Native Foods

Buffalo

Buffalo meat or bison is known as the heart-healthy red meat because of its lean composition. Ounce for ounce, bison has only about ¼ of the fat that beef has and contains more healthy fats than beef. Buffalo meat not only contains fewer calories and less fat and cholesterol than beef, pork, or chicken but is also rich in flavor. Buffalo meat is a significant source of iron and protein. A serving of buffalo meat also has as much calcium as a 6 oz. glass of milk; as much potassium as a medium banana; and contains vitamins E, B6, and B12.

The Native American population currently suffers from the highest rates of type 2 diabetes as well as high rates of cardiovascular disease and other diet-related diseases. Studies indicate type 2 diabetes commonly emerges when a population undergoes radical diet changes. Native Americans have been forced to abandon traditional diets rich in wild game, buffalo and plants and now have diets similar in composition to average American diets. Bison was the main diet of the Plains Indians who never had cancer, heart disease or diabetes.

Although buffalo meat is similar to beef, it needs to be handled and cooked differently. Most recipes for other red meats can be adapted to buffalo. The important things to remember are to not overcook the meat or let it dry out. Buffalo, with its low-fat content, should be cooked slowly at low heat. Very slow, moist heat works especially well with the less tender cuts of buffalo, such as chuck. Ground buffalo can be cooked similar to ground beef, but once again, at a lower temperature.

Dandelion Greens

Most people think of those pesky yellow flowers that pop up in their lawns as weeds, but the dandelions were actually once treasured by those in America, including several Native American tribes. Various tribes considered dandelions to be a prized edible, a gastrointestinal aid, a cleansing alternative, and a healing dressing for wounds. They also believed that tea made from dandelion leaves was a potent medical wellness tonic. They would boil dandelions in water to treat kidney, skin, and stomach problems as well as heartburn and swelling.  Some tribes, such as the Cherokee and Iroquois even chewed the dandelion root to relieve tooth pain.

Today, modern herbalists use dandelion leaves as a diuretic and to stimulate appetite and ease digestion. Dandelions can be used in a variety of recipes. Dandelions greens can be eaten raw with salads, sautéed in a bit of olive oil, added to soups, or boiled in a tea.  Dandelions can also be made into wine. The key to harvesting the leaves is to get them before the buds have blossomed (after that they are too bitter). Dandelion leaves are a good source of potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C. The flowers and roots of dandelions are also edible.

Squash

This tasty vegetable has been around for hundreds of years and was a common vegetable grown by American Indian tribes all over, from New Mexico to Massachusetts. Squash was a staple in the traditional Native American diet and is believed to be the oldest cultivated food in North America. They planted squash long before the other “three sisters” plants (corn and beans) were cultivated. Mature squash were often baked whole in the coals of a fire or sliced and boiled. Strips of squash were laid in the sun to dry and then stored for use in winter. Dried strips were rejuvenated in winter months by a quick soaking or boiling. Seeds were removed, dried, roasted, spiced and added to mixes of pemmican, nuts or fruit. Many tribes would also eat the squash blossoms. The blossoms were gathered in the morning before the flowers opened, and eaten fresh, fried, added to soup or dried and saved for winter.  Popular squash varieties include pumpkins, acorn squash, butternut squash, gourds, zucchini, and yellow squash.

Sunchokes

Sunchokes are a native plant that grows in well-drained soil thought to have originated in northeastern North America. Sunchokes have been cultivated by American Indians for centuries by many tribes across the continent and are regarded as a very nutritious and healing crop. They are essentially the roots of sunflower plants.

Sunchokes are similar to potatoes and have a fresh, earthy flavor. They look like knobby little potatoes or ginger root, with a white flesh covered in a thin brown skin. Sunchokes are very versatile and can be prepared in a variety of ways including slicing thin and added to stir-fries or salads or preparing similarly to potatoes by boiling or baking and adding to casseroles and soups. They are very high in fiber and have a low glycemic index (they do not spike blood sugar). They are also a great source of iron and potassium.

Turnips

A traditional staple food of the Plains Indians was the prairie turnip. This starchy tuberous root vegetable held value as a food product as well as carried a strong symbolic and spiritual meaning among many Plains tribes.  The prairie turnip was traditionally harvested May through July by the women of the tribe, with a sharpened, fire-hardened digging stick. The tubers have hard, dark skin and were peeled before eating. Some were eaten immediately, either raw or boiled, but most were dried for further use. They were sliced and sun-dried, braided and hung on meat racks to dry, and pounded into flour. Large quantities were stored in buffalo skin bags for winter use. The prairie turnip was a reliable source of food in times of famine. The tuber is more nutritious than most root crops, rich in vitamins and trace minerals. Its high content of vitamin C was especially important in the winter meat-rich diet of the Plains Indians, which was often deficient in vitamin C.   Prairie turnip flour is often used today as a secret ingredient in modern Indian frybread recipes. Prairie turnips grow best with lots of sun on well-drained rocky or sandy soil such as undisturbed prairie land. The plant is not as common today compared to its previous abundance, possibly because most prairie has been converted to farmland or managed grassland.