Thanksgiving can be a time of celebration, gratitude and sharing. It is also often a time when people assist the most vulnerable in our communities, through donations to food banks, volunteer service at missions and shelters, and similar acts of compassion coinciding with the start of a difficult cold season for those without adequate resources. That said, it can also be a time of remembrance and mourning in Native American communities.
The narrative that many people have been taught beginning in elementary school about the First Thanksgiving celebration in the United States is based on historically inaccurate myths that fail to acknowledge the devastation wrought by settler colonialism, including genocide, land theft, forced assimilation and cultural appropriation.
Many Native people refuse to celebrate Thanksgiving; some engage in a day of mourning, protesting the genocide wrought on their ancestors and ongoing oppression. Others pay respect to time-honored values and traditions centering on family, the earth and the harvest. As educators, it is important for us to understand the atrocities experienced by Native peoples at the hands of the European settlers, and Native perspectives about thanksgiving—a time of honoring the ancestors including the lands, plants and animals that are understood as relations—when we are communicating about the meaning of the Thanksgiving celebration.
Celebrations of harvest certainly did not originate with settlers and Native Americans sharing a meal in the 17th century, but rather have been integral to the fabric of Indigenous existence since time immemorial, noted UC Berkeley Professor Elizabeth Hoover (Mohawk/Mi'kmaq descent).
“For Haudenosaunee people (in the northeast), the Thanksgiving Address (Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen, the Words that Come Before All Else) is recited before every important event,” Hoover said. “There are thanksgiving feasts held when the thunders start, when the sap flows, when it's time for the seeds to be planted, when the first wild strawberries come out, when the green beans are ready, when the green corn is ready, when the harvest is ready — many times throughout the year.”
Taking a decolonizing approach to Thanksgiving rejects the myths of Thanksgiving and harmful stereotypes about Native peoples that reinforce oppression, and invites opportunities for deepening our collective understanding of Indigenous history, amplifying Native perspectives that highlight the diversity of Indigenous peoples and foodways, and support Native-led food sovereignty and land stewardship initiatives that affirm contemporary presence and self-determination of Native people in 21st-century America.
UC Berkeley Professor Peter Nelson (Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria) offers this helpful insight: “We have plenty of points at which we give thanks for what our non-human relations give us or honor the changing of the seasons and gathering times. The fall in my language, Coast Miwok (Tamal Machchaw), is 'umpa walli or acorn time. Some of these concepts don't exactly translate from English. ‘Thank you,' or ka molis, means something more like I'm glad/happy. We express a state of being or how it makes us feel. The same is true of the concept of ‘I'm sorry,' which doesn't exist in our language. We have to contrive something to the effect of ‘my heart is sad,' ka wuskin sawa. Again, a state of being and there is a sense that you should just express how to fix things if they are out of sorts. Hearing a settler apology isn't enough. Do something about it.”
Consider centering Thanksgiving messaging around social and environmental justice by sharing resources for learning about the authentic history of Native Americans, contemporary Native American peoples and communities in both urban and rural areas, and supporting the growing Indigenous food sovereignty movement among Native Americans to reclaim and restore their food systems througheco-cultural restoration and self-determination.
The following are resources suggested by Elizabeth Hoover, Peter Nelson and others to learn more about the perspective of Native Americans on the U.S. holiday.
Decolonizing the history and meaning of Thanksgiving:
View this brief speech by Linda Coombs (Aquinnah Wampanoag), who used to direct the Wampanoag Indigenous Program and Plymouth Plantation, at the site of the presumptive original Thanksgiving meal, for a greater perspective on the myths surrounding the origins of Thanksgiving.
Also read this speech that Frank James attempted to deliver before the 1970 Pilgrim's Progress parade in Plymouth. His rejection after the organizers heard the content of his speech led to the National Day of Mourning counter-parade that takes place each year.
Spend some time researching the environmental and cultural history of the lands where you are standing starting with identifying whose lands you are residing in via this interactive map of Indigenous territories and learning about how you can support them.
