When you go to a Powwow you dance all day and by the end of the afternoon session, if you're dancing hard, you're gonna be wiped out. So what's a Chicken Dancer to do? Well, any Powwow worth its salt has you covered and will likely be serving a meal to get you recharged and ready for the evening dance session that can go into the wee hours of the morning.
Food is an integral part of not only Powwow culture but human culture. At the holidays, we eat. At graduations, we eat. Even at funerals, we eat. And a Powwow is no different. It's a celebration, a time for fun and a time to spend with your friends, dancing as hard as you can.
Indigenous food varies across the continent and across centuries. Before European contact many American Indian people were hunter gatherers, eating whatever they could find near where they lived. This may include lots of game like bison, elk and deer as well as nuts, roots and berries that are easily harvested from wild crops. In lake regions the Ojibwe feasted on the annual late summer harvest of wild rice and in the Northwest, the Chinook caught and ate more salmon than we can imagine.
As native people were relocated to reservations however, diets began to change. Many foods now associated with American Indians stem not from traditional foods but the foods that were available on reservations. The following are two foods you are likely to encounter at your next Powwow.
Fry Bread: If you ask anyone who can answer the question "What's an American Indian food?" and they don't say buffalo, they're likely to say Fry Bread. This puffy disc takes many forms. It can be the base for Indian Tacos, a boat for cinnamon and sugar or just bread for a meal that's great for dipping in soup or soaking up whatever's left on a plate. Although Fry Bread has only been an Indian staple since the beginning of the reservation days, when rations of flour and lard were among the little food available to tribes, now it is synonymous with native cooking.
And since we're Chicken Dancers, we should see how they make Fry Bread up in Chicken Dance country. This video features an affable Blackfoot cook, who shows us how to make Fry Bread, the First Nation way. Chances are this was filmed less than 20 miles from the site of the Chicken Dance World Championships, so take note.
Our second recipe is for Wojapi. Wojapi is a berry pudding that is a truly native dish that in some form has been around for centuries. Historically made with choke cherries, wojapi is often associated with the Lakota people. However is is likely that most indigenous tribes had some version of this tasty treat as part of their diet when berries were in season. These days wojapi is often made with fresh or frozen berries such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, and even strawberries and peaches. It's really easy to make and perfect for dipping your fry bread. The following recipe is from the American Indian Health and Diet Project
Wojapi:
4-5 cups Berries of your choice that are fresh and preferably growing wild
(blueberries, grapes, chokecherries were used historically but can be bitter and must be pitted)
½ cup water
Honey
Cornstarch (cornstarch possesses double the thickening power of flour; if you use this ingredient, don’t add to hot liquids. First add the cornstarch to cold water and mix, then add to your hot mixture)
Made from blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and water
Directions:
Clean the fruit
Place in bowl and mash using potato masher (or a fork, but that takes longer)
Add fruit and liquid to large saucepan and bring to boil—be careful not to scorch the fruit.
Lower heat to a simmer and cook for about an hour, constantly checking.
Taste and see if you need to add honey for sweetness—only add a little at a time.
If you want the mixture to be thicker, either continue to simmer and “reduce” the mix (that is, the liquid evaporates rendering the taste more intense and the mix thicker) or add a small amount of cornstarch. If you go with the latter option, place 1 T of cornstarch into small bowl and add cold water to that. Stir until you have a desired consistency (add more water or starch if needed). Then slowly add to hot pot of berries and stir.
