History of Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Indigenous Peoples’ Day, formerly known as Columbus Day, was first recognized as a federal holiday in 1937, with an unofficial history of celebrating it for about two hundred years before that in commemoration of the landing of Christopher Columbus. However, for many people, this day symbolizes the start of a long history of suffering and humiliation. Different parties have proposed to change the name to Indigenous Peoples’ Day since the 1970s, due to the controversy the history of celebration had caused. It has been recognized as Indigenous Peoples’ Day more frequently since then.
Foodways of the Indigenous People
Most of us living in this country are immigrants or born to immigrants who had moved here years ago. While we all have brought pieces of our original cultures to this land, we should all learn from the people who had lived here long before the first settlers arrived – the indigenous peoples of North America. Even in modern days, their wisdom still teaches us about the best practices to value and harvest what nature has to offer.
I teach food and culture-related content in my undergraduate classrooms, exploring foodways valued by different cultures around the world. One thing I learned a few years ago while putting together materials for my students is the Three Sisters. This is a traditional gardening method of the Native American agriculture where they plant the seeds of corn, bean, and squash together, creating a supportive environment for all three of them to grow more strongly. The corn serves as a sturdy structure for the bean to climb while the large leaves of the squash create shades to reserve water and suppress weeds. And the nitrogen that is fixed by the bean in the soil contributes to a richer soil environment for the corn and the squash to prosper.
This is just one example of how indigenous peoples pay tribute to mother nature and harvest the best of nature. There are many other stories like this from grounding sumac shrub to make sumac spice with its brightly red color and lemon-like flavor, grilling nopales for a salad, to hunting pack rats on their reservation for high quality protein. To the end, they celebrate nature and seek balance between humans and nature. Food is not only used for physical health, but also used for healing the spirit, which coincide with what we dietitians believe – food as medicine. Food carries the transformative power of disease prevention and health management, both physically and mentally.
Our trip to Coastal Maine Botanical Garden
We visited the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in the summer, which is now one of my family’s favorite places in North America. We had an opportunity to check out their newly planted Three Sisters Garden and learned about the four R’s of indigenous sustainability: Respect, Relationship, Reciprocity, and Responsibility. These four R’s acknowledge the relationship between humans and everything else on Earth and our community obligations to respect, care for, and give away to each other for a more sustainable environment. By recognizing how different crops in the three sisters grow, the indigenous people have created a most suitable growing environment for these crops. Nature thus rewards them with the best yield for them to survive.
Nutritional Highlights of the Three Sisters
Beans are high in fiber, protein, and many micronutrients including potassium and iron. They are a great source of plant-based protein and can help people control blood sugar levels.
Corn is a starchy vegetable that is low in sodium, high in fiber and potassium, and high in antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin.
Summer squash is very low in sodium and high in potassium. Both features are great for people to manage hypertension. (People who have chronic kidney conditions should consult their physician first before incorporating more high-potassium food in their diet.)
Recipe of Three Sisters Salad
This is the first recipe of the Native American cuisine I have ever made. Although I am missing some of the traditional spices that they may use such as sumac, I will try my best to recreate the three sisters salad with a twist of mine.
The main ingredients include corn (can be any type, I use frozen roasted corn kernels for some extra smokey flavor), summer squash (I use zucchini), beans (I use canned kidney beans for convenience).
I first roast the zucchini in the oven. It will be more flavorful if you grill them. I will definitely make it again next summer by grilling the vegetables.
While I have the zucchini roasted in the oven, I am going to prepare the other ingredients. Since I have some tomatoes in my vegetable garden and half bushel of newly picked apples, I decide to throw them in for extra flavors and textures.
I take the zucchini out of the oven half way through to add the frozen corn. Then I return them back to the oven to finish up cooking.
Based on my research, there is some variation in the ingredients used for the dressing. I have vinegar, apple cider for some sweetness, and olive oil.
The last step is mixing everything together and adding a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Name: The Three Sisters Salad
Preparation time: 25 min
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
2 medium Zucchini, cut into cubes
2 cups Corn, frozen
1 can Red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium Tomato
1 medium Apple
1 tbsp Olive oil
Salt
Dressing:
¼ cup Apple cider
2 tbsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Preheat the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash the vegetables and fruits thoroughly. Cut zucchini into 1” cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Bake for 10 minutes.
Cut the tomatoes and apple to 1” cubes. Set aside for later use.
Mix all ingredients for the dressing together.
Take the zucchini out of the oven. Evenly distribute the corn on the baking sheet. Return the zucchini and corn to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Take the zucchini and corn out. In a large bowl, mix them with the tomato and apple cubes. Stir in the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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