Learn about how the University of California and the other land grant institutions of higher education were founded upon the expropriation and sale of Indigenous lands that were “granted” to every state under the Morrill Act in this High Country News article and this UC Land-grab Workshop series. On this interactive map created by UC IGIS at https://arcg.is/1GTiuv, you can identify specific parcels that were “granted” and the Native communities from whom they were taken.
Educate yourself about the history of Indigenous peoples and the American genocide in the United States, by reading Benjamin Madley's An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe, 1846-1873i, Vine Deloria's 1969 Custer Died for Your Sins, Dunbar Ortiz's An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, or Dee Brown's classic Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
Learn about, support and amplify Native-led food sovereignty and land-stewardship initiatives in California:
Watch the film Gather, featuring Indigenous chefs, scientists and activists around the country working to restore their spiritual, political and cultural identities through food sovereignty, including Samuel Gensaw (Yurok), co-founder of the Ancestral Guard, committed to restoring the foodways of North Coast California.
Read about Indigenous foodways initiatives through Civil Eats reporting.
Feature Native chefs in your communications such as Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino of Café Ohlone and Crystal Wahpepah to honor their Indigenous food heritage.
Read the First Nations Development Institute's report on California Indigenous land stewards for more information on both urban and rural Indigenous-led stewardship initiatives and Native perspectives across the state, including the Sogorea Te' Land Trust, an urban Indigenous women-led community organization that facilitates the return of Chochenyo and Karkin Ohlone lands in the San Francisco Bay Area to Indigenous stewardship.
Honoring Native people and perspectives on Thanksgiving:
In addition to reading, you may consider visiting a local Native American museum or cultural center during some part of the holiday (courtesy of Eve Bratman).
Play the song Custer Died for your Sinsand other songs of Indigenous resistanceas music during your celebration. For starters, check out Rebel Beat Radio and Indigenous Resistance (courtesy of Eve Bratman)
Take a moment of silence and remembrance for ancestors and the people whose land you are occupying, before your meal. Set intentions to learn more about and take action to support Native people.
Jennifer Sowerwine, UC Cooperative Extension specialist at UC Berkeley, and Sabrina Drill, UC Cooperative Extension advisor in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, collaborate with Native Americans on environmental and food sovereignty research.
Los camotes endulzados –chorreando mantequilla, azúcar morena y nueces – o una cacerola de camotes machacados y cubiertos de malvaviscos tostados - son platillos tradicionales en la mesa del Día de Acción de Gracias.
Estos ricos platillos contradicen la naturaleza dulce de los camotes, los cuales son tubérculos ricos en nutrientes y con un bajo nivel glicémico que pueden ser parte de una dieta saludable todo el año.
Un estudio realizado por Scott Stoddard, asesor de Extensión Cooperativa de UC, tiene como objetivo convertir a los camotes en un alimento aún más saludable y atractivo. Stoddard trabaja junto con productores de camotes del condado de Merced para explorar si los camotes de cáscara de tono morado oscuro y pulpa de un morado brillante, conocidos en inglés como purple/purples (morado/morados), pueden ser cultivados por más granjeros en California. El inusual color y mayores beneficios a la salud comandan un mayor precio, abriendo un potencial nicho en el mercado.
“Los camotes de pulpa morada contienen beta-caroteno, como las variedades de color naranja que son más comunes, además de antocianinas”, dijo Stoddard. “Es como comerse un puñado de arándanos azules con su camote”.
California es un importante productor de camotes. Alrededor de un 80 por ciento del cultivo en este estado – 16,000 acres – se realiza en el condado de Merced, en granjas con superficies que van desde cinco acres a varios miles de acres. En el 2015, el valor del cultivo en el condado de Merced fue de 195 millones de dólares. En el condado de Kern existen alrededor de mil acres de cultivo y dos mil en el de Stanislaus. Estas ubicaciones cuentan con suelos arenosos y arenosos limosos ideales para que los camotes puedan desarrollar su distintiva forma y cáscara lisa.
