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Food for the Soul

November-Native American History Month - Thanks Giving

Katherine O'Connell

If peace could be likened to a tree then the taproot providing it s sustenance is thankfulness.

Giving thanks, especially at harvest time is universal to every culture and spiritual tradition on earth.

That is why when European settlers came to North America they found both thanks and giving in abundance. It was part of the indigenous tradition.

The Algonquin elders say that there was a lot to be thankful for. The New England of the seventeenth century was so thick with wildlife that the view of the sky was often obscured by flocks of fowl.

The idea of restricting thanks for the bounty of the Great Spirit to one special day was a new concept.

Thanks was given all the time and among many of the Algonquin speaking peoples of the North East lands that later became Canada (which means place of many longhouses) and the United States there have always been many special harvest times in addition to planting and green corn festivals. Here are a few:

• Maple-The first thanksgiving of the year occurs in the spring when the maple sap begins to run it is the maple harvest. Syrup from the trees is used in many ways including an ice cream made by mixing syrup with snow-the first snow cone.
• Strawberry In June when the wild strawberries are ripe there is a celebration and it is a time of giving and receiving forgiveness-the wild strawberry is a symbol of the earth and unity of the tribes with each dot representing a tribal/star group.
• Bean-In July is the ripening of the bean harvest-beans are one of the three staple foods called the three sisters-corn, beans and squash.
• Cranberry Berries of all kinds esp. blueberries and cranberries both fresh and dried have always been a staple to indigenous people of the northeast.
• Wild Turkey-late fall is the wild turkey thanksgiving and sometime between the cranberry and the wild turkey celebrations is most likely when the first thanksgiving celebration between the settlers and the indigenous people occurred. The elders tell me that several food staples including bear, venison, berries, corn, squash, maple and rabbit were provided to the settlers by the Wampanoag people.

Early Thanksgiving Feasts in North America

That first Thanksgiving feast lasted several days. Here is an account by a member of the European colony, Edward Winslow:

"Our harvest being gotten in, our governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might after a special manner rejoice together after we had gathered the fruit of our labors. They, killed as much fowl as four in one day, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week. At which time, amongst other recreations, we exercised our arms. Many of the Indians coming amongst us, and among the rest their greatest King Massasoit, with some ninety men, whom for three days we entertained and feasted, and they went out and killed five deer, which they brought to the plantation and bestowed on our governor, and upon the captain and others. And although it be not always so plentiful as it was this time with us, yet by the goodness of God, we are so far from want that we often wish you partakers of our plenty."

Settlers brought their own traditions to the new world and one of them was to give thanks for their good fortune and the abundance of food, so they wanted to hold a celebration at harvest time.  The New England feast described above was not the first settler's thanksgiving in North America, however.

The first North American Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1578 when the English Navigator, Martin Frobisher, held a formal ceremony in Newfoundland. He did this to give thanks for surviving the long sea journey. As other settlers arrived in Newfoundland, they continued the tradition.

In the years preceding and just following the American Revolution, Americans who remained loyal to the Government in England, moved to Canada and thus Thanksgiving celebrations spread throughout Canada.

While Canada shares this holiday with the U.S. it celebrates on a different day.

On January 31, 1957, Parliament declared the second Monday in October of
each year to be "A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed".

Thanksgiving And Reconciliation

Giving thanks for the harvest has a history from both the indigenous and settler traditions of being a potluck. This sharing of spiritual traditions through cuisine as a medium runs deep into the soul of North America. That is why this holiday is a great time for educating each other about cultural and spiritual traditions through the sharing of food, recipes, stories and prayers.

Breaking bread has been a powerful tool for peace throughout history. If you are planning to participate in a meal gathering each person can bring a different dish with a story, recipe, meal blessing or prayer they would like to share. This is a wonderful way for people to get to know one another more deeply. I call this a Food for the Soul Potluck and these meals are going on everywhere around the world and people are sharing traditions, connecting and broadening their knowledge of the world and it's diverse religions and cultures in a fun way.

Thanksgiving is a great day for prayer and reconciliation with the earth herself.

One ancient tradition common to many indigenous people around the world is that of the spirit plate. This is an offering to the earth and the creatures on her, a portion of each of the foods from the dinner. A plate is prepared, a prayer of thanks offered, and the plate is placed on a selected spot on the earth. This gives back and honors the earth from whence the bounty has come. It is a wonderful practice for families to consider on a regular basis.

Here is a Native American Prayer of thanks and Peace that works alone or in combination with a spirit plate offering.

0 Great Spirit of our Ancestors; I raise my pipe to you. To your messengers the four winds, and, to Mother Earth who provides for your children. Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love, to respect, and to be kind to each other so that they may grow with peace in mind. Let us learn to share all the good things that you provide for us on this Earth.

A Traditional Recipe

One of the most comforting foods on earth is Corn Soup. I call it liquid sun and it is wonderful at Thanksgiving.

Many tribes have variations on the recipe. My personal favorite is a variation of a Mohawk recipe I learned years ago. Be generous with the parsley- it really brings out the aroma and the flavor.

Corn Soup, Serves 6-8
1/2 lb salt pork
2 big onions, sliced
3 cups diced boiled potatoes
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cooked corn, fresh or canned
4 cups hot milk
1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste
1/4cup chopped parsley

Cut pork into 1/2-inch dice. Add onion, cook slowly 5-10 minutes, stirring, until transparent but not browned.

Add potatoes, corn, boiling water, and hot milk. To make thicker chowder, make a roux of 2 Tbs butter and 2 of flour, stir this into 1 cup of the milk, cook and stir until thickened. Stir this white sauce into the rest of the liquid as you add it to the vegetables.

Hope for the Future

In 1993, the Year of Indigenous People, the United Nations asked Haudenosaunee Food for the Soul

So, reality and the Natural Law will prevail: The Law of the Seed and Regeneration. We can still alter our course. It is NOT too late. We still have options. We need the courage to change our values to the regeneration of our families, the life that surrounds us. Given this opportunity, we can raise ourselves. We must join hands with the rest of Creation and speak of Common Sense, Responsibility, Brotherhood, and PEACE. We must understand that The Law is the Seed and only as True Partners can we survive.

Rev. Dr. Katherine O'Connell

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