Thoughts for food

The pear tree is in bloom (photo below is from several years back--leaf out on oaks not yet quite as advanced this year), although we've not seen any bees yet this Spring. I'm not sure what the major pollinators of pear trees are. Last year's fruit production was way down due, I believe, to the thunderstorm and strong winds that came through a day or so after peak bloom last year. We don't often harvest many of the pears but it's fun to watch the whitetails enjoy dropped fruit come Autumn.

pear tree in bloom, mid-May

Photo by J. Harrington

The past few days I've been doing a little research on the types of farming that was done and foods eaten by those indigenous to Minnesota in pre-colonial days. We have two resources sitting on our book shelves: Heid Erdrich's Original Local and Sean Sherman's The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen. There's also Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass, Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.

Online I've found at least a few resources that I'm still sorting through. They include:

• Traditional First Nations Food (Ojibwe)


• Food of the Ojibwe


• Farming, Native American Style

I suspect there may be more worth listing, but haven't found them yet.

whitetail doe under pear tree

Photo by J. Harrington

One thing seems clear from the scanning done so far. Securing and preparing food were much more integral aspects of indigenous cultures than they are part of the  dominant culture in the U.S. today. I have a strong hunch that may say a lot about why and how Native Americans were, and are, more likely to demonstrate respect for, kindness toward, and love of the earth than most of us do these days. Their dependence on earth's gifts for the necessities of life was more immediate and obvious. As I look at the condition of the world and the quality of contemporary life in the U.S., I have major doubts about whether what we've done can legitimately be called "progress." What's the  point of going faster and faster if we don't care where we're headed? Should we ask Thelma and Louise?

Praise the Rain

By Joy Harjo

Praise the rain; the seagull dive

The curl of plant, the raven talk—

Praise the hurt, the house slack

The stand of trees, the dignity—

Praise the dark, the moon cradle

The sky fall, the bear sleep—

Praise the mist, the warrior name

The earth eclipse, the fired leap—

Praise the backwards, upward sky

The baby cry, the spirit food—

Praise canoe, the fish rush

The hole for frog, the upside-down—

Praise the day, the cloud cup

The mind flat, forget it all—

Praise crazy. Praise sad.

Praise the path on which we're led.

Praise the roads on earth and water.

Praise the eater and the eaten.

Praise beginnings; praise the end.

Praise the song and praise the singer.

Praise the rain; it brings more rain.

Praise the rain; it brings more rain.

********************************************
Thanks for visiting. Come again when you can.
Please be kind to each other while you can.