The Institute for American Indian Studies

The Institute for American Indian Studies IAIS is a museum, as well as an education and research center in Washington CT. IAIS is open year-round, seven days a week (except major U.S.
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Join us in our mission to preserve and educate about the diverse traditions, vitality, and knowledge of Indigenous Cultures. The Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS) museum, education and research center in Washington, CT opened its doors in 1975 as an outgrowth of local efforts to recover New England's, then largely unknown, indigenous history. IAIS' core values of preservation, educatio

n and sharing of Native American cultures, traditions and community from deep history to contemporary times are the foundations of our programs, lectures, events, workshops and research. holidays) offering 4 exhibit galleries, a Children's Discovery Room, replicated outdoor 16th century Algonkian village, the Four Directions Gift Shop plus outdoor gardens and trails along our 15 acres of woodland landscape. Come explore the past, engage with the present, and embrace Mother Earth at the Institute for American Indian Studies. Walk in the footsteps of Native Americans past and present and experience Life in the Woodlands!

Over the past 15 years, Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Powwows have spread all across Turtle Island with the twofold goal of...
06/14/2026

Over the past 15 years, Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Powwows have spread all across Turtle Island with the twofold goal of sharing resources and celebrating joy—things desperately needed in a time of increasing discrimination and legal assaults on 2SLGBTQ+ rights.

On top of celebration and forming community, these powwows also function as a space for coalition building in the fight for educational and legal justice. As David Herrera (Mestizo and adopted Blackfeet), co-founder and Executive Director of the Montana Two Spirit Society, says, “We’re not going to go away, we’re not going to allow you to erase us and erase our culture, despite what the federal government and state legislatures continue to try and do.”

Read the full article, “Two-Spirit Powwows: Shared Resources to Help Celebrate Indigiqueer Joy” by Nika Bartoo Smith through Underscore Native News at the following link: https://www.underscore.news/justice/lgbtqia2s/two-spirit-powwows-shared-resources-to-help-celebrate-indigiqueer-joy/

Admission will be FREE this Saturday for CT Open House Day!Come learn about 12,000+ years of Connecticut’s Indigenous in...
06/11/2026

Admission will be FREE this Saturday for CT Open House Day!

Come learn about 12,000+ years of Connecticut’s Indigenous inhabitants at IAIS! Explore our exhibits and replicated Algonkian village, or test your knowledge of local Native American history and culture by playing our “Quest Across Quinnetukut” trivia game! Don’t forget to stop by our Gift Shop to peruse a variety of offerings including books, treats, crafts and jewelry from Indigenous authors, businesses, artists, and artisans.

We hope to see you this weekend!

As energy costs rise exponentially, climate change worsens, and budgets are slashed, energy sovereignty is becoming an i...
06/07/2026

As energy costs rise exponentially, climate change worsens, and budgets are slashed, energy sovereignty is becoming an increasingly urgent issue for Native tribes. That exact issue is the focus of a three-day summit to be held in Cannon Ball, North Dakota in October, which marks the 10th anniversary of the movement.

Cody Two Bears, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe as well as the CEO and founder of Indigenized Energy, says, “Even though the pipeline has been laid, even though the pipeline has gone through, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we hang our heads and we feel bad because of that.” Instead, a focus on energy could prove fruitful in generating alternative solutions to climate change, mitigating costs, and increasing Indigenous sovereignty.

Read the full article, “ anniversary gathering aims to elevate Indigenous climate work” by Amelia Schafer through Indian Country Today (ICT) at the following link: https://ictnews.org/news/nodapl-anniversary-gathering-aims-to-elevate-indigenous-climate-work/

In a recent editorial, Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) of Native News Online shares some thoughts on the m...
05/31/2026

In a recent editorial, Levi Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) of Native News Online shares some thoughts on the meaning of Memorial Day. For Native peoples, Memorial Day brings awareness to the complexity of Native service in the American military, forcing us to question what it means to truly honor those who sacrificed their lives in defense of this land. “It is not enough to drape a flag over a coffin and call it patriotism,” Rickert writes, “True honor lies in how we care for those left behind. It lies in how we teach our children the full history of this nation—not just the victories—but the betrayals too.”

Despite the betrayals, Native Americans have been on the front lines in conflict after conflict at higher per-capita rates than any other ethnic group, demonstrating endurance, commitment, and pride. Read the entire article for Rickert’s thoughts on how we can truly honor the service of Native people: https://nativenewsonline.net/opinion/on-memorial-day-remember-native-warriors-and-honor-a-greater-truth-2/

Join us this weekend for our Spring Full Moon Walk at the Institute for American Indian Studies!Did you know that many I...
05/27/2026

Join us this weekend for our Spring Full Moon Walk at the Institute for American Indian Studies!

