The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-11-20

how delicious soup thickened with ground
squash seeds or cornmeal can be- The CreoleS
of Louisiana add the dried and powdered leaves
of Taurus sassafras to their soups, and they
learned to do this from the Choctaw Indians.
Watercress grows in many places. Another
salad ingredient, the avocado, growing
turtles ago in Central America and the West
Indies, and pineapples came originally from
Mexico and Central America. The Thanksgiv-
ing dinner table in this year Of grace will offer
cashews (from the American tropics), and per-
haps black walnuts, pnons peanuts, or hickory
nuts, all true Americans. There may be lima
beans (Which come from Peru their name
indcates). kidney beans wild rice. which
grow in North America. Turnips onions. and
parsnips once grew wild, and so did both sweet
and white potatoes. Baked squash is on old
Indian dish which has never ceased to be a
good one. OF course tomatoes will be served,
in one form or another and these originated in
Peru. that they are PROFESSIONALLY American,
even though not strictly Indian.
Maybe some family with a taste for old-fash-
Toned things will pass by the ubiquitous turkey.
and serve 'possum and sweet 'taters instead, and
there will, of course, be corn bread to eat with
the gravy. Anyone who is invited TO such a
feast should give thanks doubly. And if there
few frost-ripened persimmons somewhere
within reach, what could human appetite want
more?
While we are hunting for Indian dishes 10
place on the Thanksgiving dinner table we may
give thought to the appropriate beverage for this
truly American meal OF course the average
man will demand coffee which is not a native
drink. but mate which has a high caffeine con-
tent. would be the nearest drink Of the sort
Teas made from dried flowers or favorous twigs
and roots would be truly Indian decoctions but
scarcely enjoyable to trained palates. lis
win. the Apache beer made of sprouted corn.
would be appropriate but ii is alcoholic to con-
siderable degree. The only real Indian beverage
which appeals to modern tastes is chocolate,
favOrite drink Of the Aztec kings.
After dinner. in that hour when 1t is too
early for the football game and every one is
too contentedly filed to care about exertion any
way. the air begins to grow hazy with tobacco
smoke Here, too, is old Indian custom
closely associated with the giving Of thanks
Few tribes used tobacco to smoke as we do:
rather 1t carried messages to the gods in its
clouds Of smoke. The pipe presented. or
the smoke blown, to the four headquarters.
above and below, TO symbolic the offering OF
prayer in all directions. It pulled during
ceremonies. and at councils.
The Chippewa and many other tribes use
tobacco thank offering. When they cut
birch tree for its bark they bury a little
tobacco at the roots giving thanks as they do
The Pueblos tie small parcels Of tobacco to
their prayer-sticks. and the tribes which have
dog killing ceremonies fasten bundles Of tobacco
to the legs and neck of the sacrificed animals.
bidding them to carry these to the spirit land
with them. there to present them with prayers
for health and plenty for the tribe
Little Of that ancient gratitude is left. and
we, in our hard modern Shells celebrate the dav
of thanksgiving by feasting without ceremony.
Yet in our hearts we have studied the question
what thankful for?" and find MANY
things which made us glad TO be alive-among
Them perhaps. the fact that we not In
dams
We owe acknowledgment to Providence that
much is certain. And because We after all ara
a thoughtful and a courteous people some time
during Thanksgiving day will echo in our
hearts the words said by predecessors cen
turtles ago:
Thanks. that u Is soi"
&c by Western Newspaper Uniou-l