Harvesting a Feast

Every summer, wild rice harvesters in northern Minnesota carry on a tradition passed down for generations. One person pushes a canoe through shallow water with a pole, while a partner bends stalks of wild rice over the boat’s edge and taps them with a stick. The seeds fall into the boat. When the pair have collected all they can carry, they bring the rice to shore and roast it over a fire.

Every summer in northern Minnesota, wild rice harvesters go to work. They’re carrying on a tradition passed down for generations. One person pushes a canoe through shallow water with a pole. A partner bends stalks of wild rice over the boat and taps them with a stick. The seeds fall into the boat. The pair collect all they can carry. Then they bring the rice to shore and roast it over a fire.

These harvesters are Ojibwe— Indigenous Americans whose tribal nations stretch from British Columbia in Canada, through the American Midwest, and into Quebec. Besides providing wild rice to local Ojibwe communities in Minnesota, the harvesters also supply rice to chefs, such as Sean Sherman. He is a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and the founder of The Sioux Chef, a company that aims to educate people about Indigenous food and bring it to new audiences. Native people once harvested wild rice throughout the Great Lakes region. Sherman points out that much of the “wild rice” sold in grocery stores today isn’t actually wild. It’s a domestic variety, bred from the wild version by farmers to have specific traits. It looks and tastes much different from the rice Indigenous people harvest by hand.

Sherman and others are part of a modern-day movement aiming to preserve and revitalize traditional Indigenous foods of North America. The endeavor brings together farmers, researchers, chefs, and historians with a common goal: to preserve Indigenous culture and share it with others.

These harvesters are Indigenous Americans known as Ojibwe. Their tribal nations reach from British Columbia in Canada, through the American Midwest, and into Quebec. The harvesters provide wild rice to local Ojibwe communities in Minnesota. They also supply it to chefs like Sean Sherman. He’s a member of the Oglala Lakota Nation and the founder of The Sioux Chef. His company teaches people about Indigenous food and brings it to new audiences. Native people used to harvest wild rice throughout the Great Lakes region. Today, grocery stores sell a product called “wild rice.” But Sherman explains that much of it isn’t actually wild. It’s a domestic version. Farmers have bred it from the wild version to have certain traits. It looks and tastes much different from the rice that Indigenous people harvest by hand.

Sherman and others are part of a modern-day movement. They’re bringing back and preserving traditional Indigenous foods of North America. Farmers, researchers, chefs, and historians are working together on the effort. Their goal is to preserve Indigenous culture and share it with others.

Before European colonists began arriving in America around the 16th century, Indigenous people living here enjoyed a diverse diet of local ingredients. Over thousands of years, they’d developed a wealth of knowledge about their environment, including how to forage or cultivate edible native plants and fish and how to hunt local game. “This knowledge is a form of Indigenous science,” says Lois Ellen Frank, a culinary anthropologist who studies the role of food within societies. She’s from the Kiowa Nation on her mother’s side and is the owner and chef at Red Mesa Cuisine in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

European colonists began arriving in America around the 16th century. Before that, Indigenous people in America enjoyed many local foods. Over thousands of years, they’d developed a great deal of knowledge about their environment. They knew how to find or grow edible native plants and fish. And they knew how to hunt local game. “This knowledge is a form of Indigenous science,” says Lois Ellen Frank, a culinary anthropologist. She studies the role of food within societies. She’s from the Kiowa Nation on her mother’s side and is the owner and chef at Red Mesa Cuisine in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Europeans brought with them foods that Native Americans had never seen before, including dairy products, wheat flour, and cane sugar. Similarly, the newcomers had never encountered this continent’s native foods, such as potatoes, tomatoes, cacao (the source of chocolate), and “the Three Sisters”— corn, beans, and squash (see Planting Technique). Before Europeans arrived in 1492, “none of those ingredients existed anywhere in the world other than in Indigenous America,” says Frank. This exchange of different culinary staples eventually altered food traditions for many people across the world.

The diet of Native Americans changed even more drastically when the U.S. government forced them to relocate to reservations. In the 1800s, Indigenous Peoples had to leave the lands they’d lived on for millennia and move to unfamiliar areas “reserved” or designated for Native American tribes.

Europeans brought foods with them that Native Americans had never seen. These included dairy products, wheat flour, and cane sugar. And the colonists had never seen this continent’s native foods. These included potatoes, tomatoes, cacao (the source of chocolate), and “the Three Sisters”—corn, beans, and squash (see Planting Technique). Before Europeans arrived in 1492, “none of those ingredients existed anywhere in the world other than in Indigenous America,” says Frank. People began to trade different foods. Over time, this changed food traditions for many people across the world.

