WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO ANCESTRAL FOODS?
What if I don’t have access to ancestral foods?
We are huge advocates of reclaiming original Indigenous foods, but we also understand that lack of access is a huge issue for many Native people. Not having the information, land base, money, or tools that are required to properly harvest, hunt, or grow Indigenous foods prevents many of us from eating them on a regular basis, or sometimes at all. It’s not uncommon to find a Native person who has never even tasted the original foods of their tribe. It is important to be empathetic to this circumstance, which is the result of our food systems and environments being disrupted and harmed due to colonialism.
Perhaps you don’t have the space to grow crops because your family has been residing in an urban area ever since the Indian Relocation Act. Perhaps your family stopped hunting a few generations ago because the animals your people traditionally hunted have been depleted in population and no longer roam freely on your territory. Maybe you are a college student who knows of Indigenous-owned companies that sell Native foods like bison, beans, maple syrup, or wild rice in their online stores, but ordering them is more costly than eating from your campus dining plan, and you simply can’t afford it. These are just a few of the many reasons why Indigenous people -- even those who want to reclaim ancestral food practices -- are not doing so at this time.
Here is a list of tips and advice on how to “eat Indigenously,” even if you find yourself far removed from ancestral food practices.
Don’t judge yourself, or feel “less-than” because you aren’t eating ancestrally all the time. It’s hard enough to figure out how to eat in a healthy way that suits your budget and lifestyle, even with foods that are commonly found in the grocery stores. It’s even harder when we are facing very real barriers to procuring our original foods. Know that your interest and support for Indigenous food sovereignty as a whole is putting positive energy toward the movement, so you are a part of it. And, if you are a person who is an expert on ancestral foods, and who does have access to them on a regular basis, don’t judge others who are not as far along on the journey as you are.
Set small goals. Remember that when reclaiming ancestral food practices, you don’t need to make an extreme jump or have an “all or nothing” mentality. Start your ancestral foods journey by setting an attainable goal, such as learning how to cook one type of Indigenous crop, or asking a relative to take you fishing, hunting, ricing, or berry picking once a year. You might even start by reading as many books or resources as you can get your hands on that will teach you the basics of Indigenous food practices, or by politely asking an elder to teach you something about your tribe’s medicinal plants. These small, attainable goals are less daunting and will make you feel empowered. And, in any case, learning carefully about these processes is an important step for anyone who is on this learning path. There is a proper, respectful way of growing, harvesting, and hunting Indigenous foods, and these protocols should be followed. It’s better in the long run for everyone to approach these with a humble mentality.
Attend an Indigenous food conference or event. Every year, in every region of Indian Country, there are large gatherings centered on reclaiming Indigenous foods. These are usually well attended by scholars, elders, and people like you who are working to reincorporate ancestral foods into Native communities. It would be worth your time to seek funding to attend one of these events. Even now during the COVID-19 crisis, there are Indigenous food summits and conferences being held online. Try to find one!
Don’t feel the need to be a “tribal purist.” It’s great if you happen to be in a circumstance where you are specifically focused on local foods from just one tribe. For some people, that is the case. But don’t impose that standard on everyone. Some people are “purists” who claim that a person is not truly following an ancestral lifestyle unless they are sticking exclusively to the foods that come from their tribal nation. We disagree. First of all, most Native people today have intertribal roots, or have partners, children, and friends from tribes different from their own. It makes sense to embrace the diverse food traditions of Indian Country, just as our ancestors have always done. Remember that reservation borders were only imposed on our people a few hundred years ago -- this is a blink of an eye in our history. Before that, we always traded foods and seeds with other nations, and it wasn’t looked at as a negative thing. Of course, there is a polite way to do this, and it is always important to know the difference between respectfully learning and sharing versus co-opting. It’s never good to demand or feel entitled to any of this information. That being said, it is perfectly fine to exchange food knowledge respectfully.
Mimic the portions, mealtimes, fasting practices, and macronutrient profiles of your ancestors. There are many ancestral foodways that we can adapt and mimic, even if we don’t have access to the exact ingredients our great great grandparents once used. First, remember that our ancestors did not follow the Euro-American “breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between” habit that we are accustomed to today. The times of day and amounts during each meal varied from tribe to tribe, so find out approximately how much and what types food your people were eating at certain times of day, during different seasons, and try to mimic this pattern to step out of the “3 square meals per day” box. Remember that fasting (whether it was a short fast during daytime hours or an extended ceremonial fast) has always been an important component of Indigenous eating as well. Next, consider the macronutrient profiles of ancestral meals. If you would like to try eating like your ancestors, look to those habits for guidelines. For example, plains people often ate diets high in protein and healthy fats, and very low in carbohydrates. They often ate a lot of dried meat and berries throughout the year. You can learn how to mimic these macronutrient profiles, even if you don’t necessarily have the exact same kind of berries and meat. Try using grass fed beef if you don’t have access to antelope and bison; try using store-bought cherries if you don’t have access to chokecherries, etc. If you are unfamiliar with how to dry meat and berries the original way, look into purchasing a food dehydrator. The same goes for all other tribes and regions.
Eat “Indigenously” even when your food is not ancestral. Whether you’re eating an elk steak with wild berries or a slice of pepperoni pizza, there are a number of ways that you can eat with an Indigenous approach, every time.
-Be grateful and express appreciation (even if it’s a small, silent prayer) for the food that’s on your plate, and the animal and plant life that have been sacrificed for your nourishment, the land that the food came from, and the people who worked to prepare it.
-Turn off electronic devices and other distractions, and focus on your food and the company who surrounds you. If you are by yourself, think of it as spending time with your food, and establishing a connection to it.
-Eat mindfully. Chew slowly, pay attention to flavors, observe how the food makes you feel, and appreciate it.
We hope that this information has offered some encouragement to those of you who do not currently have access to ancestral foods, but would like to. We will continue to share ancestral food ideas and beautiful Indigenous food photos in order to encourage reclamation of these practices. Remember, we don’t expect all people to be on the same level of ancestral eating. We ourselves have a lot of learning and growing to do in this process. Nonetheless, it is important to continue the conversation and to keep these foods at the forefront of our priorities when it comes to total reclamation of Indigenous health.
