BVM Ministry Partnership Grant: Native Food Perspectives

“You helped heal a community.”

That’s how Christina White, from the Red Lake Nation in Minnesota, describes a Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary BVM Ministry Partnership Grant to Native Food Perspectives in Minneapolis.

Christina, who founded the collaborative effort five years ago, received two BVM grants to “empower the Native American community to reclaim Indigenous foods and to break historical trauma for the success of future generations.”

She teaches people how to plant, tend, and harvest a garden in an urban area and use the bounty for healthy food and medicines.

Pat (Herbert Mary) Thalhuber, BVM referred Native Food Perspectives for the grants.

“Christina’s program in all its aspects provides a direct service to her native community and the broader community within the Twin Cities area,” Pat writes in her referral. “Her knowledge of traditional ways of gathering and planting as well as preparing various foods is essential as nationally we face escalating health issues around the food we consume.”

Pat continues, “Nutritional choices like those she endorses will be instrumental in improving future generations in relationship to food consumption, the Earth and its produce, as well as address heart issues, obesity, and diabetes.”

Sacred Seeds

Christina saves seeds and traditions. “She has a rapport within her community that invites them to pursue alternative eating styles. As there are no recipes per se to what she is offering, she draws from ancient wisdom and knowledge for healthy eating. Thus, education is as important to her as serving food,” Pat says.

In 2020, Christina hosted 50 Indigenous Medicine classes in Mashkiikii Gitigan (Medicine Garden). She worked with 50 families in the Twin Cities metro area and surrounding communities to help them understand the importance of the nutritional value of Indigenous foods and medicines.

The Right Time

“I absolutely believe this grant was sent specifically for that time and season,” Christina says about the second grant received in summer 2020. “I had proposed to the Minneapolis Indian Health Board a detailed Indigenous Garden Plan along with some specifics of the grant. Truthfully, I had to fight, pray, and convince them to let me go along with the proposed plan.”

Herbs and medicines grown from seed provided traditional flavors in the nutritious, fresh ingredients.

“The people in the surrounding communities were amazed, as I was. I feel like I was given a grace and granted mercies beyond my own understanding,” says Christina.

“The garden flourished and was beyond abundant. It was healing for myself in such a major way, as I would spend hours and hours taking care of the plants and medicines. It was also healing for the onlookers and the participants. The community really needed a morale boost as well as a mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical boost.

“It really was exactly what we needed at that time. It almost sounds like a dream, but I know better: It was Creator’s blessings. So, chii-migwetch (thank you very much),” Christina says.

Christina often concludes her classes with the Lakota teaching Mitakuye Oyasin, that all is connected.

“People, plants, and animals are all related and we take care of each other. This teaching helps us understand that we can achieve health when we are in balance. If one aspect of health (mental, physical, emotional, or spiritual) is off, others become out of balance,” Christina says.

“Like the Mitakuye Oyasin teaching, this framework is designed to connect the stages of life, changing seasons and aspects of health in a holistic way to achieve good health through food. The framework reminds us that our culture reflects our values, qualities, and abilities. If we take care of today, tomorrow will take care of itself.”

About the author: Mary Glindinning is a former communications specialist for the Sisters of Charity, BVM in Dubuque, Iowa.

This story was featured in the Fall 2021 issue of Salt magazine: Be Alert! Be Present! We Are Doing Something New!

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