FOOD SOURCES: Buffalo, Moose, Elk, Deer, Bear, Beaver, Muskrat, Rabbit, Ducks, Prairie chicken, Goose, Fish, Porcupine, Ground Hog, and Linx.

Meat Preparation

Smoked /Dry Meat (Dry meat can only be made from buffalo, moose, deer and elk).

Cut up the meat in thin slices, hang it up on a meat rack over slightly lit smoking logs. After a full day turn over the meat to dry and smoke evenly. Let the meat hang over the smoke for at least 3-4 days until its completely hard and then its ready to serve. The insides of the moose, elk and buffalo such as: heart, kidneys, liver, bile (also known as Indian garlic), Tripe, moose nose and the tongue. The elders use these parts of the animal for sacred ceremonies.

Moose Nose Soup (The nose of the moose is prepared for traditional feasts).

Once the nose is removed from the head the hair is burnt off over a slightly burning fire by flipping over from side to side till all the hair is burnt off, then the burnt hair is scraped off with a knife. It is then cut up in small portions and boiled for 2 hours. After two hours add 2 cups of raisins and a mixture of cup of flour with 2 cups of water. Simmer for about 15 minutes then the soup is ready for the feast.

Pemican (pemican is a traditional food also made for feasts and ceremonies )

To make pemican you must first roast 4-5 slices of dried meat in the oven for approximately 20 mins at a 375 temperature. You would then wrap the roasted meat in canvas, pound it down between two solid objects till it turns into coarse powder. The powder is then mixed with the fat of the animal. This moistens the powder and adds more flavor to the pemican. It is then ready to be eaten either on bannock or just plainly.

Rabbit Soup

Once the rabbit is skinned and cleaned it is cut up into pieces, including the head and cooked with 6 strips of bacon for approximately 20minutes. Then you add diced carrots, celery and potatoes and boil it for anther 20 minutes. Next you add a mixture of cup of flour and 2 cups of warm water and simmer for approximately for 5 minutes. It is then ready to he eaten.

Duck Soup

Once all the feathers are pulled out of the duck it is then held over a fire by holding onto one of the wings. It is flipped from side to side over the fire until all the remaining feathers are burnt off. Once that is completed it is gutted out and cut up in pieces and everything including the head is cooked in a soup pot for approximately 20 minutes. Diced potatoes and carrots are then added and cooked for another 12 minutes. Then add 1 of porridge to the soup and cook for another 5 minutes. It is then ready to be served.

Beaver / Muskrat / Ground Hog and the Porcupine

The beaver, muskrat porcupine and ground hog are skinned, cut up, smoked and boiled over the stove in a soup pot. It is cooked by itself because it is too rich with fat to make soup with. It is then served with potatoes and vegetables.

Bannock - (10 KB .pdf file)