A Celebration of Land and Sea: Modern Indigenous Cuisine in New England with Rachel Sayet

Part of our Monday night lecture series: Culinary Incidents: Historical Explorations of Food and Culture in the Pioneer Valley.

Prior to colonialism, the indigenous people of New England hunted, planted, caught, and harvested food seasonally. Stories and celebrations about food went along with those season, and were a way of bringing communities together. Today, indigenous chefs in New England utilize local ingredients to create both traditional and modern dishes, which are celebrated at events such as Cranberry Day in Massachusetts and the Hammonasset Festival in Connecticut. Some Native American chefs still use traditional cookware and are much sought after for their clam cakes and Johnny cakes, as well as other indigenous foods.

Through interviews with Mashpee Wampanoag, Abenaki, Mohegan, and Narragansett cooks living in New England and their approach to Native American cuisine, Rachel will demonstrate how the Native American people of New England have continued to use the same ingredients that were available at the time of the much misunderstood “first Thanksgiving” to create their own modern indigenous cuisine. Come hear all about these topics from Rachel! Admission $7 / $5 members.