INDIGENOUS FOODWAYS
Valerie Segrest Illustrations by Herbert Shane Hartman
A Moon-Inspired Menu
E
arth’s first satellite. For the entirety of human its orbit. Lunar calendars have been carved into
WINTER SALMON MOON CHOWDER
animal bones and cave walls. Entire landscapes
Serves 6
existence, we have organized our lives around
were constructed and dedicated to the movement
of the moon dating back 10,000 years in Mesolithic
3 slices of bacon, diced
Scotland. Ancient hunters, harvesters, and farmers carefully
1 Walla Walla onion, diced
surveyed the waxing and waning ways of the moon and its
1 clove garlic, diced
close correlation with fertility, rainfall, tides, game migration,
3 green onions, chopped
and harvests. This information was interpreted into
3 Ozette or golden potatoes, diced
strategies necessary for survival. Our moon has mentored
3–4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
humanity for centuries, and the Ancestors formalized time
12 ounces smoked salmon
from its steady power. In these ancient traditions we receive the gifts and stories
In a large soup pot, sauté bacon until
of 13 moons that make up a calendar year. All Indigenous
just crisp, about 3 minutes. Add onions,
Peoples named their moons for locally abundant food,
garlic and green onions and continue
distinct weather, or important cyclical changes.
cooking until onions are translucent.
Following a lunar-inspired menu means eating seasonal and hyperlocal ingredients. Where I live in the Pacific Northwest, fall begins with
Add potatoes and chicken stock. Bring to a boil for a few minutes. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add salmon
the Moon of the Silver Salmon, and Elk Mating Cry, Falling
and cook an additional 8–10 minutes.
Leaves, and Dog Salmon follow. We eat Coho and Chum
Serve hot.
salmon, crisp-bodied shellfish, hazelnuts, Ozette potatoes, rosehips, and cranberries. These foods are at their peak nutrition and flavor during their moons. Syncing our lives and menus with the energy of the moons leads us to be more present in nature and to better engage with our own wisdom and the world in which we live. Valerie Segrest (Muckleshoot) is a nutrition educator who specializes in local and traditional foods. She is co-founder and director of projects at Tahoma Peak Solutions, LLC.
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yes! winter
2022 ::
y e s ma g a z i n e . o r g