Did you know that many Indigenous communities traditionally tracked the lunar cycle using a turtle shell as a calendar? This May’s full moon (known by local tribes as the “Planting Moon”) marked the time to prepare Three Sisters gardens and give thanks for the coming growing season.

Walk our woodland trails with IAIS educators as we explore nighttime phenomena that people in the Eastern Woodlands have experienced for thousands of years. We’ll end the evening gathered around a campfire in our replicated Algonkian village.

Please bring a flashlight and dress appropriately for the weather and trail conditions.
Space is limited and pre-registration is requested.

Register online through our website!

For just a few months during the summer of 1885, Sitting Bull (Tatánka Íyotake) joined Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West sho...
05/24/2026

For just a few months during the summer of 1885, Sitting Bull (Tatánka Íyotake) joined Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West show as a special attraction, compensated $50 a week (almost $2,000 in today’s money). His reasons for doing so and the way he carried himself during his segment was a direct challenge to the purpose of the show.

As this week's article explains, Sitting Bull used this opportunity to study White American society “and he found it bewildering.” The Hunkpapa Lakota leader refused to adhere to the racist caricature that Americans expected him to be and he did not bow down to grand displays of American military might. Instead, he carried himself with dignity and poise, admonishing the audience in Lakota or telling them of the struggles of his people in English. For just a few months during the summer of 1885, Sitting Bull was a “[moment] of truth inserted into a fantasy designed to reassure white America of its innocence.”

Access the full article “Tatánka Íyotake rides into Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and shatters the myth” by Ernestine Anunkasan Hopa through Native Sun News Today via the following link: https://www.nativesunnews.today/articles/tata-ka-iyotake-rides-into-buffalo-bills-wild-west-show-and-shatters-the-myth/

As of this Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Native American Graves Protect...
05/17/2026

As of this Thursday, May 14, 2026, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) applies to the remains of children who died while attending federally run boarding schools. This specific case was brought by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska to bring home Samuel Gilbert (19) and Edward Hensley (17), who had died over 125 years ago while attending the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania.

This development is a step towards enacting justice and providing closure and relief for those of the Winnebago Tribe. It also provides a precedent for other Native tribes, who can now lean upon this ruling in the future to bring their relatives back home.

The full case document is available in the following linked article by Stewart Huntington from Indian Country Today: https://ictnews.org/news/nagpra-ruling-brings-brings-joy-to-the-tribe/

In recent decades, colleges throughout the United States have increasingly been hosting powwows where Native people can ...
05/10/2026

In recent decades, colleges throughout the United States have increasingly been hosting powwows where Native people can come together to celebrate and strengthen community bonds. University powwows become a “home away from home” for Indigenous college students and can become spaces for teaching about tribal communities in the area. As the former president of University of New Mexico’s Kiva Club, Alysia Coriz, says “Powwows are places for Native people to learn about voting, travel, exchange ideas, songs or rez jokes, snag and everything.” Not only do powwows bring folks together, but they can also inspire Native youth as they become exposed to campuses and envision themselves as part of these growing communities.

This week's article mentions the 54th Annual Dartmouth Powwow, which was held on May 9, followed up by a Luau for Native Hawaiian students. As it coincided with Mother’s Day weekend, the theme of this year’s powwow is “Honoring the Women Who Carry Us.”

Read the full story from Indian Country today by Kolby KickingWoman and Jourdan Bennett-Begaye at the following link: https://ictnews.org/arts-entertainment/college-and-university-powwows-have-become-pillars-for-communities-beyond-campuses/

Throughout the United States and Canada, May 5th is recognized as a day of remembrance and action related to the ongoing...
05/05/2026

Throughout the United States and Canada, May 5th is recognized as a day of remembrance and action related to the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Girls and Two Spirit epidemic. Gaps in data make the true scope difficult to estimate, but the murder rate of Native women is more than ten times the national average on some reservations. Awareness and recognition are just the first steps towards addressing this issue. We commit to supporting Indigenous-led organizations and initiatives, such as the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Not Our Native Daughters, and Strong Hearts Native Helpline, engaged in critical work related to this issue throughout the year. We encourage our followers to do the same. Links to these organizations can be found in our bio. Photos 2-3 by Marvin Bowe.

Address

38 Curtis Road
Washington, CT
06793

Opening Hours

Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm
Friday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 11am - 4pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+18608680518

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