Spirit Plate Whetstone Radio

Over the course of this season, our guests have helped us understand the history of disruption and provided essential context for why the Indigenous food movement is necessary. In this last episode for season 1, we talk with Anishinaabe farmer and food producer Rosebud Bear Schneider about the joys and challenges of revitalizing cultural foodways in the present day. Rosebud gives us a glimpse into what food sovereignty work looks like in a contemporary, urban context-- how people are practicing place-based foodways in the City of Detroit, the challenges related to this, and what gives her strength to continue this intergenerational work.

During the Termination Era (the early 1950s to late 1960s), the U.S. government passed legislation stating that they would no longer recognize Tribal governments as sovereign nations and began incentivizing the relocation of Native peoples to urban centers across the country. Dr. Martin Reinhardt tells us about the Termination Act of 1953 and Indian Relocation Act of 1956, and the devastating effects they had on treaty rights and Indigenous peoples’ foodways. Dr. Reinhardt also talks about how this attempt to suppress Indigenous sovereignty led to a new era of inter-tribal activism. These growing Red Power movements advocated for Tribal self-determination and demanded the restoration of treaty rights. The building activism that occurred during these years led to a new era in policy and the restoration of many treaty rights.
Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Spirit Plate at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio.

During the Indian Reorganization Era, which took place between the late 1920s through the 1930s, the U.S. government began winding down its assimilation policies and made moves to reaffirm Tribal self-governance. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, also known as the Indian New Deal, had three main goals: strengthen Tribal self-governance, reconsolidate tribal lands, and promote economic development. The Indian Reorganization Act did emphasize the need to involve Native peoples when the federal government made policies affecting their communities and it provided some new opportunities for self-governance. However, oversight from the Bureau of Indian Affairs continued a long history of paternalism and left little room for Tribal governance based on cultural values and protocols. Few Native individuals or communities were able to become financially self-sustaining as a result of this “Indian New Deal.” In the present day, many have mixed positions and opinions of how well these goals were achieved/realized.
Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Spirit Plate at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio.

Topics covered in this episode:

Min 1:35: Introduction of the show and then intro of Shiloh
Min 3:45: Shiloh family’s history and how she decided this was her passion
Min 8:00 Overview of the dinner parties and how their effects on the community
Min 12:30 Introduction of the Sacred Roots - Food Sovereignty Program
Min 16:00 Difficulties in creating and maintaining the Space and Opportunities for Urban Indians in Food Sovereignty via Sacred Roots
Min 20:00: Introduction of the Pop-up in Detriot
Min 22:30: Introduction to present-day work
Min 25:00: Working with the Native American Food Sovereignty
Min 29:55: Connecting her role in the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance team to Spirit Plate and what she thinks the future hold
32:00 Looking ahead

During the Allotment & Assimilation Era (1887-1930) the U.S. government moved to assimilate Native peoples into American society and the economy. One of the most devastating tactics was the Indian Boarding School, which aimed to strip Native children of their culture and train them for manual or domestic labor. Students resisted in many ways: attempting to run away, stealing food, and even setting fire to their schools. Students also formed their own kinship networks.Although the schools changed over time, some remained in operation until the 1980s. Among the many long-term impacts, these institutions disrupted the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and practices related to traditional diets. For some community members today, reconnecting to ancestral foodways helps them reclaim parts of their identity and history.
Topics covered in this episode:

Min 1:08: Meet Eric Hemenway
Min 2:00: What are Indian Boarding Schools?
Min 6:13: Creation of the Indian Boarding School system
Min 8:37: Varied reasons for attending the schools
Min 13:00: Boys’ vs. girls’ education
Min 15:54: Funding the schools
Min 17:41: Stories of resistance
Min 22:19: Why should we share the stories of Indian Boarding Schools?
Min 25:33: Eric’s personal path
Min 31:18: Parting words from Eric

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Spirit Plate at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio.

During the Allotment & Assimilation Era (1887-1930) the U.S. government moved to assimilate Native peoples into American society and the economy. Private land ownership was forced onto Indigenous peoples by breaking apart communal lands into family parcels, effectively altering relationships to land and food. In many cases, Native peoples were forced to shift from subsistence lifestyles and traditional forms of trade to growing food as a commodity. This commodity-based approach to food was and continues to be in conflict with traditional relationships, knowledge, and practices related to growing food.
Topics covered in this episode:

Min 1:30: Meet Eric Hemenway
Min 2:30: Introduction to the Allotment & Assimilation Era
Min 4:22: Division of land
Min 6:10: The Burt Lake Burnout
Min 9:58: Shiloh’s scorched corn and fish cakes
Min 16:31: Convoluted allotment in northern Michigan
Min 20:51: Impacts of allotment on the Odawa community
Min 25:29: Debunking stereotypes

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Spirit Plate at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio.
Guest: Eric Hemenway

Following removal and relocation of the mid-1800s, Native communities found ways to adapt and preserve their foodways in the face of disruption. Each community’s journey is unique. This episode focused on the story of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. With our guest Becky Webster—Oneida attorney, farmer, and seed keeper—we'll talk about the way they are revitalizing their food traditions through seed saving, cooperative growing, and participating in local barter markets.
Topics covered in this episode:

Min 1:45: Meet Becky Webster of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin
Min 3:37: Mid-1800s removal and relocation
Min 10:55: Journey of relocation for Becky’s community
Min 14:25: Rebuilding Oneida food ways in Wisconsin
Min 16:57: Ukwakhwa: Tsinu Niyukwayay^thoslu
Min 20:04: Beans, Becky’s favorite food to grow
Min 23:21: About the grower’s cooperative Ohelaku
Min 27:50: The barter market
Min 32:09: Meaning of food sovereignty to Becky
Min 36:02: What would Becky bring to a feast honoring all her relations?

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Spirit Plate at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio.
Guest: Becky Webster (@ukwakhwa)