In celebration of the Harvest Season and its spiritual and cultural ties to Indigenous Peoples of North America, the two films selected for the month of November Plow to Plate film series reflect issues and themes that are timeless and at the same time of the moment, universal yet inextricably tied to indigenous communities in particular. The first, Manoomin: a Minnesota Way of Life is a short 22 minute documentary on “the complex issues surrounding genetic engineering, patenting, and the State of grain of Minnesota.” The second is one of the five episodes of indigenous cooking, Seasoned with Spirit, produced by the Connecticut Public Broadcasting System. In this episode, Food Upon the Water, you will see how ricers of the Anishanabe, or Ojibwe people of the Great Lakes, canoe into the fields to harvest the wild rice, or manoomin, by hand. The show’s host, Loretta Barrett Oden, a renowned Native American chef, food historian and lecturer, instructs viewers how to cook wild rice and maple syrup cake, as well as wild rice and cranberry stuffed acorn squash.
The first film is a great introduction to the issues of genetically modified food, which is a study in and of itself (the Safe Food Squad was originally named the GE Food Squad and was created to focus solely on this one aspect of food safety). Twenty-two minutes is hardly enough time to scratch the surface of this topic, but if anyone wants a solid introduction to the economic, moral, ethical, spiritual, and scientific ramifications of this hotly debated subject, the scientists and indigenous activists interviewed here are eloquent starting points that suggest that science and mythology need not necessarily conflict with one another.
Plow to Plate is proud to announce that the host of this double-feature is Tiokasin Ghosthorse, host and producer of First Voices Indigenous Radio on WBAI Radio. Mr. Ghosthorse is a musician from the Cheyenne River Lakota (Sioux) Nation of South Dakota. He is a storyteller, poet, university lecturer, scholar, essayist and human rights activist. We are sure that he will facilitate an interesting evening of discussion and mouth-watering viewing.
Reel Native Harvest
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: Park Slope Food Coop, 2nd Floor, 782 Union Street (between Sixth and Seventh Aves)
Cost: Free
Snacks such as the rice and maple syrup cake shown in Food Upon the Water will be served.
Adam Rabiner
