In my recent Instagram Post (sponsored by Gundlach Bundschu Winery), I share how my friend Jordan tells me about a trip she took last year to Nebraska, where she tried some of her native foods for the first time, one of which was Milkweed Soup. She shared this blog post with me, which tells a story of a local harvest of the milkweed, and the traditions a family has when preparing it.
While researching for this post, I learned that food isn't just an expression of ones culture: it is culture.
Further Reading: sometimes it's difficult to work within Instagram's limited word count and I often feel the need to share the amount research that I put into a single post - and I would love to offer up the opportunity for further education for those who are interested. If this is something that you would like to see become a regular support-feature to my Instagram content, please let me know.
The California Indian Museum and Cultural Center, in Santa Rosa, CA: though temporarily closed to the public, the site is a great place for resources.Food and Identity: Food studies, Cultural, and Personal Identity, by Gina M. Almerico. This essay by Almerico argues that " food choices tell stories of families, migrations, assimilation, resistance, changes over times, and personal as well as group identity". In this paper she asks that we look at food as not just a sustenance of life, and not as an 'epicurean' experience: but rather as a formulation of cultural identity and tradition. In short, "food symbolism permeates our social psyche".
What is Food Sovereignty? Learn about the movement, and how it applies to all of us.
What Food Tells Us About Culture - Freely Magazine
9 Great Podcasts by Indigenous Women - Chatelaine
Again, this isn’t a full blog post, but more of a list of additional reading materials that I feel support my Instagram post, and can give further insight into personal education. Thank you for reading, and I hope it helps in understanding why this month is such an important one!
