BRINGING NAVAJO FOOD TRADITIONS TO FUTURE NATIVE AMERICAN SCIENTISTS AND DOCTORS

Instructor Elouise Wilson demonstrates traditional methods of food preparation.

“It’s food, it’s medicine, it’s a way of connecting with the Earth and the plant people,” said Cynthia Wilson, describing what she has learned from her interviews with Tribal elders. “To show gratitude and to give back to the Earth are essential when cooking with traditional foods.”

Cynthia Wilson is a member of the Navajo Nation in Monument Valley and a graduate of the University of Utah with a passion for Indigenous food heritage and its influence on a stronger and healthier future. Cynthia’s demonstration focused on the connection between the spiritual and culinary practices of Diné people with respect to the Four Corners Potato (Solanum jamesii)—practices that elders have honored and preserved over millennia.

The traditional foods cooking demonstration, held in the Red Butte Garden Herb Garden outdoor kitchen last July, was conducted by Cynthia Wilson, Elouise Wilson, and Frances Sheppard of Monument Valley, Utah. All three have been collaborating with Red Butte Garden Conservation Director Bruce Pavlik on the Four Corners Potato projects over the last six years, as well as the ethnobotany of Bears Ears National Monument projects highlighted in previous RBG newsletters.

The demonstration was attended by 23 Indigenous college students enrolled in the University of Utah’s Native American Research Internship program. The students come from Tribal Nations across the country to gain experience and mentorship from the University's science and medical faculty, ultimately aiding their applications to graduate and professional schools.

Elouise Wilson, member of the Navajo Nation in Monument Valley, administers a blessing on the Herb Garden. Cynthia cooked the Four Corners Potatoes in a ceramic pot (not metal), adding some special bentonite clay called “gleesh” in Navajo, to reduce the bitterness. Elouise demonstrated the proper tools and method for grinding corn with a stone mano and metate just as ancient Indigenous People did. Frances showed how to burn fresh juniper branches to create ash that is mixed with blue corn mush—making the corn’s niacin available for absorption into the body. And finally, a tea was made from flower-bearing twigs of snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) collected from Monument Valley.

“It is a gift for the Garden to host events like this with our community partners. I gained a new perspective on our mission of connecting people to plants and the beauty of living landscapes. Tonight, I learned from the experts.” said Eddy Dawson, Director of Programs.

For the students it was an opportunity to explore and piece together Indigenous traditions, knowledge, food, and culture. Many students took home Four Corners Potato plants, renewing and strengthening the cultural connections these students will carry forward.

Dr. Bruce Pavlik is the Conservation Director at Red Butte Garden.

Programs Director Eddy Dawson has been with the Garden for 20 years. He has a BS in horticulture and an MS in botanical informatics from Texas A&M University.

What Will Be Your Legacy?

Help keep the Garden growing with a legacy gift through your will.

A legacy gift honors the donor’s life with a charitable gift to a chosen party, cause, or organization. Legacy giving is a lasting investment in Red Butte Garden & Arboretum, advancing our mission to connect people with plants and the beauty of living landscapes. When you include Red Butte Garden in your estate plan, you ensure the continued growth of the garden for future generations.

For more information, please contact Natalie Cope, Director of Philanthropy, at 801.585.5658 or natalie.cope@redbutte.utah.edu.