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Celebrate Native American Heritage Month with Potawatomi Berry Rice


The Chicago area is located on the ancestral lands of indigenous tribes such as the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, Miami, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sac, Fox, Kickapoo, and Illinois Nations. The name Chicago comes from shikaakwa, a word for “wild onion” used by the Miami and Illinois peoples.

Indigenous people in the Chicago region faced many hardships after Europeans arrived in the area. By the early 1800s, the number of Native Americans in the region was severely diminished due to disease and warfare brought by the Europeans. A series of treaties forced the tribes to cede their land to the American government. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 proposed the relocation of indigenous tribes west of the Mississippi River, and several more relocation efforts would happen in the following years. Through the late 1800s to the early 1900s, Indian children were taken from their homes and sent to boarding schools with the mission to assimilate them into white society. In 1910, the population of Native Americans in Chicago was 188.

During the 1900s, many Native Americans moved from rural areas to Chicago in search of jobs. The federal government also led a relocation program that helped move Native Americans to Chicago during the 1950s and 1960s. The American Indian Center (AIC) of Chicago opened in 1953 to nurture the city’s indigenous community. Today, Chicago has the third-largest urban Indian population in the United States. More than 65,000 Native Americans representing over 100 different tribes live in the Chicago metropolitan area. The highest concentrations of Native Americans can be found in Edgewater, Uptown, Rogers Park, and Ravenswood.

Since November, Native American Heritage Month, is just around this corner, now seems like a good time to celebrate the culture and resilience of indigenous peoples.

 

Potawatomi Berry Rice

*Based on a recipe from the IndigiKitchen, https://indigikitchen.com.

1 c. wild rice, uncooked

3 c. water

¼ c. dried cranberries

1 c. fresh berries

½ c. maple syrup

1 tsp. cinnamon

Add the rice, water, and cranberries to a medium-sized saucepan. Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat until the water is gone, about 1 hour. Mix in the fresh berries, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Serve warm or cold.

 Sources:

American Library Association, “Indigenous Tribes of Chicago” and “Urban Natives,” www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/diversity/chicago-indigenous

Encyclopedia of Chicago, “Native Americans,” http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/874.html.

Wikipedia, “Chicago,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago.

 

 

 

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