Canandaguia Treaty Commemoration Day

The anniversary of the 1794 Canandaigua Treaty will be commemorated tomorrow. Be sure to see our event page for all the event details and directions:

http://www.ganondagan.org/TreatyCelebration.html

Due to the death of a community Elder, Dr. Elm will be speaking at 6:30 p.m. after the pot-luck dinner but out of respect, the Iroquois social & dance has been canceled. Thank you.

-kim

The Canandaigua Fire Must Be Preserved

We've just added a piece written by Doug George-Kanentiio on the Canandaigua Treaty titled The Canandaigua Fire Must Be Preserved. It is an interesting read - be sure to check it out!

-kim

Canandaigua Treaty

The Canandaigua Treaty is a treaty between the United States of America and the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy - Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk and Tuscarora. This treaty was signed on November 11, 1794 and each year this treaty is celebrated on the anniversary of the signing, November 11, in Canandaigua, New York.

In order to help teach about the treaty and celebrate this event we have created a number of informational pages on our website about the Canandaigua Treaty of 1794, wampum belts, and more.

This year's Canandaigua Treaty Celebration features:

• A parade on Main Street
• A ceremony and keynote speakers at Council Rock
• A Native craftspeople and vendors
• A pot-luck dinner and social

All events are free and open to the public. We welcome you to come and join us in celebrating this wonderful historic event!

See our Canandaigua Treaty Celebration Event webpage for full event details and locations.


-kim

Fall Color at Ganondagan

The trees are putting on an impressive show this fall and this week is probably our peak color at the Ganondagan State Historic Site.

The maples, oaks, sassafras, staghorn sumacs, and more are in full color. Every leaf color is visible somewhere, in the tree canopy or underfoot.

While a walk on any of the three trails on site would be beautiful this time of year, I would suggest the Fort Hill Trail. It not only offers views of beautiful foliage and serene walks through wooded trails, it also offers a spectacular view of the neighboring vicinity from the top of the Fort Hill mesa. The sight of the patchwork of trees with Autumn colors and green pastures is breath-taking and is more than worth the short hike. And most certainly, bring your camera for the "Kodak moments" you are sure to have.

Why not make a fun Fall day of it? Pack a picnic lunch - there are tables and benches at the top of Fort Hill. Do some trail walking, "leaf peeping," and have a picnic lunch. And afterwards why not stop down to our neighbor The Apple Farm for apples and cider. It's a fun place to take the kids or just yourself to pick some apples at their U-pick orchard. They've had a very good harvest this year and the trees are still very full of apples.

All too soon Fall will pass and snow will fly. Take some time soon to enjoy the beauty and the fun that this season has to offer you.

-kim

Fall Herb Walk at Ganondagan

Fall is a beautiful time for trail walking. The late summer bloomers like goldenrod, asters, various eupatoriums (white snakeroot, joe pye weed, boneset, etc.), touch-me-nots, and others add many colors. Berries and other fruit growing all season on trees and shrubs have got their mature colors and sizes. And soon all the trees will be wearing their fancy fall shawls and dresses of autumn colors.

Fall is also a good time to view and learn about the wild medicinal plants growing all about us. On October 10th there will be a guided herb walk at Ganondagan. The walk will be lead by Dr. Les Moore N.D., M.S.O.M., L.Ac. who is the Director of Integrative Medicine at the Clifton Springs Hospital and Clinic. Dr. Moore will identify medicinal plants at the site and he will speak to the uses of these plants in Eastern and Western herbal traditions.

The walk will include trail walking so be sure to wear appropriate footwear and make sure to bring a bottle of water.

See our event calendar or contact Classical Formulas at 315-462-0190 for time, registration details and more information.


-kim

They're Nature's Fireworks...

"They're Nature's fireworks!" said my youngest about the touch-me-not-plants. And so they are.

Late summer is a wonderful time for trail-walking in general. You get to see the late summer plants in bloom, various bushes with colorful berries, the hints of fall color, and one of our favorites, touch-me-not plants with ripe seed pods. Along a boardwalk section of the Earth is Our Mother Trail at the Ganondagan State Historic Site, there is a happy and vigorous colony of spotted touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis). Touch-me-not is also called "jewelweed." This is a native wildflower and member of the impatiens family that has a curious method of seed dispersal - the seed pods explode sending seeds flying every which way.

The ripe seed capsules are rather reminiscent of tiny pea-pods, although they have 5 parts whereas the pea pods have two. (See the picture to the left.) The ripe seed capsules fly apart when disturbed sending the seeds far and wide. You just gotta love the inventive ways Mother Nature found for species to perpetuate themselves!

Once split, the parts of the seed capsule curl up into curious little shapes. The seeds are oblong, and pointed. If you can manage to get the capsule to "pop" in your hand, you'll see the seeds and what's left of the pod. (See the picture to the right for a view of the seeds and pod bits.)

We spent no less than 20 minutes at this stand of touch-me-not on the way out of our hike and 20 minutes on the way back. Giggles abounded. Learning too. The kids learned that these plants have exploding seed pods to spread their seed, hopefully giving the seeds good places to sprout next year. They learned that these plants are called "Spotted Touch-me-not" but they also are called "jewelweed." If you see how the leaves resist water - dew beads up on the leaves and leaves under water look like silver, you'll understand why they are called "jewelweed." But the kids also learned that this plant's sap is a common herbal remedy for poison ivy and wise old Mother Nature grows this beauty in the same places as poison ivy. She gives you the poison but the cure is right there too.

In these days where too often children sit by themselves at computers and hand-held electronics on beautiful days, I urge you to take a few minutes and share the beauty and wonder of Nature with the children in your life. My own greatest and most enjoyed memories of childhood are simple pleasures - things that cost nothing or very little at all. Picnics. Climbing trees. Building sandcastles. Gardening with my parents. Making hollyhock flower dolls and clover flower necklaces which my mom showed me how to make. Throwing burdock at each other with my sisters and cousins which was all "fun and games" until someone got it in the hair! But anyways....make some memories. You'll never regret the time spent making these kind of memories but you will regret it if you let the opportunity pass you by.

-kim

Have you got your tickets for the Native Food Feast yet?

In order to give everyone a chance to get tickets for this spectacular event, we have extended the deadline for registration until Monday, September 14, 2009.

But hurry! You don't want to miss out!

Please see the Native Food Feast page for all the details. By the way, if you've already been to our Feast webpage, be sure to visit again. We have just included the sumptuous menu for this feast.

Hope to see you there!

-kim