Three Sisters Soup and Cultural Appreciation-- My job is a fun one!

Yesterday, my Survey of American Literature class joined with Mrs Walker's Foods 102 class in a collaborative session that honored indigenous food pathways of the northern New England region. The book being read, The Old American by NH author Ernest Hebert, involves a community that is turning to a more agrarian form of communal living instead of a hunter/gatherer/nomadic way of life. We made a Three Sisters Soup, and I presented a short discussion about the Wabenaki food calendar and local food sources. The kids learned a little about a vibrant local culture, and we talked about ways to respect the land and more sustainable food practices, and how to reduce dependency on non-local/ out of season food resources. 

Now, I'm no expert on these things, but I am deeply interested in traditional foods and living with the land, instead of exploiting it. One of the sources I used to create my little talk was Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective. There are a lot of fun and interesting things on their website, and for teachers, there are also lesson plans! 

I hope I'm not running afoul of the impending directives from the federal government. I hope that kids will appreciate the indigenous people's traditions from our area, and that they will come to understand that our over-reliance on non-local and out of season foods is part of the whole problem of climate issues: flying and trucking in foods is one component in a messy pollution cycle. Eating the foods grown locally is healthier, too; they are fresher and more sustainable. Putting dollars into local folks' pockets is also an economically healthy choice, too. That's not to say we can't or shouldn't enjoy oranges in February, but it's good to focus on the choices we are making, and putting our local areas in the proper place-- prioritize the role of local food suppliers and we are taking care of both our neighbors and ourselves. 

I also want kids to understand that indigenous people are "still here," as they like to say. Native peoples are not part of a past; they are living and breathing and truly, the way that history has often been taught only serves to further marginalize people and thrust them into shadows. This is disrespectful, and I want my students to know that we all share this area of the world, and that the history of European settlers (colonizers) is messy and fraught, and we can't continue to think along those lines. This is what might raise some critical eyebrows out there in the neo-Conservative world, but I feel very strongly about honoring the people who have historically lived here, and valuing their wisdom, even if it is only about food pathways and a notion that we must be much better stewards of the land we live on, or we won't survive.

Have a great day,

C

Photo credit: Heather Walker