EP. 31: Mohegan Food with Sharon Maynard and Rachel Sayet

This episode features a conversation in early July 2024 with Mohegan tribal members Sharon Maynard and Rachel Sayet about traditional Mohegan food. 

Sharon Maynard is a Mohegan elder and a Tribal Nonner. Retired after serving 12 years on the Council of Elders, Sharon’s interests include food sovereignty, seed saving, and decolonizing our diets. She has a BA in anthropology and an AS in food service management. 

Rachel Sayet (Akitusut) is a Mohegan writer, teacher, and indigenous food specialist. Rachel has a BS in restaurant management and an MA in anthropology. She has spent her adult life trying to cultivate awareness of Native New England. She worked for the Mohegan tribe for 8 years in their cultural department spearheading grassroots efforts in revitalizing traditional foods and diabetes prevention.

FOOD AND MEDICINE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

• Maple, Birch

• Blueberries, Strawberries, Fiddlehead Ferns

• Milkweed, Sassafras, Elder, Boneset

• Corn, Beans, Squash, Sunflowers, Tobacco

• Succotash (Corn, Beans, Salt Pork, Salt and Pepper)

• Johnny Cakes (Journey Cakes)

• Yokaeg (traveling food made of dried, parched corn which has been ground finely with a mortar and pestle).

• Clams, Quahogs, Scallops, Shad, Salmon

• Fry Bread, Indian Tacos, Buffalo and Alligator Burgers

• Rachel's Johnny Cake Turkey Sandwich on America the Bountiful, PBS

LINKS:

• Mohegan Tribe

• Rachel Beth Sayet, Indigenous Educator, Lightworker, Chef, Herbalist

• Wikôtamuwôk Wuci Ki tà Kihtahan (A Celebration of Land and Sea):
  Modern Indigenous Cuisine in New England by Rachel Sayet in Dawnland Voices 2.0

• Tantaquidgeon Museum

• Gladys Tantaquidgeon - in Memorium

• Makiawisug, or the Little People at Mohegan Hill

• Eastern Woodlands Rematriation

• Sherry Pocknett, Mashpee Wampanoag chef, Sly Fox Den Restaurant

• The Man Who Weeps, story by Dale Carson, Abenaki cookbook author, in Dawnland Voices 2.0

• Strawberry Thanksgiving, by Paula Dove Jennings, Narragansett 

• Sioux Chef, Sean Sherman, Oglala Lakota Sioux

• Yazzie the Chef, Brian Yazzie, Diné

• Rowen White, Mohawk/Kanienkeha:ka, seed keeper

THIS EPISODE SUPPORTED BY:

• • YOU! Please become a Patron for $1 or more a month at Patreon.com/trueloveseeds
  • The No-Till Market Growers Podcast Network (which includes our friends at the Seed Farmer Podcast)
  • Scribe Video Center and WPEB, West Philly Community Radio

ABOUT:

Seeds And Their People is a radio show where we feature seed stories told by the people who truly love them. Hosted by Owen Taylor of Truelove Seeds and Chris Bolden-Newsome of Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden.

trueloveseeds.com/blogs/satpradio

FIND OWEN HERE:

Truelove Seeds

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FIND CHRIS HERE:

Sankofa Community Farm at Bartram’s Garden

THANKS TO:

• Rachel Sayet and Sharon Maynard
• Elissa Fredeen of Scribe Video Center