Hunt, Gather, and Share…

BY LINDA GARSON AND KEANE STRAUB WITH JANINE WINDOLPH

We have long held the belief that one of the most fascinating and rewarding ways to learn about a culture is through the food of the people: the available ingredients that influence the style of the cuisine; the method of cooking, seasoning, serving, and eating, that all add to our understanding of what life is like in different places – and the hope that a greater understanding leads to a greater appreciation for it.

It was during a recent conversation about Indigenous cuisine with Janine Windolph (Atikamekw/Woodland Cree), and Director of Indigenous Arts at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, that a lightbulb went on – of course when we’re talking about Indigenous cuisine it isn’t one thing across the country – how could it be? Salmon isn’t local to Alberta, and neither is muskox or cloudberries –we have bison and saskatoon berries!

Further investigation reveals six broad geographical regions for First Nations people based on their traditional cultures: Arctic, Sub-Arctic, Northwest Coast, Plateau, Great Plains, and Northeast, and so we set out to understand more of the ingredients indigenous to each of these areas, as well as talk to Indigenous chefs to ask them about their ingredients. It isn’t simple: there are around 630 First Nations communities across Canada, representing more than 50 nations and dozens of Indigenous languages.

“Indigenous cuisine is fluid, it's active, embodies stories, and is continuously evolving with each generation of Indigenous chefs,” explains Windolph. “Within their dishes and their hospitality practices they weave together the past, the present and the future.” And Indigenous peoples have lost so much of their written history and culture that now it’s mostly spoken rather than set down in writing.

Indigenous people have been gathering as families and nations to trade for thousands of years. “It was here that feasting, ceremonies, hunting, foraging, and trade took place with other Indigenous peoples from Turtle Island,” Windolph says. Sacred Buffalo Guardian Mountain, in Banff, is one such place, having been a meeting place for all that time, and just one of many locations where this type of gathering took place.

“Presently, the exchange of ingredients is easier to find and more accessible in grocery stores, farmers’ markets, even sourced by Indigenous foragers, farmers and hunters.

Indigenous chefs, cooks, and caterers are continuing to foster the spirit of reciprocity, exchange, and celebration with their menu options that highlight their cultural and regional ingredients,” she adds.

September 30th is Orange Shirt Day, The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and a day to remind us of the residential schools and honour the healing journey of survivors and their families. This article is by no means all-inclusive, but we hope you also gain a greater understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cuisine, the chefs, and their stories.

Additional resources:

We have only scratched the surface of Indigenous cuisine here, and there are many resources available for a greater understanding. To learn more, check out:

tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine by Shane Chartrand [pronounced ta-WOW]: Come in, you’re welcome, there’s room. strongnations.com/store/8153/ tawaw-progressive-indigenous-cuisine

Inez Cook’s story: cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.4214032 eaglespeaker.com/store/ sixties-scoop-reconnection

Culinary Tourism Alliance Canada Culinary celebrates Canadian food and drink by highlighting the people, places, and stories that define it. Their website is a terrific resource for Indigenous food experiences across the country: canadaculinary.com/ search/?query=Indigenous

Spectacular Northwest Territories is the website for Northwest Territories Tourism and is full of fascinating stories and information on Indigenous experiences. spectacularnwt.com

First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) The FNHA is the health and wellness partner to over 200 First Nations communities and citizens across BC. They produce ‘Traditional Food Fact Sheets’, a fascinating book you can download at: fnha.ca/Documents/Traditional_Food_ Fact_Sheets.pdf

Indigenous Awareness Canada offers Online Indigenous Awareness Training for everyone to learn about Canada’s Indigenous People: indigenousawarenesscanada.com

Canadian Bison The Canadian Bison website includes bison recipes and cooking tips as well as more resources canadianbison.ca/consumers/ enjoying-bison/cooking-tips

Also: thecanadianencyclopedia.ca and britannica.com/topic/Plateau-Indian

Chef Denia Baltzer

Creative Cuisine Catering

Growing up in Liidli Kue, NWT, Chef Denia Baltzer was surrounded by family that to this day hunts and harvests. Gatherings were centred around food which she says formed an emotional connection with what she cooks. “The food I make stems from the knowledge that what we eat feeds more than just our bodies. The energy and intention it is cooked with carries over to those we are feeding.”

As owner and chef of Creative Cuisine Catering, Chef Denia has fun creating new dishes based on foods she grew up eating and still craves to this day. While it’s difficult to choose a favourite ingredient from where she currently lives and works in Rocky Mountain House on Treaty 6 Territory, lake trout stands out for a few reasons. “To me, lake trout signifies the cleanliness of the water in the north, and their flesh has a clean, fresh taste and holds up to all sorts of cooking methods.”

She adds that while it’s versatile, it's best served as simple as possible. “Less is more,” she says, and her recipe for Pan Fried Trout with Birch Syrup Glaze is exactly that. Any kind of trout is suitable to use, and the birch syrup can be substituted with maple syrup.

Pan Fried Trout with Birch Syrup Glaze

Serves 4-5

5 trout fillets, 90-115 g each

2 Tbs (30 mL) olive oil

To taste salt and pepper

1 Tbs (15 mL) lemon juice

4 Tbs (60 mL) birch or maple syrup

1 tsp butter

3 Tbs fresh parsley

1. Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat.

2. Once it is very hot add the oil, add the trout skin side down, and season with salt and pepper.

3. Let the trout cook without disturbing it for 3-4 minutes, the skin will become nice and crispy and golden brown.

4. Using a thin metal spatula, carefully flip the trout, at this point add the lemon juice, birch or maple syrup and butter. Cook for another couple of minutes-until the fish is cooked through.

5. Remove to a serving dish and pour the pan juices over, sprinkle with parsley and enjoy!