Fry Bread at the Annual Powwow

Fry Bread at the Annual Powwow

Thanks to a heads-up from Amata (http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1967) regarding the Chicago American Indian Center's annual powwow at the UIC Pavilion, I had a chance to try my first fry bread yesterday.

I was expecting a thin, greasy tortilla-type bread disk, but what I got was very light, fluffy, crisp on the outside, deliciously golden, flavorful and fresh tasting. On top of the fry bread, I had them drop on a buffalo burger (which I would defy most people to distinguish from lean beef), some tomatoes and lettuce. I saw others getting their fry bread topped with seasoned beef and cheese on what was called an 'Indian taco,' and these looked pretty good. Kind of like tortillas, Ethiopian wat or other 'edible food platforms,' fry bread seems like it would be an appealing item on many menus, but as noted before on this board and others, there are very few local places that serve the Native American food of the more northerly parts of North America (current U.S. and Canada). However, the fry bread I tried yesterday was from a vendor who has a brick and mortar restaurant that does offer Native American cuisine:

Littlewinds Uptown Cafe
32 West Main Street
Chilton, Wisconsin
920-849-4244

I ran into A&A&L shortly after I got the fry bread, and we watched some of the opening ceremony. This was an all-nations get-together, with guest drummers and lots of dancers, and I felt fortunate to witness this usually 'invisible' part of our American heritage. There were lots of vendors selling jewelry, herbs, and clothing. I bought a bag of heirloom Osage red corn hominy, and was tempted by a t-shirt that featured a picture of some Plains Indians with rifles and the words, 'Homeland Security. Fighting Terrorism since 1492.' I was tempted, but clearly did not have the right to wear such an item.

As I was leaving, I noticed another food vendor, much smaller than the Littlewinds concession, serving platters of what looked like saffron rice, pinto beans, fry bread and tamales. I'd like to know more about Native American food.

For a litte background about red corn, fry bread and related Native American food items, check out http://www.redcorn.com/

Hammond

Amata, Lucantonius and I were delighted to run into Mr. Hammond at the Powwow. Sunday's grand entrance was quite impressive and the buffalo burgers on fry bread were hearty (the fry bread is a little sweet and not my favourite sandwich frame, but once a year, what the heck, I'll have a few bites).

There were two food stands: one, the basic Indian powwow food, i.e., Indian tacos (ground meat with cheese and lettuce and tomato on fry bread), buffalo burgers, and then some fusional offerings: from Wisconsin, brats on fry bread, from Chicago, polish on fry bread. A second stand served southwestern Indian food as well, including the rice and beans. In years past, I remember seeing corn dishes as well but didn't notice anything like that yesterday.

The shopping is always fun; we bought several books and Amata got some jewelry. If you missed it this year, it'll be back next November. Mark your calenders.

Antonius

P.S. It was also interesting and fun to hear the invocational prayer offered in Ho Chunk (Winnebago). I wish American Indians were better represented and their culture(s) more appreciated in this country.

Every year on Memorial Day weekend, Aurora University's Schingoethe Ceneter of Native American Culture puts on a pow-wow in Aurora, Ill. I have been involved with the pow-wow for 10 years as a volunteer and as a docent to the Museum. We always have at least 2 Native vendors who make fry bread with a variety of toppings including blueberries and this year, buffalo burgers were added. I think there was a wild rice stew this year as well, a great many of the participants are of the northern Midwestern tribes like Ho-Chunk and Onieda and many participate in the UIC event as well. There is a good sized, active Native community in the Chicago area. If you are interested, we have a very nice Museum in the lower level of Dunham Hall on AU's campus. It's free and opens from 10-4 M-F and 1-4 on Sunday's when the University is in session.

http://www.aurora.edu/museum/index.htm

LikestoEatout:

Thanks for the information... We'll have to check the museum out.

A

P.S. I forgot; the wild rice dishes are always present at the Chicago powwow too.

there's always powwows around the equinox's, where they sell fry bread and such. I think the spring one is usually held at Welles Park, and the fall one on the midway by the U of C

The spring powwow is at Mather Park. A few years ago, the Menominee Social Club of Chicago (the first recognized off-reservation body of the Menominee nation) built an "Indian Village" in Welles Park.

The American Indian Center (do a google search with AND Chicago) puts on the big powwow that is end of season. They are the largest urban Indian center in the country, dating back to 1954 I think. They have a good website that has a powwow calendar.

Many powwows have themes, like honoring our veterans, sobriety, youth, etc. They are all different and interesting in their own ways. Many are out in forest preserves, etc., are relatively small, good places to take kids, and you can see some things like naming ceremonies and give-aways.

