How many of the foods you eat every day have roots in Native American foods and traditions? A lot more than you might realize, so start counting and testing your family and kids now!

In this episode of Family Tree Food & Stories, Nancy May and Sylvia Lovely share a list of indigenous foods, along with their history, traditions, and, yes, even spiritual connections, that influence your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and holiday celebrations today.

A few key things you’ll learn in this episode include:

1. The secret of the Three Sisters – corn, beans, and squash weren’t just crops; together they created a complete protein system that nourished communities long before “vegetarian nutrition” was ever studied in labs.
2. Forgotten Native recipes – from Cherokee venison meatloaf (poya) to early cornbread and Johnny Cakes, discover dishes you may not know had indigenous roots.
3. Spiritual traditions of food – ghost suppers, spirit plates, and powwows reveal how meals were seen not just as nourishment, but as sacred connections to ancestors and community.
4. Modern revivals of indigenous cuisine – from Minnesota’s Owamni restaurant to fry bread recipes passed down through families, Native foodways are making a powerful comeback today.

This episode of Family Tree Food & Stories you can test your own knowledge of how much Native American food history, indigenous cooking traditions, and stories of resilience offers up some wisdom from the past.

👉 What’s NEXT? How you can help us and others.

Feeling hungry for more than just food? Go make your favorite fall recipe—or better yet, call someone and ask about their comfort food memories. And don’t forget to share this episode with friends and family. Because as Nancy and Sylvia always say… every dish has a story—and every story is a feast.. and it’s all better when shared! 🍽️💬

🎧Additional Links ❤️

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