Our ancestral Chahta tribe instilled a sense of preparation in our people that resonates today. Our tribe expected the best but always prepared for the worst, so our people would thrive in good and bad times.
The tribe would tackle food preparation in many ways to ensure that our people would not go hungry in the lean winter months.
Our ancestors’ approach was to gather and preserve food using multiple agricultural practices and utilizing the wild resources available to them.
Corn, beans, and squash were the staples of the Chahta diet. Corn was stored in storage containers raised on poles, to ensure freshness and to keep ground rodents away. Beans and squash were dried in the sun and placed in storage bins or hung from rafters in houses, according to Choctaw Nation Cultural Services. Corn was processed into hominy, a staple dish, by grinding and adding wood ash lye, enhancing its nutritional value.
Wild foods like Hickory nuts, pecans, walnuts, chestnuts, and acorns were gathered and stored, serving as important sources of nutrition. They were often parched to dry them out and kill any potential insect eggs.
Wild fruits such as strawberries, blackberries, huckleberries, plums, and persimmons were gathered in season. Persimmons were particularly valued as they ripened after the first hard freeze and were dried and used in stews.
Starchy tubers like greenbrier roots and wild plants like poke salet, sour dock, and wild onions were also gathered when available. Drying preserved fruits, vegetables, and meat removed moisture and prevented spoilage.
Meat was smoked, dehydrating it and adding flavor for longer preservation. Seeds, nuts, and corn were ground into flour and stored in various containers. Some foods like teas and corn pudding were preserved through fermentation.
Our Chahta ancestors were expert farmers and invented agricultural methods and built implements that are still being used in modern agriculture today.
It just goes to show that our ancestors were keen survivalists and used their intellect as hunters and gatherers to ensure the tribes’ survival and created a thriving community that could weather the long winters and come out stronger in the spring.
If you want to learn more about our Chahta ancestors, I encourage you to visit the Choctaw Cultural Center and learn the ancient ways of our people.
It is a fun and educational experience that your whole family will enjoy.
Yakoke!