Give Thanks

Last year we made plans to stay home for the 2020 Winter holidays, after our last frustrating holiday commute with the little one in tow, but we had no idea so many would be joining us in their own homebound celebrations. With that in mind, we wanted to share a couple ways in which we are focusing on decolonizing Thanksgiving, a holiday that often markets a false narrative about the people native to the land in the United States.

The first is to recognize the people on whose land our home and town sits.

Our family lives on the ancestral and unceded land of the Chochenyo speaking Lisjan Ohlone people. If you too are a non-Indigenous person living in the East Bay, we invite you to join us in paying Shuumi Land Tax to support the critical work of the Sogorea Te' Land Trust.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the ancestral land where you live.

Many of the Native tribes who were here before pilgrims and settlers moved in and colonized this land are still here today and a great number are struggling. You may want to look into the ways you can give shuumi (a Chochenyo word meaning “gift”) to tribes local to you, as Indigenous people have and continue to disproportionately give to our country in so many ways.

We are also trying to highlight Native foods at the dinner table this year. The Wampanoag saved the “pilgrims” from starvation by teaching them of the Three Sisters, a trio of corn, beans, and squash. When planted together, a method believed by many to originate with the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), they become a self-supporting system. The three staples together provide plenty of nutrients for a balanced diet.

In our attempt to honor the Sisters, we have sunflowers for the table, another Sister which served the trio by providing shade, and will be serving the casserole below. It’s a Three Sisters dish that adds non-native plants and rustic cornbread to make an indulgent vegetarian treat. It’s perfect for sharing, but, if we’re being honest, you may not want to.

Three Sisters Casserole with Cornbread Topping

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Recipe from Simply Recipes
Prep time: 35 minutes - Cook time: 25 minutes - Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS

For the cornbread topping: 

• 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 1/2 cup whole milk

• 1/2 cup water

For the filling:  

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 pound butternut or kabocha squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)

• 1 (15-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 3/4 cup vegetable broth

• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 cups chopped greens (such as spinach or kale)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Make the filling: In a large, high-sided skillet or Dutch oven, warm the olive oil over medium heat until it’s shimmering and add the onions. Cook until translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

   Add the squash, tomatoes, tomato paste, spices, and salt. Stir in the broth and bring mixture to a boil.

3. Simmer the filling: Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, or until squash is tender.

4. Make the cornbread topping while the filling simmers: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a wooden spoon, slowly stir in the butter, milk, and water; mix only until just combined. Set aside and let it sit for ten minutes or so, while the filling simmers.

5. Add the rest of the ingredients to the filling: Stir in the corn, beans, and greens into the filling, and continue cooking, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes, until mixture has thickened slightly and all the ingredients are incorporated.

6. Transfer to baking dish and bake: Scrape the filling into the prepared pan and top with generous biscuit-sized clumps of cornbread topping (this can be rustic and uneven).

   Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and topping is golden brown.

7. Serve: Remove from the oven allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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📺: Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, The Original Americans (s1e7)
👂: This Land, hosted by Cherokee writer and advocate Rebecca Nagle
👶: Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson and a callback to My Heart Fills With Happiness by Monique Gray Smith (of Cree and Lakota descent)