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Recovering Our Ancestors' Gardens: Indigenous Recipes and Guide to Diet and Fitness

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Featuring an array of tempting traditional Native recipes and no-nonsense practical advice about health and fitness, Recovering Our Ancestors' Gardens , by the acclaimed Choctaw author and scholar Devon Abbott Mihesuah, draws on the rich indigenous heritages of this continent to offer a helpful guide to a healthier life. The first half of the book consists of clear and often pointed discussions about the generally poor state of indigenous health today and how and why many Natives have become separated from their traditional diets, sports, and other activities. Poor health, Mihesuah contends, is a pervasive consequence of colonialism. Indigenous foods and activities can be reclaimed, however, and made relevant for a healthier lifestyle today. By planting gardens, engaging in more exercise and sport, and eating traditional foods, Native peoples can emulate the health and fitness of their ancestors.

 

The second half of the book is a collection of indigenous recipes, including Summer Salsa, Poke Salat Salad, Dakota Waskuya Soup, Osage Pounded Meat, Chickasaw Pashofa, Elk Steak, Choctaw Banaha, Comanche Ata-Kwasa, Stewed Fruit Dessert, and a one-week diet chart. Savory, natural, and steeped in the Native traditions of this land, these recipes are sure to delight and satisfy.

218 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

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Devon A. Mihesuah

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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Profile Image for elizabeth.
25 reviews
February 21, 2024
most of this book was good but who was out here precontact eating low-fat anything. i think you have orthorexia
Profile Image for Kerry Pickens.
1,289 reviews40 followers
February 17, 2026
A nutritional diet book that advocates using non-processed foods to improve the health of Native Americans. Many of these foods have already been incorporated in the American diet, particularly among vegans such as avocados, chia seeds, quinoa, black beans, piñon nuts, berries and gluten free bread products.
Profile Image for feux d'artifice.
1,100 reviews11 followers
April 18, 2022
Hmmm there was less recipes than i expected. The first three chapters were more interesting than the others
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews