HOPI
RESERVATION, Ariz. - A newly revised Hopi cookbook - a partnership
project between the Community Health Program at the Hopi Tribe,
the Hopi Lavayahi program, Hopi Range Management program, Hopi Pu'tavi
Project, Inc, Native Peoples Technical Assistance Office at University
of Arizona (UA), North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
(NCR-CRD) at Iowa State University and UA's Cooperative Extension
Program at the Hopi Tribe - was unveiled to the public last week.
"Healthy
Hopi Recipes" helps the larger community understand more about
Hopi traditional foods, appreciating spirituality and special techniques,
best practices in both growing, gathering crops as well as enhancing
and sustaining transfer of traditional customs in Hopi food exchange
during ceremonies.
"Noosiwqa" (food) preparation, origins, nourishment, medicinal
uses, cultural exchange, gathering traditions, and how food is valued
in Hopi culture is the focus of this new cookbook.
The
first cycle of project funding (about $30,000) paid for interviews
combined with census data of 100 Hopis from the reservation area
to gather information on why and how often traditional Hopi dishes
were prepared in an average Hopi household.
Additional
information that proved extremely valuable in assessing how and
when traditional foods were utilized is that of the 1,515 families
living on the reservation who were surveyed, 574 were headed by
single women.
About
260 of those single women households were also listed as living
below poverty level, but still deeply valued traditional food as
important and necessary for appropriate cultural participation.
For
Hopis, food represents a wide variety of traditional custom observation
as well as basic life sustenance, such as transfer of culture.
Special
ceremonial foods at births, initiations and weddings along with
the knowledge of how they are prepared are still seen as extremely
important and highly valued.
Food
gathering and preparation also identifies various rites of passage
for Hopi womanhood.
Traditional
value was also placed on the acknowledgement that the Creator provides
such nourishment and that respect must be given for that food. Food
is also seen as a medicine and should be shared.
With
corn as the main basic food for Hopi, there are numerous ways it
can be prepared, not just for ceremonial purposes, but for everyday
consumption.
Piki,
pikami, paatsami (hominy), somiviki, tsukuviki, povolpiki, wutaqa
and kutuki...this is just a sampling of how varied the preparation
methods of corn can be.
Corn
that is ground both coarsely and finely is used for "hooma"
in ceremonies and as corn meal for special ceremonial food preparation.
Both blue and white varieties of corn can be used.
Care
and respect must also be thought of when using these foodstuffs
that honors your clan spirit and the sun.
Hopis
are mindful to eat whatever is prepared without criticism, and that
leftover food should not be thrown into the trash. If there are
leftovers, they are given to the animals. Nothing is wasted.
There
are continued Hopi reminders that food should never be prepared
when angry and that sharing food generously is seen as an important
life skill.
Finally,
that appreciation for the food and the food preparer should always
be acknowledged.
In
the first of a series of public presentations by this cookbook partnership
group, a workshop was held at the Hopi Wellness Center on Jan. 27
to over 100 attendees.
The
2 1/2 hour presentation discussed the history of the Hopi cookbook
project, health benefits of traditional foods by Kassondra Yaiva
and Valerie Nuvayestewa and a cooking demonstration and sampling
of one of the cookbook recipes by Iva Honyestewa and Harrissa Koiyaquaptewa.
Honyestewa
was part of the Hopi Pu'tavi, Inc's group partnership. Pu'tavi was
responsible for applying for the grant funding that made this cookbook
revision possible. Grant funding itself came from the Native Peoples
Technical Assistance Office at UA under the direction of Claudia
Nelson and Dr. Jay Strauss of the Native American studies program.
It's
only been within the last 30 years that Hopis and most Native communities
have been plagued by diabetes, high blood pressure and other heart
related diseases. Many now know that eating processed non-traditional
foods as well as lack of daily exercise is the culprit.
By
utilizing this new cookbook, everyone can get a heads up on learning
new cultural plant knowledge, eating better without extra salt or
sugar, and helping to sustain Hopi cultural tradition.
The
next community workshop will be held March 16 from 5:30 to 8 pm
at the Upper Village Elderly Center. Participants can receive a
free copy of the cookbook by participating in the evening session
For
more information call Bea Norton at Hopi Community Health Services
at (928) 737-6000
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