Good Seeds: A Menominee Indian Food Memoir

by Thomas Pecore Weso

In this food memoir, named for the manoomin or wild rice that also gives the Menominee tribe its name, tribal member Thomas Pecore Weso takes readers on a cook’s journey through Wisconsin’s northern woods. He connects each food—beaver, trout, blackberry, wild rice, maple sugar, partridge—with colorful individuals who taught him Indigenous values. Cooks will learn from his authentic recipes. Amateur and professional historians will appreciate firsthand stories about reservation life during the mid-twentieth century, when many elders, fluent in the Algonquian language, practiced the old ways. Weso’s grandfather Moon was considered a medicine man, and his morning prayers were the foundation for all the day’s meals. Weso’s grandmother Jennie "made fire" each morning in a wood-burning stove, and oversaw huge breakfasts of wild game, fish, and fruit pies. As Weso grew up, his uncles taught him to hunt bear, deer, squirrels, raccoons, and even skunks for the daily larder. He remembers foods served at the Menominee fair and the excitement of "sugar bush," maple sugar gatherings that included dances as well as hard work. Weso uses humor to tell his own story as a boy learning to thrive in a land of icy winters and summer swamps. With his rare perspective as a Native anthropologist and artist, he tells a poignant personal story in this unique book.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Native American, Food, History, Nature, Food Writing

124 pages, Hardcover

Published August 23, 2016

Reviews

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book attracted my attention on a couple of levels.

As someone of Oneida lineage who lives quite near the area in which the book takes place, of course I have a deep vested interest in indigenous traditions. Secondly, it is important to all indigenous people to share traditional knowledge and pass down these traditions to the younger generations. One of the prime lessons we are taught is to always take care of the next 7 generations. Weso is doing this by penning this book.

The book is small in size, but big in sharing this important knowledge. Weso remembers the days when Natives lived completely off the land, grew everything they needed, fed whomever was at the door (many times two dozen or more people would gather for food), and practiced the spiritual ways of their ancestors. The book also includes a few recipes from his elders.

The indigenous people were here long before the Europeans came. Their traditions were nearly eradicated (as were they), but there are people such as Weso who are reminding us of our traditional life, our spiritual beliefs, and, most importantly, to always keep the next 7 generations in mind. What we do now will have long-lasting effects.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read Harder 2020: Read a food book about a cuisine you’ve never tried before

Hah, this kind of category is like ... quintessentially Read Harder. I pretty much never read food books for leisure time. I get cookbooks but I usually just get those for recipes and rarely read the text in between, if there is any.

I'm really glad that this category led me to reading this book, because I greatly enjoyed it. This is a short, but very evocative book. The author conjures up the sights, tastes, and smells of his childhood so vividly. He also illustrates the personalities of his relatives through their favorite foods so well.

This book also made me ruminate a lot on food, and how detached I am from procuring it. But it also made me ruminate a lot on food snobbery. Case in point, there's a section about how his grandmother preferred instant mashed potatoes for the convenience. I'm not sure where I'm going with all these thoughts, mind you, but this book gave me a lot to sit with and provided no simple answers. I'm very glad I read it.

I also made the recipe for wild rice stuffing and it was fantastic!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family history, a Wisconsin tribal history of the Menominee, a limited personal history, a food history, this book is all of these things and more. The recipes are gleaned from family, tribal, and other cookbooks. There are recipes with wild rice, berries, wild game, fishes, corn, maple syrup, greens, garden meals, and preserving foods. It is comfortably written and well researched, with several recipes included in each chapter. I loved it, but my sister liberated it when visiting from Columbia county for my birthday!
Thank you, Wisconsin State Historical Society Press and LibraryThing Member Giveaways!

[S. Daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a personal memoir of a Menominee Indian youth growing up in a quickly changing world, and it is about the foods eaten or made by his family, and the changes that the white man made on their traditional diet. It is also about the hunting, gathering, and preparing of these different foods.

