May the Sisters Be With You

On July 3, 2013, an interesting thing happened in America: the 1977 blockbuster film Star Wars was shown in Arizona, but dubbed into the Navajo language. It was the first film to be dubbed into Navajo, and it took sixteen years from the idea to hitting the screen. Disney+, a streaming service many people have, has the Navajo version as a special feature with the original culture-shifting film. People had to put their thinking caps on for some of the translations, as there’s no “robot” word in Navajo, so it became “living metal.” Native American food is not very well understood or known outside of native circles, so let’s take a look! 

Painting Credit: “One Stop Before Mos Eisley” (more progress), 16” X 20”, Acrylic on canvas, 2018 by Artist Ryan Singer

Native American Eats

Native American cuisine is similar to Mexican cuisine in ways but the two are nowhere near synonymous. Before modern-day borders were settled, the desert southwest of North America was a fiercely-battled-over open land, as Cormac McCarthy’s incredible novel Blood Meridian demonstrates. He also describes the foods of the region, where three different cultures – white/European, indigenous, and Mexican – intermingled. Chef Becky is part Blackfoot Cherokee. Let’s take a look at the food of the indigenous inhabitants of North America; keep in mind that what we call “Native America” (or First Nations) is not a homogenous group but a collection of tribes who collaborated, intermixed, and fought against each other. 

The Tepary Bean and Rule of 3

As with Mexican cuisine, beans are a staple. The tepary bean has grown in the area described since pre-Columbian times and does not need as much water as other types of beans. Along with squash and corn, the tepary bean forms what’s called the “3 Sisters Agriculture.” The 3 Sisters work together in the growing process synergistically. Chef Becky often thinks culinarily in 3s. “There’s mirepoix, of course, the trinity of many dish bases, but I also think from a design standpoint and like odd numbers for some reason.” Native American cuisine shows up in the desert southwest – tacos, fry bread – but in New Jersey, the Lenape tribe was dominant. Modern-day Lenape foods include frybread, corn and meat, and grape dumplings. 

Indian Pudding at Bex

In the fall and winter, Chef Becky whips up Indian Pudding: a thick, sweet, hearty dessert that can also be had like a meal. It was eaten in colonial times before the hard heavy work of tree-clearing or the like, or after to replenish energy. “To be honest,” the Chef says, “it doesn’t sell as well as other things, but it’s important to me to offer, and it’s a hidden gem dish.”