Giving Thanks
Sharing the Values of the IE’s Native American Tribes
By: Jamie Solis
Before the arrival of Europeans to North America, Native Americans
lived in harmony with nature, graciously taking only what they needed
from the land in order to sustain their lives. Bound into slavery and
onto reservations, many customs and traditions were forcibly stripped
away from Native Americans, including their ability to access indigenous
and healthy foods. In the spirit of Native American Heritage Month,
we’re highlighting the native tribes that currently live in the Inland
Empire, with a focus on honoring their customs surrounding indigenous
foods. Native Americans continue to have a strong connection with food
and the environment, which is a lifestyle modern Americans can learn
from—we tend to be disconnected from our Earth and under the illusion
that we in fact own it
November is Native American Heritage month, so there’s no better time
to honor those native to this beautiful land. As you sit down to feast
with your family for Thanksgiving and participate in traditions like
sharing what you’re thankful for, you may be reminded of the first
Thanksgiving. Your history book was filled with pictures of pilgrims and
Native Americans smiling from ear to ear in front of a plethora of the
same food you’re currently enjoying. If you choose to take a more
analytic look at the origins and tales that surround the stories of
America’s rediscovery, then you can break out from the fantastical myth
of this holiday. Only then, you’ll be able to face the harsh reality
that the relationship between Native Americans and Puritans was often
non-peaceful and brutal.
Your History Lesson
Long before Europeans settled into what is now called the United
States, Native Americans lived a simple life, where they hunted and
gathered meals as-needed and used simple methods of preparation. Main
dishes consisted of a local protein, whether it was fowl, fish or a
variety of wild game. When hunting provided an overwhelming supply of
food, they would preserve the meat by the means of dehydration or
smoking—sure to never waste what they had taken. Often vegetables and
meats were mixed together to make stews, and they prepared special
dishes for cultural celebrations. The Inland Empire is home to many
groups of Native Americans, including Cahuilla, Serrano and Cherokee
tribes—all of whom have roots deeper in this soil than the century-old
trees. Their food customs are unique, as the regions of each tribe
dictate which ingredients are accessible. While corn is the most typical
representation of the Native American cuisine, there are many other
integral items that make up traditional dishes.
Many modern-day Cahuilla Indians have lived in Cathedral City, Rancho
Mirage, Riverside County and the mountains of Palm Springs for
thousands of years. With more than 31,500 acres of ancestral lands, the
Cahuilla preserve a habitat for Bighorn sheep. According to Michael
Hammond, the director of the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum, time-honored
foods of the Cahuilla Tribe aren’t typically consumed today. Their
indigenous cuisine includes, “Mesquite beans, acorns, chuckwalla,
rabbits, quail, sphinx moth larva, chia [and] cactus blossoms to name a
few.” Their environment provided a plethora of fresh resources. A food
that is customarily used in cultural celebrations is called weewish.
This is ground up acorn leached with water. Its resulting texture
resembles the mashed potatoes you’d find on your Thanksgiving table, but
its unique flavor does not taste anything like potatoes.
The Serrano Tribe also resides within the IE. The valleys, passes,
mountains and highlands of San Bernardino, as well as west into the San
Gabriel Mountains, North Baldy and Big Bear Lake were all within the
territory of the Serrano. A traditional Serrano food called wiic, which
is made from the acorns of the black oak tree is still prepared today,
especially in celebrations surrounding renewal. The blooms and stocks of
the yucca plant are harvested annually. Deer, rabbit, pine nuts and
Manzanita berries are also foods native to this tribe and region.
While those of Cherokee heritage living in the Inland Empire are
residing outside of the traditional Cherokee boundaries, a non-profit
community that is dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the
Cherokee Nation can be found within the Inland Empire, with a presence
most heavily centered in San Bernardino and Riverside. The Cherokee
Nation publishes an online cook book that highlights cooking traditions,
indigenous dishes and current renditions of time-honored Native
cuisine. Simple foods that are commonly found on the Cherokee table are
hominy, dried corn, dried fruits, bean bread and wild meats.
Feeding Your Soul
Food isn’t just for nourishing one’s body—it is also an important
element for spiritual celebration, social fabric and maintaining a
connection with nature. Men are typically responsible for bringing in
rabbits and other game animals, while cooking food for the family is
largely a duty held by women in Native American families. These largely
matrilineal societies are set up where it’s the mother’s role to provide
nourishment for her family. She provides the infant’s first meal
through nursing, and she continues to lovingly nourish anyone who comes
into her home. Therefore, many ancient tribal stories relate food with
their familial and spiritual ties.