The parts of the book about their way of life "on the rez" are quite interesting, and the parts that talk about their food are very good as well. There are many recipes in the book (44 to be exact), some of which look quite tasty. I have learned much by reading this book, and I think that it was well worth the read.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet. It was like sitting down and listening to Thomas telling stories. Included of course are some recipes. All simple, but you can see the love that grandmother, or mother put into them. I wrote one down on cornbread, because, who doesn't love a new cornbread recipe?! Life in simpler times.

[Randal White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant, homey, feel good memoir

The author recounts his 1950-1960's childhood on the Menominee Reservation in Wisconsin. Pleasant, homey, feel good stories. With some Native American history and lore. And lots of recipes from his family. Very nice.
 
 


 

[Bexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this, it was short, but full of life. Weso talks about growing up with his grandparents on the Menominee reservation in Wisconsin. Each chapter is dedicated to a type of food, how that food influenced his life, and finishes with recipes for those dishes. It provides enough information to be heartfelt, but not enough to truly share intimate portions of his life so you stay focused on the food. There's so much more I want to know about his life and growing up, and without trying to romanticized reservation life and the horrors of American government in regards to Indians, I'm jealous of the childhood he described. It was hard work and struggle for food and warmth and basic needs, but the knowledge he gained and connection to the world is fascinating. This could have done worth another review from an editor, but there is such sincerity in his voice that I don't mind the grammatical errors. Wonderful read.

[Jim Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Seeds a Five-Star Spirited Story
Good Seeds is a rare book, superbly done. Like a wise medicine man, Thomas Pecore Weso shapes stories that must be told for the greater good. The anthropologist author takes the reader on a colorful cultural journey into the lives and food of his Menominee Indians.
In Weso’s world he uses food as an appetizer before the main course. The reader is reminded that wild food can’t be rushed or manufactured, that every food has its season, and that each family member has a skill—often providing game—so that the household can eat, survive, and prosper. Only then is there time for storytelling and magic.
This book, a food memoir, is so much more than a collection of recipes; it’s a book of important, intimate stories of individuals and culture. Use the recipes to tell a story, or use a story to tell the recipes.
Jim Potter, author of Taking Back the Bullet: Trajectories of Self-Discovery

[Lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A curiously fascinating book giving a unique, personal, insight into the Menominee Indian tribe.

Although about food, this is definitely not a cook book unless you are looking for a recipe for fried squirrel, roast porcupine or baked beaver.

There are some light-hearted food related anecdotes like bears drunk on fermented apples, but most of the focus is on the harsher reality of finding and preparing food for the family.

Hunting (for survival, not sport) includes sections on a variety of wildlife from partridges to beavers. Although the diet is largely meat based, other food sources are included, for example the "good seeds" in the title is wild rice and corn. These are all supported by interesting discussions on traditions, ethics, seasonality, techniques and uses.

Finally, the book becomes slightly sadder, more reflective and strangely spooky.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting to read this book for some time and the day has finally arrived. My grandfather's farm sat right up against Menominee forest, so I've been eager to read Weso's book. It's definitely stirred memories and spurred conversation with my mother and other family members. I had to ask their opinions on some topics from the book, as well. For example, the dog packs and drinking habits. Each chapter is about a specific food or drink from the Menominee Nation and ends with included recipes.

I had forgotten about the wild dog packs that used to run in the area. I consulted with family about that, because at the time this was occurring I was too young to trust my memories. My grandfather's farm dog, Charlie (whom we all loved!), would sometimes run with the pack, or we were concerned he would be coerced into a pack, in the evenings, and there was worry about that in the family. Dogs that ran with the packs could be shot.

