PATHLIGHT: The Riches of Autumn by Annie Wenger-Nabigon
Author of Pathlight; Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW
Author of Pathlight; Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW is originally from the U.S., earning her Canadian Citizenship in 2013. Annie & her Husband live in Pic River First Nation. Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW has been a cinical social worker since 1979 working in mental health, family therapy, and addictions services. She is a doctoral candidate at Laurentian University in Sudbury, ON. She works full-time as an Adult Mental Health and Addictions Therapist at the Marathon office of North of Superior Counseling Programs. Annie also works part-time as a consultant for LYNX, owned by her husband Herb Nabigon, MSW. Herb provides traditional Anishnabek teachings and healing workshops for both Native and non-Native organizations. Together he and Annie provide training and education to professionals on a wide range of topics blending mainstream and traditional approaches in healing. They also provide cultural safety and anti-racism training.
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I love this time of year! Everything around me in nature seems to get richer, riper, fuller, more vibrant, and full of expectation! I love the feasts of Thanksgiving, the subtle energies of light and air changing, and anticipating winter. I eagerly wait for the first signs of snow even while I complain about the colder weather! This is a season full of contradictions, full of change and movement, full of harvests that put the face of abundance right in front of me. The whole world seems to be re-coloured in shades of jewels. What’s not to be thankful about?!
This year I created a new dish in honour of Thanksgiving. Before I served it to my family I did a little speedy “research” on Wikipedia, not always the most reliable place to get information, but it’s where I got the information I’m sharing in this column. (You can look up more information if you are interested.) Here is the basic recipe, followed by what I learned about the ingredients used:
World Indigenous Day Vegetable Grain Casserole
INGREDIENTS (grown in North America and around the world) :
- 2 cups of Millet – this gluten free grain can be purchased at most grocery stores
- 6 cups of water
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 large white potato
- 6 stalks of celery
- herbs and spices, salt and pepper to flavor
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 cup of hot turkey broth (vegetarian broth or water can be substituted)
- optional: 2-4+ tablespoons of Agave nectar (depending how much sweetness you want)
DIRECTIONS:
In a large cooking pot bring water to boil, add the millet and cook until water is absorbed; remove from heat and set aside. “Fluff” the millet lightly with a large spoon or fork.
In a large skillet gently fry until soft the finely chopped vegetables in the oil with the herbs, spices, salt and pepper (choose according to your tastes for amount and type). Add liquid if they begin to get too brown or crisp. You can change this dish by adding other vegetables, too, such as corn, turnips, peas, or leaving out vegetables entirely if you want.
Stir the vegetable mixture into the millet, add the turkey broth and Agave nectar, stir well, and keep warm until ready to serve. It should “rest” for about 15-20 minutes before serving. Stir lightly again before serving. Leftovers can be saved in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheated, with leftover turkey gravy, makes a most delicious dish later.
WIKIPEDIA INGREDIENT INFO:
Millet – a grain indigenous to many parts of the world, which is believed to have evolved in tropical western Africa where most of the wild and cultivated forms now grow. Millets have been important food staples for the last 10,000 years, especially Asia and Africa.
Potato – originating from southern Peru and extreme northwestern Bolivia , the domesticated varieties emerged about 7,000–10,000 years ago. There are now over a thousand different types of potatoes. Over 99% of potatoes worldwide descend from varieties that originated in the lowlands of south-central Chile. China now leads the production of potatoes.
Potatoes became a staple of the Irish peoples after colonization, but the British restricted which variety could be planted, and when blight struck that variety they prevented importation of other varieties of potato seed, leading to the famines which killed tens of thousands of people. The ruling class used this to gain control and eliminate “the troublesome Irish”. More food was shipped out of Ireland in the 1800’s during the waves of potato famines than at any other time, and it was a crime to eat food designated for shipment to the markets outside of Ireland, or even to go fishing in the streams and lakes. Offenders could be executed or shipped abroad for trying to get food for their families.