Later, Native Americans’ diet changed even more. This happened when the U.S. government forced them to move to reservations. Indigenous Peoples had lived on their lands for thousands of years. In the 1800s, they had to leave. They moved to new areas “reserved” for Native American tribes.

Many Indigenous people lost access to their traditional foods. Instead, they were given government rations. These fixed amounts of foods included white flour, lard, and canned meats. Some foods that many people consider Native American today, such as fry bread, were developed from these European ingredients by Indigenous people displaced from their homelands. Unlike their nutritious native cuisine, the government rations were often high in fat and sugar. Studies suggest that this change to a less healthy diet may be one factor contributing to a high prevalence of diabetes and heart disease among Native Americans today.

Many Indigenous people could no longer get their traditional foods. Instead, the government gave them fixed amounts of foods called rations. These included white flour, lard, and canned meats. Today, many people consider foods such as fry bread to be Native American. But these foods were actually created from the rations. They were developed by Indigenous people after they left their homelands. Their native foods were nutritious. The government rations were often high in fat and sugar. Today’s Native Americans have a high rate of diabetes and heart disease. Studies suggest that one reason may be this change to a less healthy diet.

Despite the upheaval of Native Americans’ way of life, much of the traditional knowledge behind their foods has not been lost—it still exists, scattered among Indigenous people across the continent. Trying to collect that knowledge takes time and effort. Sherman, for example, scours texts about archaeology, history, and ethnobotany—the study of traditional knowledge of native plants. He also conducts interviews. “I’ve talked to a lot of elders at different tribal communities to see what kinds of memories they had, and dug through everything with a culinary focus to try to piece it together,” he says.

Rediscovering and sharing Native American cuisine is a group effort. Indigenous farmers and others interested in our continent’s traditional foods collect and preserve seeds from plants used in Native cooking and then share them with any farmers who’d like to grow them. The crops are used by chefs like Sherman to create dishes based on native ingredients. These include acorn and wild rice cakes, and roasted corn with pesto made from dandelions and other wild greens. Sherman’s Indigenous tacos call for corn cakes topped with ground bison. Rose hips—fruits that form after rose flowers bloom—flavor a sauce he serves with roasted duck.

Native Americans’ way of life was turned upside down. But the traditional knowledge behind their foods wasn’t lost. It’s still here, scattered among Indigenous people across the continent. It takes time and effort to collect that knowledge. For example, Sherman reads books about archaeology, history, and ethnobotany. That’s the study of traditional knowledge of native plants. He also interviews people. “I’ve talked to a lot of elders at different tribal communities to see what kinds of memories they had, and dug through everything with a culinary focus to try to piece it together,” he says.

Bringing back and sharing Native American food is a group effort. Indigenous farmers and others are interested in our continent’s traditional foods. So they collect and preserve seeds from Native plants. Then they share the seeds with farmers who want to grow them. The crops are used by chefs like Sherman. He creates dishes from native ingredients, such as acorn and wild rice cakes. To make pesto for roasted corn, Sherman uses dandelions and other wild greens. His Indigenous tacos call for ground bison over corn cakes. He even uses rose hips—fruits that form after rose flowers bloom. He serves them in a sauce with roasted duck.

Sherman plans to create Indigenous Food Labs. These training centers would help tribal communities develop restaurants and other food-related businesses focusing on the unique cuisines of their Native Nations. The businesses would also support Indigenous farmers, such as wild rice harvesters.

But you don’t have to wait for a restaurant to open near you to get a taste of Native American cuisine. Chefs like Frank and Sherman have written cookbooks to help anyone give Indigenous cooking a try. At the heart of these recipes are wild, local ingredients. Part of the fun, Sherman believes, is learning about the tasty plants growing all around you.

Sherman plans to create training centers called Indigenous Food Labs. These would help tribal communities start restaurants and other food-related businesses. The businesses would focus on the foods of their Native Nations. They would also support Indigenous farmers, such as wild rice harvesters.

Would you like a taste of Native American food? You don’t have to wait for a restaurant to open near you. Anyone can try Indigenous cooking. Chefs like Frank and Sherman have written cookbooks to help. These recipes focus on wild, local ingredients. Sherman believes that part of the fun is learning about the tasty plants growing all around you.