For David Hammond, consider wearing the t-shirt an act of supporting the vendor. If you can express solidarity through what you eat, why not through what you wear? My husband wears one that says The original gangstas and has pictures of Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Chief Joseph. It always gets comments and raises awareness (reducing invisibility). Especially important around Thanksgiving, don't you know (also Columbus Day, no offense to Italian-Americans, but it considered almost a day of mourning among Native Americans).

Was there no corn soup at the powwow? It's a typical woodland tribes offering, but it often sells out early.

My favorite description of what are in the southwest called Navaho tacos came from my Italian brother-in-law, the chef, who ran three hospital kitchens, including cafeterias open to the general public many years ago. I was planning a visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens while visiting one day, and he suggested I stop by for lunch, and mentioned that they were serving Navaho Tacos, which were wildly popular. I hadn't heard of them, and when I asked for an explanation, he said "they're basically pizza frite."

annieb wrote:For David Hammond, consider wearing the t-shirt an act of supporting the vendor. If you can express solidarity through what you eat, why not through what you wear? My husband wears one that says The original gangstas and has pictures of Geronimo, Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Chief Joseph. It always gets comments and raises awareness (reducing invisibility). Especially important around Thanksgiving, don't you know (also Columbus Day, no offense to Italian-Americans, but it considered almost a day of mourning among Native Americans).

Hey Annieb,

During the late 60s, a friend gave me a Black Power pin. Though I sympathized with the movement, it seemed just really odd and presumptuous to wear the pin. Similarly, though I feel sympathy for Native Americans, it just doesn't seem right to wear a pin or t-shirt that connects me closely with a group that really gets nothing more substantial from me than my impotent sympathy. I do understand your point about raising awareness, though...

Hey, no offense taken about the Columbus comment. All my fellow Genoan did was push the boundaries of European imagination and understanding -- for all the rest of the bad stuff, I pretty much blame the Spanish, British and, of course, the French.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:Hey, no offense taken about the Columbus comment. All my fellow Genoan did was push the boundaries of European imagination and understanding -- for all the rest of the bad stuff, I pretty much blame the Spanish, British and, of course, the French.

David:

No gratuitous French-bashing, please, at least not in this context! They spent far more time interacting with the Indians in what (they thought) were reasonable and decent ways than les Anglais... I'll leave it at that for the sake of not straying too far from the topic of the thread but the French were hardly the most vicious or contemptuous in their dealings with Native Americans.

Happy Thanksgiving!/Joyeux jour d'action de grâces!*

A

A,

Re: the French. Just joking, my friend.

Annieb asked about the corn soup, but I don't remember seeing any there, did you?

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:A,

Re: the French. Just joking, my friend.

I thought so... I was just trying to stick up for the persecuted, especially since we now live near the intersection of two of the few streets in Chicago with French names and just a little west of the old French parish church (Notre Dame)...

Annieb asked about the corn soup, but I don't remember seeing any there, did you?

I think I mentioned above that I hadn't seen it this year, but that doesn't mean it wasn't there. Most likely it was offered at the "southwestern food" station; I didn't see it at the place where we all got our buffalo burgers on fry bread. In previous years, I always did see it but never tried it.

How 'bout we meet up there next year and further explore the offerings?

A

Antonius wrote:How 'bout we meet up there next year and further explore the offerings?
A

A,

Absolutely.

My guess is that there may also be some less publicized gatherings that would yield insight into the generally "unknown" cuisine of Native Americans in our region of the world. The foods of more southerly North American Native Americans (i.e., Aztec, Maya) are well known; I'm still not clear what a Kickapoo or Winnebago would sit down to at sunset.

Hammond

David Hammond said:

it just doesn't seem right to wear a pin or t-shirt that connects me closely with a group that really gets nothing more substantial from me than my impotent sympathy

They get your money. If it's not just ok, but encouraged, to give your money to food vendors to help spread the message about food, what's so hard about giving your money to vendors of "soft goods"? Even if you don't wear it. I have read lots of posts about people buying way too much food and simply discarding the things that don't please them.

But I am straying from food.

I've always found the corn soup bland but somehow satisfying. That would typify a lot of the woodland tribes foods.

Thanks.
Ann

David Hammond wrote: The foods of more southerly North American Native Americans (i.e., Aztec, Maya) are well known; I'm still not clear what a Kickapoo or Winnebago would sit down to at sunset.

One typical food of Wisconsin and Minnesota is wild rice. I'll start a separate thread in Shopping and Cooking, here.