Clarifying Butter

Indigenous Fats of North America

Long before colonization, thousands of indigenous nations inhabited North America, from the reaches of the Arctic circle to as south as modern-day Mexico. Early indigenous peoples were mainly hunters and gatherers who lived a nomadic lifestyle, relying on animal fats such as bison, deer, and now extinct megafauna, as well as nuts and seeds and fish, shellfish and aquatic mammals, all of which varied according to their local environment and changing seasons. Over time, certain indigenous groups became sedentary and adopted agriculture. Throughout the 16^th and 17^th centuries, Europeans colonized North America, greatly impacting the lives, diets, and future of native peoples.

The Wandering Seed

Although animal fats were extremely important to Native American tribes, nut-based fats were also crucial. Scientists have dated domesticated sunflower seed remains from the Native Chickasaw Nation of what is now Tennessee, to be 4,130 years old. Sunflowers were important because they were high in important nutrients like fat, fiber and vitamin A. They were also highly transportable. Another important plant fat was the acorn, which is still widely used by remaining indigenous groups. Acorns would have to be boiled in hot water to leech the bitter tannins before consumption. The seeds would be ground into powders and pastes to either add fat to dishes like gruel (a porridge) or even sprinkled on meat, corn, and fish for added nutrients. Another highly important nut was the pecan, which some ethnographers believe made travel more accessible for many tribes, as pecans are high in fat and calories and could be stored for years without spoilage.

Animal Fats in Indigenous Diet

Animal fat was a highly utilized fat across the continent and proved to be an integral part of the Indigenous diet. Many animals were (and still are) hunted for their fat to add necessary calories to the diet, including bison, deer, elk, seal, narwhal, and whale. One of the universal uses of these fats was preservation. The Inuit people of the Arctic used rendered aquatic mammals to preserve the meat for summer, and eat the fat raw and partially frozen in the winter; no part of the animal is wasted. Historically, the Native American tribes—Sioux and Comanche—of the Great Plains, the Northwest and the Rocky Mountains, relied on bison as their main source of fat and their lively hood, trading with other nations for 10,000 years prior to European contact. As Europeans encroached on Native lands, they attempted to coerce native people by eradicating the bison. Between 1730 and 1870, the US government and European fur traders encouraged bison hunting; over a million bison were killed, leaving bison on the brink of extinction and decimating the native tribes who were their stewards.

A Tale of Two Fats

The fate of native American relationship with fats is a mixed tale, one of hardships as well as reclamation. In the 1880’s, after nearly all land was taken from the indigenous people, they were forced onto “reservations” which were often geographically and environmentally different than their homes. There, the US Government prescribed rations which were alien. Canola oil and shortening draw a stark contrast to the bison tallow and acorn oil they were used to. This sparked the creation of fry-bread, a fried dough made in many reservations, consisting of flour and water fried in canola oil or shortening, born out of necessity. With the destabilized diet that was forced upon the native people, they have been plagued by obesity and diet related health problems.