=Yellow Lotus= (_Nelumbo lutea_ (Willd.) Pers.), “wesawasaˈ kwuneˈk
odîteˈabûg” [yellow light, flat heart-shaped leaf].[141] Most of the
Wisconsin Ojibwe know about this favored wild potato; and also use the
hard chestnut-like seeds to roast and make into a sweet meal. They cut
off the terminal shoots, at either end of the underground creeping
rootstock and the remainder is their potato. These shoots are similar
in shape and size to a banana, and form the starchy storage reservoirs
for future growth. They have pores inside, but have more substance to
them than the stems. They are cut crosswise and strung upon basswood
strings, to hang from the rafters for winter use. They are soaked when
needed and then cooked with venison, corn or beans.
OLEACEAE (OLIVE FAMILY)
=Red Ash= (_Fraxinus pennsylvanica_ Marsh.) “aˈgîmak” [snow-shoe wood].
The cambium layer of the ash is scraped down in long, fluffy layers and
cooked. It is called “sagîmaˈ kwûn”, which incorporates the name of the
ash with “wûn” or eggs. They say it tastes like eggs. Many other trees
are given the same sort of treatment for food purposes.
PINACEAE (PINE FAMILY)
=White Pine= (_Pinus strobus_ L.), “jîngwaˈ k”. In the spring the
Ojibwe use the young staminate catkins of the pine to cook for food.
It is stewed with meat. One might think this would taste rather like
pitch, but they assured the writer that it was sweet and had no pitchy
flavor.
=Hemlock= (_Tsuga canadensis_ [L.] Carr.), “gagagiˈ wîc”. The Flambeau
Ojibwe use the leaves of Hemlock to make a beverage tea. This sort
of tea is oftentimes used by the Indian Medicine man to carry his
medicaments and disguise the fact that the patient is taking medicine.
POLYPODIACEAE (FERN FAMILY)
=Brake= (_Pteris aquilina_ L.), “ana ˈganûck” [general fern name]. The
Flambeau Ojibwe are fond of young fern sprouts as a soup material. The
young fern tips, with coiled fronds, are about like asparagus tips,
only not stringy with fibrovascular bundles like asparagus. The tips
are thrown into hot water for an hour to rid them of ants, then put
into soup stock and thickened with flour. The flavor resembles wild
rice. Hunters are very careful to live wholly upon this when stalking
does in the spring. The doe feeds upon the fronds and the hunter does
also, so that his breath does not betray his presence. He claims to be
able to approach within twenty feet without disturbing the deer, from
which distance he can easily make a fatal shot with his bow and arrow.
After killing the deer, the hunter will eat whatever strikes his fancy.
RANUNCULACEAE (CROWFOOT FAMILY)
=Marsh Marigold= (_Caltha palustris_ L.), “o ˈgîteˈ bûg”. The Flambeau
Ojibwe use the leaves as a green to cook with pork in the springtime.
ROSACEAE (ROSE FAMILY)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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