One tale from the Serrano tribe, specifically the Yuhaviat clan,
maintains a connection of Big Bear Lake to their people. This is because
the water, plants and trees that supply food in the area are all part
of their creation story. They believe their creator, Kruktat, was ill
and dying high in the mountains of Big Bear Lake. When he died, the
first people mourned his death, and their grief turned into pine trees.
These trees began to provide nuts and acorns that fed the families of
the Yuhaviat clan. This area still provides the pinon nuts and other
foods from the plants that were traditionally harvested by the Serrano
people.
Another traditional story that represents the intrinsic connection
between nature, family and food comes from the Cherokee Nation. The
first woman of the Cherokee people was named Selu, also known as the
“Corn Woman.” She lived with her husband and two sons. In the story, her
boys discovered the unbelievable origin of the abundance of corn their
mother returned home with. They witnessed her placing a basket on the
ground, shaking herself, and the corn falling into the basket from her
body. They thought she had to be a witch, and they decided to put her to
death. Selu read her son’s thoughts and told them precise instructions
they must follow after killing her to ensure they still received corn.
However, the boys executed Selu’s instructions incorrectly and because
of that, corn now needs to be planted and tended to in order to grow.
These stories demonstrate how deeply food is integrated into the belief
systems and social fabric of Native American communities. They are sure
to practice respecting nature, and they always leave enough resources
behind to ensure next year’s harvest.
Although the Serrano people use animals for food, they treat nature
and animals with the upmost respect, because they believe that animals
and plants were once people who have transformed into other forms.
According to a Serrano legend, the origin of deer (a staple in Serrano’s
diet) came from people who had transformed into deer by their Lord’s
request. The appreciation of the sacrificing of each animal’s life was
not taken lightly. Large game was only killed after special ceremonial
rituals were performed. Often the rituals included prayers, singing and
dancing that lasted throughout the night and into dawn. Plants were
given this same type of respect because of ancient stories and
traditions. According the Cahuilla people, medicinal plants also came to
be through a transformation of people at the request of their Lord.
You’ll see that in Native American culture, nothing is taken from the
land without a sense of gratefulness.
Celebrating Tradition
There are many events where you can celebrate ancient and modern
traditions of Native American culture in the IE. Next week, the Cabazon
XXXII Indian Powwow is happening at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. Rain
or shine, this powwow is being held inside their event center, starting
on National Native American Heritage Day, Friday, Nov. 29th and going
throughout the weekend. Contrary to popular belief, Powwows are not just
for Natives, non-Natives are more than welcome to come and join in on
the celebration as well. There will be arts and crafts, food, shopping
and traditional singing and dancing, as well as inner-tribal, which is
an opportunity for non-Natives to join the circle and dance alongside
Native Americans to the drum beats.
Celebrating with singing and dancing has always been a way for Native
Americans to show their thanks for the harvest—it’s a colorful way to
show gratefulness for a successful hunt and abundance of crops. The
Director of Cultural Affairs for the Cabazon Band of Mission Indians,
Judy Stapp, shared with the
Weekly, “Native Americans have always
have taken care of Mother Earth. They would never over-harvest. They
knew they had to take care of Mother Earth, because Mother Earth took
care of them.” If you’re interested in giving thanks for a lifetime of
great food, and maybe even trying out some new Native dishes, Stapp
informed us that this celebration would not be complete without some
favorites.
Food booths will be selling many Native foods, including fried bread.
This Native American tradition in California and throughout the United
States somewhat resembles a puffy tortilla that is then filled with
meat, honey or modern fillings like strawberry shortcake. There are
plenty of meats prepared over an open fire, as well as a vendor selling
buffalo burgers, buffalo being a very traditional Native meat. Another
booth specializes in Navajo food, which usually consists of lamb with
green and red chili. Bring the family to experience the food and dance,
and leave with an understanding of Native cultural values.
Grateful Heart
American culture is vastly different from the traditional ways of the
Native Americans. While they had a strong appreciation for nature and
its many gifts that sustain life, modern day Americans tend to take
Mother Earth for granted, with an abundance of travesties to our
environment—including industrialized “necessities” that pollute the air
and water and factory farms that exploit billions of animals that are
treated as commodities instead of living beings. Part of the Native
American culture that still exists today is utilizing natural resources,
without taking more than what’s needed to sustain life. It is important
to appreciate and emulate these fading cultural values in our modern
society. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, take the time to give
thanks for Mother Earth’s life-sustaining gifts.
Originally Published by IE Weekly on November 21, 2013:
http://ieweekly.com/2013/11/feature-stories/giving-thanks/
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