Los camotes de pulpa morada no son comunes, pero han existido desde hace ya un buen tiempo. Por ejemplo, son el principal tipo de camote que se cultiva en Hawaii. Hace varios años, los cultivadores del condado de Stokes, N.C., seleccionaron un cultivar particularmente hermoso y sabroso al que nombraron camote Stokes y lo comercializaron a nivel nacional a través de Frieda's Specialty Produce. En California, A. V. Thomas Produce, de Livingston, adquirió un acuerdo exclusivo con la compañía para cultivar y comercializar el camote Stokes purple/purples.
“El número de acres de Stokes se ha realmente expandido en pocos años”, mencionó Stoddard. "Existe mucho interés en los camotes de pulpa morada por parte del consumidor".
Eso no cierra la puerta del camote purple/purples a otros granjeros de California interesados en el nicho. Stoddard conduce pruebas de campo en cooperación con granjeros locales que incluye el purple/purples. En una de las pruebas, se están cultivando 50 tipos de camotes de colores diferentes, para poder determinar si cuentan con las características claves necesarias para producirlos localmente. De allí, él elige un número limitado para cultivar en pruebas replicadas, con el propósito de determinar su potencial para obtener una producción grande, que puedan ser almacenados bien y desarrollar el tamaño, forma, color y sabor adecuados. De estos, solo uno de los camotes purple/purples pasó a la prueba replicada.
“En algunos purple/purples, el sabor puede ser apagado o amargo”, indicó Stoddard. “De esos nos deshicimos inmediatamente”.
Uno de los cultivares en el estudio de Stoddard, que recibe el código experimental L-4-15-P, fue producido en el 2014 por Don La Bonte, un productor de plantas de la Universidad del Estado de Luisiana, en Baton Rouge. Este camote cuenta con algunos buenos atributos, pero carece del color uniforme e intenso de la variedad Stokes.
“Desafortunadamente, probablemente no es lo suficientemente bueno para desplazar a Stokes”, dijo Stoddard. “Es un buen inicio, pero necesitamos seguir estudiando al purple/purples para encontrar una variedad que ofrezca resistencia a las enfermedades, una buena cosecha y pulpa de color morado intenso y consistente".
Un buen alimento
Los camotes pueden comerse crudos o cocidos. Para comerlos crudos, simplemente quíteles la piel, córtelo en palitos y sírvalos con aderezo ranch bajo en grasa o puré de manzana. Raye camotes frescos sin cocer y agréguelos a burritos, tacos o ensaladas para darle un toque nutritivo y crocante.
Los camotes cocidos pueden comerse durante el desayuno, almuerzo y cena, con cáscara y todo, solos o con un poco de mantequilla.
Una manera rápida de preparar esta verdura es en el microondas. Lávelos y séquelos. Pínchelos con la punta de un cuchillo en dos o tres lugares. Cocine en alta potencia durante cinco minutos. Deles la vuelta. Cocine durante otros cinco minutos, más o menos.
El experto en camotes de Extensión Cooperativa de UC, Scott Stoddard, señaló que él prefiere los camotes horneados.
“Es mucho mejor hornearlos”, mencionó el experto. “Al hornearlos les da tiempo de convertir el almidón en maltosa”.
Los camotes están compuestos en su mayoría de almidón, pero contienen una enzima especial que cuando se les cocina, convierte el almidón en maltosa. Cocerlos lentamente en el horno convencional da tiempo a esta conversión, dándole un sutil sabor dulce acaramelado.
Para hornearlos, precaliente el horno a 400 grados. Cubra la rejilla inferior del horno con papel aluminio, luego pinche los camotes con un tenedor y colóquelos directamente en la rejilla media, arriba de la que está cubierta con papel aluminio. Hornee camotes de dos a tres pulgadas de diámetro, durante 45 minutos.