Carrot – Usually orange in colour, purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. The green tops can be eaten as well as the root which can grow long, or even round. It is a domesticated form of the wild carrot native to Europe and southwestern Asia, and has been food for indigenous peoples of those areas for thousands of years. The wild ancestors of the carrot likely came from Iran and Afghanistan. When carrots were first cultivated, they were grown for their aromatic leaves and seeds rather than their roots. Carrot seeds have been found in Switzerland and Southern Germany dating to 2000–3000 BC. European settlers introduced the carrot to Colonial America in the 17th century.
Onion – Bulbs from the onion family were used as a food source as early as the Bronze Age or earlier. Archaeologists have found settlements where traces of onion remains were found alongside date stones and fig remains that date back to 5000 BC. Archaeological and literary records from the Bible (such as the Book of Numbers 11:5) suggest that onions were probably grown around two thousand years later in ancient Egypt, at the same time that leeks and garlic were cultivated. Workers who built the Egyptian pyramids may have been fed radishes and onions. The ancient Egyptians worshiped the onion, believing its spherical shape and concentric rings symbolized eternal life. Onions were even used in Egyptian burials. In Ancient Greece, athletes ate large quantities of onion because it was believed to lighten the balance of the blood. Roman gladiators were rubbed down with onions to firm up their muscles. In the Middle Ages, onions were such an important food that people paid their rent with onions, and gave them as gifts.
The original peoples on this continent were using wild onions in a number of ways for a very long time, eating them raw or cooked with a variety of foods long before colonization. They also used them to make into syrups, poultices , and various dyes. According to diaries kept by the early European colonists, bulb onions were one of the first things planted in the early 1600’s.
Celery – originated in ancient Greece and was cultivated as early as the 9th century B.C. Celery has spread around the world through trade and was popular in England and France in the 1600’s.
Olive Oil –a fat obtained from the olive, a fruit from the traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. Wild olives were collected by Neolithic peoples as early as the 8th millennium BC. The wild olive tree originated in Asia Minor or in ancient Greece. Egyptians before 2000 BC imported olive oil from Crete, Syria and Canaan. Remains of olive oil have been found in jugs over 4,000 years old. Spain now produces 43.8% of world production of olive oil. It is sometimes infused with other foods such as herbs, lemons, spices, etc., and can be used in the making of soaps and lotions.
Agave nectar–comes from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and comes from the agave plant (a type of yucca plant; root is also similar to cassava and tapioca) which is used in the manufacture of tequila and fiber for cloth. Used for hundreds of years by the native peoples of Mexico.
Turkey – The turkey is a large bird in the genus Meleagris, which is native to the forests of North America, mainly Mexico and the United States. A number of turkeys have been described from fossils. The Meleagridinae are known from the Early Miocene (c. 23 mya) onward, with the extinct genera Rhegminornis (Early Miocene of Bell, U.S.) and Proagriocharis (Kimball Late Miocene/Early Pliocene of Lime Creek, U.S.) The well-documented California turkey became extinct recently enough to have been hunted by humans. It is believed its demise was due to the combined pressures of climate change at the end of the last glacial period and hunting. The turkey was domesticated by the indigenous peoples of Meso-America at least 2,000 years ago. The turkey we buy today in the store is a genetically modified domestic version significantly different from the wild turkey still hunted in N. America.
Try this recipe out and invite some friends or family to join you in enjoying it – what a great way to warm up a cool autumn evening!
Annie Wenger-Nabigon, MSW, RSW
Pathlight@OntarioNewsNorth.com
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ANNIE RECOMMENDS:
- The Hollow Tree by Herb Nabigon
- EldersTeachings.blogspot.com
- Pathlight: Journey to a Good Life archives
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*Health themed columns on OntarioNewsNorth.com are not intended to replace medical advice from your doctor or other professional health care provider the general information provided is intended to encourage discussion. The information is not advice, and should not be treated as such. If you have specific questions about any health issues, please consult your family physician, primary health care team or other professional healthcare provider. If you feel you are suffering from a mental or physical health issue, you should seek medical attention immediately. The information shared on OntarioNewsNorth.com does not constitute medical advice nor should any person delay seeking, disregard or discontinue medical treatment because of information found anywhere on OntarioNewsNorth.com. The opinions provided on OntarioNewsNorth.com are solely those of the post’s author and do not necessarily reflect those of OntarioNewsNorth.com its advertisers or other contributors on the site.
