O'odham Meal Box Project: Meal box Preperation

THOSH COLLINS was born and raised in the Salt River Reservation in Arizona where he is now a family man, community organizer and an active participant in the community. He is a board member and senior trainer for the Native Wellness Institute and currently sits on the Land Management Board in Salt River. Thosh, along with his wife Chelsey Luger, co-founded WELL FOR CULTURE, an Indigenous wellness initiative which promotes whole life-ways through ancestral teachings to optimize contemporary Indigenous lifestyles. Thosh and Chelsey travel to indigenous communities all over the US and Canada to teach workshops about their indigenous wellness model the ‘7 Circles of Wellness’. They have presented at numerous national conferences focused on indigenous health. Thosh has dedicated his life to helping shift the collective consciousness of indigenous communities and people in regards to prioritizing whole health for the benefit of future generations. 

Learn more at: https://www.wellforculture.com/co-founders

Quick O’odham Breakfast Meal

Ingredients:

⅓ cup Huñ Ce'i (ground Pima corn)

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup S-moik Pilkan (pointed Sonoran wheat berries)

⅔ cup oat milk

½ teaspoon Maple syrup (if preferred for sweetness) 

1. Put S-moik Pilkan (pointed Sonoran wheat berries), Huñ Ce'i (ground Pima corn) and cinnamon into a bowl. 

2. Slowly pour in oat milk and stir to desired thickness. 

3. If you prefer it to be sweet, add maple syrup. 

4. Enjoy!

Cold Tepary Bean Salad

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups S-woam Bav (brown O'Odham Tepary Beans), cold/refrigerated 

Handful of S-moik Pilkan (pointed Sonoran wheat berries)

1 cup of preferred vegetables (tomato, bell pepper, etc.), diced

Splash of apple cider vinegar

Spoonful of parmesan cheese

Dash of garlic powder

½ teaspoon black pepper

Quarter size (or desired amount) of ancho chile powder

Smoked salt, or preferred salt

Olive oil drizzle, preferred amount

Half a lime

1. Put cold S-woam Bav (brown O'odham Tepary Beans) in a bowl.

2. Add apple cider vinegar, vegetables, S-moik Pilkan (pointed Sonoran wheat berries), parmesan, garlic powder, black pepper, ancho chile powder, smoked salt, olive oil and lime into the bowl. 

3. Toss together. 

4. Enjoy!

Diné Blue Corn Breakfast

Ingredients: 

• Blue Cornmeal - 1 cup 

• Juniper ash - 1 tsp

• Water - 3 cups

• Toppings or side of fruit (raspberries, plums, peaches), honey, chia seeds, applesauce, granola, butter, salt

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized saucepan, boil 1 cup of water.    

2. In a medium-sized saucepan, mix 1 cup of cold water and juniper ash.

3. In a medium-sized cup, mix blue cornmeal and 2 cups of cold water thoroughly. 

4. Turn heat down to medium-low and slowly add blue corn mixture into boiling water and stir until fully combined. 

5. Continue to stir blue corn mush for 3 minutes, making sure there aren’t any lumps. Let it boil for another 5-10 minutes. Stir occasionally. 

6. Remove from heat and top it off with your favorite toppings. 

Credit: TheFancyNavajo.com