Events by this organizer

Wednesday March 29, 7:00pm
Virtual Event, in partnership with Mercy by the Sea

Looking to expand your reading list and discuss a variety of issues and topics important to Native people? If so, please join our virtual book club, As They Speak: Native Voices in Today’s Literature. Based on a variety of topics and featuring a range of genres, all of the books we will be reading have been written by contemporary Native authors. This month, in partnership with Mercy By The Sea Retreat and Conference Center in Madison, we will be reading Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Everyday by Kaitlin Curtice (Potawatomi). In her latest work, Curtice explores four “realms of resistance”–the personal, the communal, the ancestral, and the integral–and shows how these realms overlap and why all are needed for our liberation. Readers will be empowered to seek wholeness in whatever spheres of influence they inhabit. Join the conversation, hosted by the staff of IAIS and Mercy by the Sea on Zoom.

Please note: this book releases on March 7. Already available for pre-order in various online venues, a limited number of advance copies will also be available in the IAIS gift shop.

In order to have a more intimate conversation, space is limited. This is a FREE event, but donations are appreciated.

Register here

Saturday April 1, 1:00 – 4:00pm 
In-Person Event

Do you have any stone artifacts or Northeastern Native American cultural items? Between 1:00 and 4:00pm, join our Research Department for an Artifact I.D. Day. join the conversation as we identify and provide interesting commentary about your items. While we can’t appraise or speculate about the value of an object, we can certainly talk about the who, what, when, where, and how of your mystery items!

Please limit 12 artifacts per person. Space is limited, pre-registration is requested. Please visit our website (www.iaismuseum.org) to register via Eventbrite. Questions? Please call (860) 868-0518 or email [email protected] Price of participation: $15 for Non-Members, $5 for IAIS Members.

Saturday April 8, 11:00am 
In-Person Event

Join us for our Annual Members’ Meeting, where we will formally elect our 2023 Officers and Trustees. Afterwards, join IAIS Staff for a celebration of the Kalin family and their contributions to the Institute. Attendees will learn more about Jeff and Judy Kalin’s work with IAIS, including village construction, primitive skills workshops, flint-knapping sessions, pottery reproduction, and more.

To attend, please RSVP by email to [email protected]. Light Refreshments will be provided. This event is a Members’ only event.

Sunday, April 16, 1:00pm

Throughout the year, the IAIS Education Department frequently offers educational workshops on Sunday afternoons.  Express your creativity while learning about the world around you and connecting with a culture that has thousands of years of history in this area. This week, we invite visitors to join our IAIS educators to learn more about local flora as we lay out our native plants garden, afterwards you can learn how to make an ever-blooming flower out of corn husks.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Please visit our website (www.iaismuseum.org) to register through Eventbrite. Price of Participation:  $15 for Non-Members, $5 for IAIS Members.

Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23, 2023 at Mercy by The Sea in Madison, CT (Overnight and Commuter options available)

Based on Kaitlin Curtice’s new book Living Resistance: An Indigenous Vision for Seeking Wholeness Every Day (Baker Books, March 2023), Kaitlin will facilitate this weekend retreat at Mercy by The Sea Retreat and Conference Center in Madison, CT, based on the four realms of resistance: Personal, Communal, Ancestral, and Integral.  Spend time conversing in small and large groups, journaling, and enjoying private time in beautiful seaside surroundings to reflect and integrate. A book signing with the author will follow the retreat on Sunday. For this weekend program, Mercy by the Sea partnering with the IAIS, whose educators will be in attendance and providing experiential activities during participants’ private time.

For more information about the author and this retreat, register here or call Guest Services at (203) 245-0401, Ext 114 for details. The Mercy For All Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance for those who cannot afford the full fee, thanks to contributions from generous donors and the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas.

Wednesday April 26, 7:00pm
Virtual Event

Looking to expand your reading list and discuss a variety of issues and topics important to Native people? If so, please join our virtual book club, As They Speak: Native Voices in Today’s Literature. Based on a variety of topics and featuring a range of genres, all of the books we will be reading have been written by contemporary Native authors.

This month, in celebration of National Poetry Month, we will be reading and discussing Living Nations, Living Words: An Anthology of First Peoples’ Poems. Curated and introduced by 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo (Muskogee), this anthology is a companion to her signature laureate project, which gathers the work of contemporary Native poets into a national digital map of story, sound, and space. This work allows readers a chance to hold the wealth of poems in their hands. Join the virtual conversation hosted by IAIS Staff on Zoom.

In order to have a more intimate conversation, space is limited. Please visit our website (www.iaismuseum.org) to register through Eventbrite. This is a FREE event, but donations are appreciated.  In order to create a welcoming environment for all participants, this event will NOT be recorded

Sunday April 30, 11:00am and 1:00pm 
In-Person Event

Sign up for one of two sessions with IAIS Educator and Traditional Skills Expert Griffin Kalin on a scenic and informative hike to the banks of the Shepaug River in Steep Rock. Through hands-on experiences and engaging demonstrations, learn about traditional fishing methods, such as making and maintaining fish houses, the construction and use of fish traps, and the production and function of fish weirs. Dive into discussions about other river consumables including turtles, crayfish, and freshwater mussels, as well as edible & useful plants. “Wet” your appetite for knowledge about traditional indigenous lifeways relating to the river.

Please Note: Participants should dress appropriately for the weather, including proper footwear for a short hike. Parts of the trail can be steep.

In order to have a more intimate conversation, space is limited. Please visit our website (www.iaismuseum.org) to register through Eventbrite. Price of participation: $15 for Non-Members, $5 for IAIS Members.