Drinking. While neighboring farmers drank fermented silage runoff year-round - it tastes like grass and is almost a hundred proof... 86 This I have never heard of. I consulted with my family and they've never heard of anyone doing this either? Especially when you could just as easily go get a beer? Unless, maybe this was from way back, before anyone in my family was around? I knew the neighboring Germans made blackberry schnapps and mixed it with pepper as a cure for diarrhea. 83 My mother said this is true, except they called it blackberry brandy and, yes, they did pepper it. Weso includes a recipe for blackberry wine at the end of this chapter, which I know my father would have loved. Reading each chapter has brought back floods of memories, especially picking berries with my aunts. I never enjoyed picking the blackberries due to the brambles and picking blueberries always made me wary of snakes. Of course, the black bears like the berries, too, so you have to watch for that. It's been a joy to read due to the memories. "Go play in the woods!" Yes, heard that every day from my parents and relatives. Who needs a Toys R Us when you have an adventurous day in the woods? I miss the drumbeat of the partridge, which as a kid felt like it would overtake my own heartbeat. I puzzle over whether it's climate change, but we no longer hear the call of the Whip poor Will, the partridge drums are silent, and there are no more trout in our river. Thank you, Weso, for the walk down memory lane, and a glimpse back into a different time that is no more what it used to be. I'm hoping Weso writes more about his life on the reservation.

Some quotes I enjoyed:

I could not, however, bring myself to kill bear. I did kill one as a yong man, and that was enough. It was like killing another man. 32

Menominees, as well as all Woodlands nations, take respites from hunting for a daily food supply. This gives them time to tell stories and create magic. They do not simply survive; they prosper. Before a culture can take root, the storytellers need to be fed. Without surplus food, there is no culture. Wild rice made the Menominee life possible. 54

It was white people who looked at forests as dark and faintly evil places filled with witches who eat little boys and girls. I have never met an Indian who thought that way. I and every other kid heard all the time from our parents, "go out and play in the woods."...As Menominees, we make a living in the woods. We get food from the woods. Exercise is moving through the woods. Entertainment is the woods. So who is a Menominee person? The woods. We represent that spiritual essence, one and the same. We are, like the sugar maples, aspects of the woods. 66

Menominee women may choose to hunt, fish, or garden along with their other roles. Both women and men do beadwork. Menominee people are a small, isolated group, and because of this, perhaps, individuals have more choice, outside gender roles. 77

When Europeans brought distilled spirits, they brought high-alcohol drinks that overwhelmed the senses. It was an endless, year-round supply. Worst of all, there was no ceremony to go with the feast. "Alcoholic" is a European concept created within the English language. The Menominee understanding would be drinking alcohol out of context of ceremony. 85

You demean honored warriors by dismissing them as simply lovable. 86

I do not think that the Menominee people drink any more or less than their German neighbors in nearby towns. During my youth, my tribe was hard-working, but cash poor. We simply could not, with our minimal spending resources, support the hundreds of taverns surrounding the reservation. German beer drinkers filled these places, but few remember a drunken "white man." Many remember a drunken Indian. 88

I do not know if there really is dignity beyond death, but I know there is no dignity to being filled with alcohol. 88

I lost an uncle and an aunt on my birthday to a drunk driver...Alcohol can be a gentle companion to meals and conversation. It can be a poison with a steep mortality rate. 89

[Cosette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Erin Sapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative book with some interesting/useful insights.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an American story, told through food.

Gathering wild rice in Minnesota is one of my most treasured memories of my years there; the choice to put an image of a canoe in a wild rice bed on the cover sealed my decision to purchase this book. This is an anthropological work about Menominee food traditions, done by a member of the culture in question; the author's view from inside adds a critically important perspective.

Weso captures a moment in time and cycles through the seasons with stories and recipes. As someone who has spent time in the wild rice country further north of the Menominee region he describes, I recognize in his stories that he is very familiar with some ancient food traditions, and less so with others. I enjoyed especially reading about the maple sugar bush traditions. His comment, "Grandpa always said that one of the few good things that white people brought to us was a frying pan," has already been absorbed into my own family's lore.

