Native American Heritage Month & Wojape Recipe
The month of November in the United States is truly an interesting time with deep historical roots – some known and some unknown. Yes, we connect and come together in a modern way based off of tradition. But it’s important to ask to whom the tradition is connected. And whose story may not always be heard. An ideal time to honor Native American Heritage.
With all that is happening in the world, now is the time to open hearts, minds and most importantly ears to these stories and traditions and honor them. As it being Native American Heritage Month, allow yourself to grow by looking to outside perspectives than what may have been brought to your gatherings and dining table.
We’ve decided to share a few things with you that we’ve come found to up-level your world-view and connect deeper with the roots of who was here before any settlers. The history of Native American Communities has long time been under-looked and under-heard. Everyday we have the opportunity to do better as we connect with community and expand out own knowledge.
Let’s start today.
A perspective to take into account:
We can acknowledge Thanksgiving as a national day of mourning for those who lost their lives when European settlers came to this land. Allow yourself to reflect. Perhaps journal your reflections or educational findings you learn.
Buy local:
You can support local and national Native American farmers can companies, for example:
- Native Harvest Ojibwe Products - Maple syrup and Manoomin (wild rice) harvested by White Earth Land Recover Project
- Red Lake Fisheries - From the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe, Red Lake Fisheries is one of the only places to buy domestic walleye offering the highest quality.
Also support woman-founded indigenous-owned distillers:
- Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. - Who in October of this year, launched their Native Lands Brewing Campaign to honor the history and contributions of Native American People in the United States.
In Minneapolis, plan your next night out at Owamni, a restaurant by Chef Sean Sherman (his business the Sioux Chef can be found here.) Owamni is located in the Mill District near the Stone Arch Bridge by the Mississippi falls. A stunning destination, Sherman’s culinary artistry brain-child, Owamni, has focus on traditional indigenous ingredients to create beautiful modern fare as well as education.
With community members and partners, The Sioux Chef , has a commitment to revitalizing Native American Cuisine. Go deeper into the story behind Owamni, which opened Spring 2021, and other inspirational projects that Sherman leads up in this article from Msp Magazine.
There are many ways to reflect and support. A few educational ideas could be to implement a Native American Movie night, update your playlist to incorporate Indigenous artists and ask you family, friends and community to join in.
In Minneapolis, we’ve also found a beautiful cuisine education offering virtually from Seward Co-op. An Indigenous Foods cooking class on Maple Apple Cranberry Crisp with Puffed Wild Rice. The class is part of the co-op’s Indigenous Foods Class Series. Mark your calendar for December 1 st at 6:00pm and sign up for this experience from your own kitchen.
Another beautiful way to draw bio-regional ingredients and to celebrate Native American Heritage Month is by bringing new recipes into your own kitchen. We’ve pulled one of our favorites to share with you.
WOJAPE
A traditional sauce made from berries that can be made savory or sweet, it’s very versatile and can be used for a desert, over meat and vegetables or as a dressing.
INGREDIENTS:
6 cups fresh berries – chokcherries or a mix of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, elderberries, cranberries, blackberries
1-1 ½ cups water
Honey or maple syrup to taste
METHOD:
Put the berries and water into a saucepan and set over low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick. Taste and season with honey or maple syrup as desired.
Recipe is credit to The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen Cookbook by Sean Sherman, a James Beard Foundation Award Winner. We highly suggest picking up a copy for yourself as well as a beautiful gift idea for anyone on your list.