Join Education Director Darlene Kascak, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, for a virtual discussion about the ongoing efforts to raise awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Children, and 2 Spirits (MMIWG2S), as well as Native initiatives designed to bring attention to this issue. This program will discuss contributing factors to this epidemic and its impact on Native communities. What are the next steps beyond raising awareness? How can you get involved? What are some movements in Indian Country seeking to address this serious issue? 

“Tales of a Forgotten Day”; Myth and Memory at Lover’s Leap

This presentation explores the creation of the “Legend of Weantinaug” – a story associated with the falls at Lover’s Leap State Park in New Milford – and how it has shaped our perceptions about Native people and their place within the landscape. Join IAIS Assistant Director and Exhibit Curator Paul Wegner for a discussion on the latest archaeological and historical research at this site, as well as projects underway to uncover the accurate indigenous history of the area known to Algonkian-speaking peoples as Metichewan.

A Sweet Tradition: Maple Sugaring in Native American Communities

Did you know that when you pour syrup on your pancakes, you’re biting into a treat with a rich history? Native Americans have been involved in the production of maple syrup and maple sugar for thousands of years. Join an IAIS Staff Member for a sweet presentation in which we share the stories, history, and traditional methods of making this tasty treat, which has enriched the lives of people throughout the world.

Ecology: The Natural World, Etuaptmumk: Two-Eyed Seeing (combining traditional Native knowledge and Western science), Our Feathered and Furry Friends: Birds and Mammals, All Our Relations: Woodland Plants and Animals, Learning From Plants: Botany, Waterworks: River Ecology, A Bug’s Life: Entomology, The Dirty Details: Soil and Erosion, A Place to Call Home: Habitats, Putting Down Roots: Trees and Plants, Life Skills: Animal Adaptations, Reading the Clouds: Seasons, Weather and Climate, The Web of Life: Food Webs,  Carbon Footprint: Human Impacts on the Environment; Rocking Your World: Geology, Testing a Theory: The Scientific Method.

Staying Alive: Our Five Basic Needs, Warps and Wefts: Weaving, Arrow-Dynamics: Archery and Atlatls, Finding Your Way: Orienteering, Directions and Map Reading, Outdoor Survival 101: Knot Tying, Fire Starting, and Shelter Building.

Culture and Community in Native Societies; The View from The Shore or The View From the Boat? Understanding Different Perspectives; Quinnetukut: Local Native History; Working Together: Group Dynamics; We Are Still Here: Community, Social Change and Cultural Endurance, The Four Directions: Regional Differences in Native Cultures; Map Masters: Geography, Manifest Destiny? Westward Expansion, Art History and Art Appreciation, Appropriation vs Appreciation: Native Arts, Crafts, and Music; What Does a Native Look Like? Confronting Stereotypes, A Storied Tradition: Oral Histories and Cultural Knowledge.

Cub Scouts will piece together the puzzles of the past with this interactive, three-hour archaeology program. By exploring stratigraphy and through careful consideration of clues and attention to detail, Scouts will practice skills archaeologists use to understand the diverse ways people survived and thrived in the past. Get your hands dirty and participate in a mock excavation! Due to weather restrictions for this activity, excavations will only occur between the months of March and November. (Appropriate for Scouts age 8 and up).

Brownies can engage their sense of sight, sound, touch, and smell during this sensational, one-and-a-half-hour program. See what you can spot in our indoor Sachem’s longhouse furnished with replicated Eastern Woodlands artifacts and a mural depicting life thousands of years ago. Listen to the world around you in our outdoor replicated Algonkian village. Explore textures and scents with an interactive guessing game. For an added experience, and to complete more portions of the journey, leaders can bring along a treat for a tasty snack activity. If choosing this option, please let us know in advance of any allergies and what you plan to bring.

Girl Scouts will explore the lives of Native Americans, past and present in this engaging, hands-on, two-hour program. Get a glimpse into the world of pre-contact Native Americans in our replicated 16^th century Algonkian village and indoor sachem’s house, which is furnished with replicated garden tools, a canoe, cradleboard and other everyday tools. Scouts will have the opportunity to learn survival skills vital to life in the Eastern Woodlands. Learn about the diverse cultures that still thrive today. Add a craft and give your scouts a chance to bring home a memory made with their own hands.

Girl Scouts will dig into the past with this interactive, hands-on archaeology program. Throughout this four-hour program, Scouts will learn about the techniques archaeologists use, such as point typology, experimental archaeology and careful consideration of clues, in order to unravel the mysteries of the past and interpret the diverse ways people survived and thrived thousands of years ago. Get your hands dirty and participate in a mock excavation! Due to weather restrictions for this activity, excavations will only occur between the months of March and November. (Appropriate for Scouts age 8 and up).

Boy Scouts will engage with diverse Native American ways of life past and present, while earning requirements toward the Indian Lore Merit Badge in this two-and-a-half-hour program. Get a glimpse into the world of pre-contact Native Americans in our replicated 16^th century Algonkian Village and indoor Sachem’s house, furnished and containing replicated garden tools, artifacts, everyday tools and technology, everything you would need to survive in the woodlands. Practice survival skills vital for daily life in the Eastern Woodlands and try your hand at shelter building. Add a craft to bring home a memory made with your own hands!

Boy Scouts will dig into the past as they earn requirements toward the archaeology merit badge in this hands-on, four-hour archaeology program. From point typology to experimental archaeology, as well as through careful consideration of evidence and attention to detail, Scouts will practice the skills and tools that archaeologists use to unravel the mysteries of the past, in order to interpret the diverse ways people survived and thrived. Get your hands dirty and participate in a mock excavation! Due to weather restrictions for this activity, excavations will only occur between the months of March and November.

In Native cultures, oral storytelling teaches, guides and entertains. Enjoy the lessons and magic of these traditional stories as told by an experienced Native American storyteller.

Cost (in addition to core program): $3 per student

Make and take home a Native American-inspired craft under the guidance of IAIS educators. To ensure availability of materials, crafts must be booked at least 3 weeks in advance.

Talking Sticks: $7.00 per student (2^nd grade and up)

Beading: $5.00 per student (All Ages)

Clay Pottery: $5.00 per student (All Ages)

Corn Husk Dolls: $5.00 per student (2^nd grade and up)