Having lived my adult life in more sparsely populated, hungrier lands further north, I was blown away by his description of growing up at the intersection of three traditional food regions: Big game of the western prairies, farming of the east, and fish and wild rice of the northern waterways. He noted, "Menominee people used all these foods, and all combine well with wild rice--meat fish, and berries.” (p. 49)

There's plenty of straightforward information here, and some wisdom as well, as his book progresses and he talks about the complexity of his uncle, a WWII veteran whose methods for making blackberry wine were not about just the alcohol, but had everything to do with getting the youth outdoors, immersed in traditions from their own culture, and hearing stories from their elders. "That summer we learned chemistry and horticulture. We learned traditional medicine as well as the tribal lore Buddy taught . . . He was trying to establish a new culture. Sometimes that coincided with being a good citizen and sometimes it did not. So there is an element of rebelliousness in that." (p. 84/85).

Reading works by indigenous Americans means grappling with a history that is devastating and this book is no exception. In understated manner, he describes a few places where dams flooded wild rice beds and forever changed the community's patterns of food harvesting. He quickly goes on to describe as well the community's resilience and ongoing interactions as neighbors with the immigrants. Weso's story of food in his family as integration of tradition with the changes of colonization, reflects the heart of American experience in the 21st century.

[Jim Gallen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Good Seeds: A Menominee Indian Food Memoir” is author Thomas Pecore Weso’s journey back to the tastes and memories of his life on the Menominee reservation in Northern Wisconsin. Each of the seventeen chapters tells the story of people he has known through their relationships to the gathering, preparation and consumption of food and concludes with a few recipes.

A self-described suburban Indian, Weso introduces readers to his medicine man grandfather, his grandmother, the queen of the house, his alcoholic (which the author explains is a European concept) World War II and Korean War Veteran Uncle Buddy who made Blackberry Wine, and a large extended family that formed his youthful memories. He explains the differences between gathering, hunting and agriculture and the roles that fruit, beaver, fish corn, maple syrup, wild rice, Wisconsin diners and Country Fairs played in his young life.

I imagine that “Good Seeds” would bring back memories to those who experienced reservation life. For those of who have not, it is a glimpse into the history and life of another world. There is a science, such as that the Indian practice of harvesting the tallest stalks of wild rice disperses their seeds and gradually increases the height of subsequent generations. There is history, such as that Indians have high military participation rates, and the changes in fauna of the Midwest as recorded in Indian memory. As a frequent visitor to Wisconsin I enjoyed references to cities and fields with which I am familiar and the descriptions of the fish fries I savor. Finally, there are the recipes. Some are exotic, others seem tasty and a few may even be tempting. I am not a cook by any stretch of the imagination, but even I might try one or two.

This is a short, interesting, easy to read book. Author Weso has a knack of weaving seemingly independent chapters into a coherent whole. Pick it up, settle in, enjoy and then, maybe try something new in the kitchen.

I received a free copy of this book without an obligation to post a review.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember from my junior high school course on Indiana history that Indiana at one time had Menominee Indians along with the Miami, Kickapoo, Shawnee many others. I can see that map in my mind. Unfortunately, most are gone now. So I wanted to read Good Seeds: A Menominee Indian Food Memoir by Thomas Pecore Weso.

This is a book of memories, family tales, recipes and Menominee culture and reservation life in Wisconsin. The Menominee were matriarchal, the women had a great deal of choice of what they could do. They could go hunting or fishing with their husband or stay home and tend the garden. The family lines were traced through the mother's line. The author tells about his experience earning to hunt, prepare the meat and what they usually ate. The vegetables and fruits are pretty much what my grandparents ate. There are lots of recipes in the book like how to fry squirrel, trout, and cranberry sauce made with maple sugar, beaver and preserves. Also he wrote about the Indian Fairs.

It is a short but worthwhile book to learn about the food and the culture of the Menominees.

I received an Advanced Reading copy of this book as a win from FirstReads from the publisher but that in no way determined my thoughts or feelings in this review.

[Lindsay Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a fascinating topic! Weso isn't the strongest writer, however, and it seems clear that his editor focused mainly on the first two chapters. The middle of the book especially suffers from bad transitions and unrelated sentences being clumped together into paragraphs. Also, I felt a bit of a lack of a timeline, or an idea of the cast of Weso's family. Family is an important theme for the novel, but I was never sure of any relationships mentioned, or when events were taking place.

