Food Traditions: Laura and Becky v6_Onieda

- Corn is a time for celebration. It's in our ceremonies. It is an integral part of who we are. The most work comes in during harvest time, during the husking bee. That's a really fun time for the kids, especially, because they get to go out in the fields and just pick, pick, pick the corn and we load up our trucks and then we drive it back to the barn. And then, we share food, we share stories. To see all of the corn hanging in the barn is just a sight to behold.

Anything that we grew, we are very thankful for. Native Americans face higher rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes than any other race. One of the ways that we can address that is by returning to our traditional diets.

- Corn soup, a delicious soup that we have. Traditionally eaten during holiday time or during funeral time. If you were hungry today, you should’ve thought of that two days ago and started getting your things together because all Indian food is slow food. The soup takes three hours for the hulling process and then I like to cook my meat and my beans overnight in a Nesco, and so mine is a two-day process, and then, it's gone right away. 
[laughs]

Eating seasonally, eating the fish when the fish are running, and eating the turkeys when it's turkey season, and eating the venison and corn, maple syrup instead of white sugar, we'll all be healthier from that.