Candied sweet potatoes – dripping with butter, brown sugar and pecans – or a casserole of mashed sweet potatoes smothered with toasted marshmallows are common sides on the Thanksgiving table. These rich dishes belie the true nature of sweet potatoes, which are nutrient packed, low-glycemic root vegetables that can be a part of a healthy diet year round.
Research by UC Cooperative Extension advisor Scott Stoddard is aimed at making sweet potatoes an even more healthful and attractive food. Stoddard is working with sweet potato growers in Merced County to see if sweet potatoes with dusky purple skin and vibrant purple flesh, called purple/purples, can be grown by more farmers in California. The unusual color and health benefits command a higher price, opening a potentially profitable niche market.
“Purple flesh sweet potatoes have beta-carotene, like the more common orange varieties, plus anthocyanins,” Stoddard said. “It's like eating a handful of blueberries with your sweet potato.”
California is a significant producer of sweet potatoes. About 80 percent of the California crop – 16,000 acres – is grown in Merced County, on farms ranging from 5 acres up to several thousand acres. In 2015, the crop's value in Merced County was $195 million. About 1,000 acres are grown in Kern County and 2,000 acres in Stanislaus County. These locations have the sandy and sandy-loam soils ideal for sweet potatoes to develop their distinctive shape and smooth skin.
Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are not common, but they have been around for quite some time. They are the main type of sweet potato grown in Hawaii, for example. Several years ago, growers in Stokes County, N.C., selected a particularly beautiful and tasty cultivar, naming it the Stokes Sweet Potato and marketing nationwide with Frieda's Specialty Produce. In California, A. V. Thomas Produce in Livingston acquired an exclusive agreement with the company to grow and market Stokes purple/purple sweet potatoes.
“The number of acres of Stokes has really expanded in just a few years,” Stoddard said. "There is a lot of consumer interest in purple-fleshed sweet potatoes."
That doesn't close the door on purple/purples for California's other growers interested in the niche. Stoddard conducts field trials in cooperation with local farmers that include purple/purples. In one trial, 50 types of sweet potatoes of many different colors are being grown to determine whether they have key characteristics needed for local production. From there, he selects a limited number to grow in replicated trials, to determine their potential to produce a high yield, store well, and develop good size, shape, color and flavor. Of these, only one purple/purple made it into the replicated trial.
“In some purple/purples, the flavor can be off, or bitter,” Stoddard said. “We get rid of those right away.”
One of the cultivars in Stoddard's study, which goes by the experimental code number L-14-15-P, was bred in 2014 by Don La Bonte, a plant breeder at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. The potato has some good attributes, but lacks the uniform deep purple color of the Stokes variety.
“Unfortunately, it's probably not good enough to displace Stokes,” Stoddard said. “It's a good start, but we have to continue screening purple/purples to find a variety that offers disease resistance, good yield, and consistent deep purple flesh color."
Good eats
Sweet potatoes can be eaten raw or cooked. To eat raw, simply peel, cut into sticks and serve with low-fat ranch dressing or apple sauce for dipping. Grate fresh, uncooked sweet potatoes and add to burritos or tacos or sprinkle on salads for a sweet, nutritious crunch.
Cooked sweet potatoes can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner, skin and all, plain or with a small pat of butter.
Microwaving is a great way to quickly prepare the vegetable. Wash potatoes and pat dry. Prick skin with a knife in 2 to 3 places. Cook on high for 5 minutes. Turn over. Then cook for another 5 minutes, more or less.
UC Cooperative Extension's sweet potato expert Scott Stoddard says he prefers his sweet potatoes baked.
“Baked is way better,” he said. “Baking gives time to convert the starch to maltose.”
Sweet potatoes are mostly starch, but have a special enzyme that breaks down starch into maltose when cooking. Slower cooking in the oven provides time for the conversion, imparting a subtly sweet caramelized flavor.
To bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line the lower oven rack with foil, then prick sweet potatoes with a fork and place directly on the middle oven rack, above the rack with foil. Bake 45 minutes for sweet potatoes 2 to 3 inches in diameter.