That being said, all of the content was very interesting to read. The philosophy Weso talks about as central to his Native identity and his relationship with food is very different from the White relationship with food (as Weso points out). A philosophy of harmony, respect, and inter-relatedness fills every page.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Menominee are a tribe of native Americans that originated in the woods and northern lakes of Wisconsin. "Menomin" or "good seeds" are actually wild rice, a crop that helped shape the nature of this group. Thomas Weso is an anthropologist and artist who is also a member of this tribe. He grew up with grandparents who were still maintaining many of the old traditions. His grandfather was a medicine man.
The book covers the kinds of foods that were hunted, gathered, harvested, and cooked by his family members. It is an interesting account of some of the last traditions practiced by the tribe. There are also recipes that have been handed down through the family.

[Rachel Stansel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this quick book. The author tells about the life of Menominee people living on a reservation in Wisconsin in the 50-60s through the foods they ate. I found this to be a terrific way to get a look into the lives of a group of people. Food is a common denominator for many cultures and it both shows similarities and differences between the Menominee and other Americans. If you like learning more about fellow Americans and how they live, I suggest this book.

Full disclosure- I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short essays telling the stories of one Menominee family in Wisconsin through their cultural food heritage. I love family and cultural memoirs, and I really enjoyed this one. However, some essays were better than others. A few really stood out- poignant, deep, lyrical, descriptive, putting you right in the moment. Others seemed to be filler chapters without much of a storyline or narrative arc. Those left me hungry for more.

[Wisbison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book filled with interesting information and uneven prose about growing up a member of the Menominee tribe, with a special emphasis on the role the various food items played within his culture. I enjoyed the author’s musings and observations enough that I waded through the parts of the book that didn’t flow well or were, in my opinion, poorly written. I awarded it 4 stars because overall, I was captivated by the story and of course, the food…

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice heart warming and insight read into the life a particular Native American individual and their upbringing and relation to food and their environment. Love the recipes at the end of each chapter. It's been a long while since I'd digested a whole book in a day, but each chapter was so inviting to read. Definitely recommend.

[Lyn Murph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to get thinking about Indigenous food sovereignty both historically and today and includes some useful wisdom and recipes for foraging. It also allows the reader to think deeper about their relationship with food, especially for those who may have grown up food secure their entire life.

[DM · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a quick, great read. Small introduction to Menominee culture through food and the family of Thomas Pecore Weso. Filled with recipes at the end of each chapter, and a chapter for each of the relevant foods of his family. Would definitely recommend this book to friends and family.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming memoir of growing up Menominee in the 1950-60s. I thought this might be a cookbook or garden type book initially. Wrong. But does have wild game food recipes in it for those interested. I liked reading about the family and their interactions. It was an interesting read.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insight into local native American culture. Mainly a memoir describing a subset of the different foods the author grew up with, interspersed with tantalizing small insights into his upbringing and the intersection of white and native culture.

[Shirleynature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Tom Weso, for these resonate-poignant, character-filled family stories and generous savory recipes!
This book is an award-winning, intimate and nostalgic bridge into Menominee cultural-place connections shared with heart & humor.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. I love listening to people talk about the foods they had as they were growing up and all the stories that surround those experiences. Our foods are so important, and so central, to the people we become. The author also shares what he has learned about those foods since that time, which is more than worthwhile. The recipes shared are classic, personal, and honest. It's a quick read, but not a page is wasted. Enjoy!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Food memoir. It was slow reading. Hard to follow at times. What this book really needed was a map of the reservation. Not sure if I will ever make any of the recipes, but some of them looked interesting.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to learn a little history and much about the foodways of indigenous people in northern Wisconsin...including recipes!Animals were killed only to feed a family...and only enough to accomplish that need, never for sport.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting view of Menominee life and the author's family.