My maternal grandmother was Metis -- one line was #Membertou of the #MikmaqNation. A family favorite that I did NOT appreciate was grilled eels. Eeeew! (Yeah, I know. I'll eat insects, but not eels.)
Our Home and Native Foods
By Donalee Moulton, 2011
"For Dennis, his journey of rediscovery has included taking part in a three-day culinary workshop organized by the Mi’kmaq Association for Cultural Studies, based in the #MembertouFirstNation, in #SydneyNS. Led by well-known chef #RayBear (who has a #Cree background) earlier this year, up-and-coming Aboriginal cooks came together in Halifax to learn how to prepare traditional cuisine.
" 'It was an honour to be there,' says Dennis, who applied for the program after he heard about it through a friend. 'Ray Bear is such a respected chef.'
"Bear says Dennis showed real promise as a young chef. 'He took it very seriously, wanting to learn every ounce of technique,' he says. 'I also learned a lot about traditional hunting and cooking myself. It was educational both ways.'
"This resurgence in interest in Aboriginal foods is now extending beyond local Native communities. Last year, more than 80,000 people came to the Membertou 400 celebration in Halifax [in 2010], which honoured the 400th anniversary of the baptism of the Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Mi’kmaq. A Mi’kmaq village—and meals featuring Native cuisine—were highlights of the festivities.
"A second international PowWow, or Mawio’mi, was held in Halifax this past summer and featured a five-course Mi’kmaq dinner prepared by Ray Bear, served under the stars on the Halifax Common. The traditional Mi’kmaq menu—with a few contemporary additions— included Slow-roasted Venison Loin with Celeriac Purée; Quick-seared Calamari with a Light Bone Jus Pine Aroma; and Pit-fire Boiled Saltwater Lobster with Cornbread Purée and Maple Duck Bacon.
" 'Food is very important in Mi’kmaq culture, and in Aboriginal culture in general, as it often marks the end of a ceremony or celebration,' says Nora McCarthy-Joyce, spokesperson for the Native Council of Prince Edward Island, in Charlottetown. 'Feasting often includes #TraditionalFoods, which vary from group to group and often depend on geography and what’s available. At a feast, it is customary for a prayer to be said for the food and people, and for Elders to be served before everyone else.'
"At the heart of Mi’kmaq cuisine is the natural world: the menu and cooking methods are often dependent upon what is available in the streams and forests nearby. Chapel Island, NS, Elder, Lillian Marshall, says the Mi’kmaq were fisher-hunter-gatherers. 'Their main foods were meat, fish, wild plants and berries,' she says. 'However, since they lived in the Maritime Provinces, 90 per cent of the food consumed was from the water.'
"A particular favourite in this diet has always been eel. The special significance of eel is made evident by its prevalence at important occasions. At a traditional feast, some Elders would bring eel stew or eel soup. It was a sign of both respect and status.
" 'Eel is a delicacy,' says Mary Rose Julian, who lives in #Eskasoni, the largest Mi’kmaq community in the world. 'It is boiled as stew, baked fillet-style with lusknikn on top or without, or grilled.' "
Recipes featured in this article:
- Christmas Pudding
- Katewey Weskiteka’tasikewey (Braised Mi’kmaw Eel Pie)
Read more (includes links to recipes):
https://saltscapes.com/kitchen-party/1659-our-home-and-native-foods.html
I love mine!!