“¿Qué tal si, hoy, agradeciéramos por todo?” pregunta Charlie Brown.
Usted no necesita ser un personaje de caricatura querido para entender el significado del Día de Acción de Gracias. Dar gracias parece ser excelente motivo para la celebración de este año y para todos los días, realmente. He aquí varios pasos importantes para pasar un día festivo saludable, delicioso y memorable.
Primero, tenga cuidado Millones de estadounidenses celebrarán este Día de Acción de Gracias. Las enfermedades causadas por alimentos en mal estado son una preocupación real. Así que, tengamos cuidado que todos disfrutan de los alimentos y no se enferman.
Desde el momento de descongelar el pavo hasta el cocinarlo apropiadamente, la Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos (FDA, por sus siglas en inglés) ofrece una variedad de consejos para que estas festividades sean las más seguras. (Una pista: tenga cuidado con el relleno). La famosa línea directa de Carne y Aves de Corral de la USDA estará activa el Día de Acción de Gracias hasta las 11 a.m., hora del Pacifico; su equipo de expertos podrá responder a cualquier pregunta que usted pudiera tener.
¿Desea un poco de ayuda extra? Si nunca ha cocinado un pavo, Noelle Carter le indica cómo hacerlo paso por paso en este brillante anuncio; el mismo aparece en Los Angeles Times. El New York Times ha creado un planeador interactivo par aun menú que se basa en el número de invitados, preferencias alimenticias, su experiencia en la cocina y le ofrece un plan de acción para el gran día (consejos, recetas, etc.). ¡Es muy útil y divertido!
No, un festín de Acción de Gracias no estaría completo sin una tarta. Ya sea que prefiera la tarta de calabaza o camote, una buena corteza para tarta es esencial... pero no tiene que saber de ciencias moleculares. En este video, la investigadora de la Universidad de California, Amy Rowat, hace uso de la ciencia para enseñarle cómo preparar la mejor corteza para tarta.
Secundo, pruebe la comida
¿Sabía que existe una ciencia para comer? Antes que de apile toda esa comida en su plato, tómese el tiempo y considere estos siete pasos de los científicos e investigadores de la Universidad de California; con ellos se asegurará de saborear cada bocado de su comida.
Tercero, no desperdicie
Disfrute de su comida, pero propóngase reducir el desperdicio de alimentos en esta temporada navideña.
La investigadora de UC ANR, Wendi Gosliner del Instituto de Políticas sobre Nutrición de UC ANR (UC ANR's Nutrition Policy Institute) recientemente compartió esta información sobre el desperdicio de alimentos (#foodwaste):
“El desperdicio de alimentos es realmente un reto en Estados Unidos. Los cálculos sugieren que hasta un 40 por ciento de los alimentos que se producen a nivel nacional nunca son consumidos, causando daños económicos y al medio ambiente sustanciosos. Los alimentos desperdiciados ocupan vastas cantidades de valiosa tierra, agua y recursos humanos, en lugar de alimentar a la gente, alimentan los basureros, produciendo gases metano que envenenan el medioambiente. Muchos del desperdicio de alimentos (43 por ciento) sucede a nivel del hogar”.
Nosotros buscamos la consejos de los expertos del Programa Preservador Maestro de UC ANR (UC ANR's Master Food Preserver Program) sobre cómo usar las sobras de alimentos. Algunos aportes: consulte esta gráfica sobre el almacenamiento de alimentos para determinar por cuánto tiempo se pueden guardar algunas sobras sin ningún problema. Para más consejos, haga clic aquí. Las sobras de pavo pueden usarse para preparar un caldo que puede servir como base para platillos adicionales. Nosotros le proporcionamos aquí una receta e información sobre cómo envasar consomé en forma segura.
Cualquiera que sea la forma en la usted celebra el Día de Acción de Gracias, el personal de UC ANR le desea un día festivo seguro, feliz y saludable.
Nota del editor: Los investigadores y educadores de la División de Agricultura y Recursos Naturales de UC (UC ANR) se apoyan en la experiencia local para conducir investigaciones agrícolas, del medioambiente, económicas, desarrollo juvenil y nutrición para ayudar a California a progresar. Administramos programas como 4-H, Jardinero Maestro y Maestro para Conservar Alimentos. Vivimos donde usted vive. Conozca más sobre nosotros aquí. Si es un #veterano o #granjero principiante interesado en aprender más sobre producción de aves de corral, UC ANR está co auspiciando una serie de talleres sobre aves de corral empezando el mes de diciembre y el resto del 2017. Obtenga más detalles aquí.
Lectura relacionada con el tema:
Conozca más sobre los alimentos indígenas y nativos de Valerie Segrest la tribu Muckleshoot del Pacífico de Noroeste; esta publicación aparece en el blog UC Food Observer.
“What if, today, we were grateful for everything?” asks Charlie Brown.
You don't need to be a beloved cartoon character to understand the meaning of Thanksgiving. Giving thanks seems like an excellent goal for this year's celebration … and every day, really. Here are some important steps for a healthy, delicious and memorable holiday.
First, be safe Millions of Americans will be celebrating this Thanksgiving. Foodborne illness is a real concern. So, let's make sure everybody enjoys the meal and doesn't get ill.
From safely thawing a turkey to making sure it's properly cooked, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers a range of tips to keep your holiday safe. (One hint: take care with the stuffing). The USDA's famous Meat & Poultry Hotline will remain open on Thanksgiving Day until 11 a.m. PST; their team of experts is on hand to answer any questions you may have.
Want a little extra help? If you've never cooked a turkey, Noelle Carter breaks it down for you in this brilliant step-by-step primer; it appears in the Los Angeles Times. The New York Times has created an interactive menu planner that factors in the number of guests, dietary preferences, your cooking experience and provides a game plan for the big day (tips, recipes, etc). It's useful...and fun!
No, Thanksgiving feast would be complete without pie. Whether you're a sweet potato or pumpkin pie fan, good crust is essential. Making a good pie crust isn't rocket science...but it does involve molecular science. In this video, University of California researcher Amy Rowat uses science to show you how to make the best pie crust ever.
Second, savor the meal
Did you know that there's a science to eating? Before you pile lots of food on your plate, take time to consider these seven steps from University of California scientists and researchers; they will assure that you savor every bite of your meal.
Third, don't waste
Enjoy your meal, but make it a point to reduce food waste this holiday season.
“Food waste presents a major challenge in the United States. Estimates suggest that up to 40% of the food produced nationally never gets consumed, causing substantial economic and environmental harms. Wasted food utilizes vast quantities of precious land, water and human resources, yet rather than nourishing people, it feeds landfills, producing methane gasses that poison the environment. Much of the food waste (43%) occurs at the household level.”
We sought out experts from UC ANR's Master Food Preserver Program for advice on how to use leftovers. Some takeaways: refer to this food storage chart to determine how long you can safety store leftover food. For more tips, click here. Leftover turkey can be used to make a delicious homemade stock that can serve as the base for additional meals. We provide a recipe and information about how to safely preserve stock here.
However you celebrate Thanksgiving, the staff of UC ANR wishes you a safe, happy and healthy holiday.
Editor's Note: UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) researchers and educators draw on local expertise to conduct agricultural, environmental, economic, youth development and nutrition research that helps California thrive. We operate the 4-H, Master Gardener and Master Food Preserver Programs. We live where you live. Learn more here. Are you a #veteran or #beginning farmer interested in learning more about poultry production? UC ANR is co-hosting a series of poultry workshops beginning in December and throughout 2017. Get the details here.
Related Reading:
Learn more about native and indigenous foods from Valerie Segrest of the Muckleshoot Tribe in the Pacific Northwest; the post appears on the UC Food Observer blog.