Niiwin Indigenous Foods Market

02/20/2025

Wild rice is much more than just a delicious grain for many local producers. As a Minnesota Grown member, David Wise of Native Wise is passionate about introducing this delicious grain to others and passing on the knowledge and traditions that make it so special. Dive into Minnesota wild rice throug...

02/13/2025

01/31/2025

Getting prepped for Maple Sugar Season? Register for the webinar below, hosted by the Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council, UW-Madison Division of Extension, and the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition, to learn and discuss ideas on “When do I Tap My Maple Trees?", February 5, 6-7pm.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevRnWJTtXdJT6si901_5IEk5w8Tci8uUPazzsx90Id1OmJ_w/viewform

01/17/2025

Native American, Chef Pyet member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation tribe, (Shkodé pop up restaurant) makes it to the finals on the Next Level Chef! ✊ 💥

11/29/2024

Join us tomorrow for our annual Biboon Winter Market! Support Indigenous, BIPOC and local artists, small business entrepreneurs, authors, jewelers, food producers, and more! 212 W. 2nd Street, Duluth. 10 am - 2 pm. Free parking!

11/23/2024

11/18/2024

CLOQUET, Minn. — The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa celebrated the opening of it’s new classroom on its farmland. The Band has a 36-acre farm located in Cloquet, which serves as a place dedicated to building tribal food sovereignty. Now, a new classroom has been opened on the land, w...

11/17/2024

Native Heritage Spotlight: Day 14
✨ Popcorn’s Native Roots: The Original Snack Food ✨

Did you know that popcorn, one of our favorite movie snacks, has its origins with Native nations? Long before it became a cinema staple, Indigenous peoples across North America were popping corn over open fires. Nations like the Haudenosaunee introduced early European settlers to popcorn, who often enjoyed it as a breakfast cereal mixed with milk and sugar.

Archaeologists have found evidence of popcorn over 5,000 years old, showing that Native peoples were enjoying this crunchy treat long before European contact. In New Mexico, ancient popped kernels were discovered in caves once inhabited by the ancestors of today’s Pueblo nations. These popped kernels were much smaller and denser than the fluffy popcorn we know today.

But popcorn wasn’t just a snack. It held cultural significance too. In the Great Lakes region, nations like the Ho-Chunk and Menominee used popcorn for special celebrations, crafting popcorn necklaces and using it as a decorative element during gatherings.

Next time you munch on a bowl of popcorn, remember its deep roots in Native traditions. It’s more than just a snack—it’s a tasty connection to thousands of years of history! 🍿✨

Learn More:

History of Popcorn: https://www.popcorn.org/All-About-Popcorn/History-of-Popcorn
Ancient Popcorn Discovery: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ancient-popcorn-discovered-peru-180957915/

Popcorn in Native American Culture: https://www.culturalpopcorn.com/native-popcorn-traditions

11/05/2024

Join Chef Vanessa Casillas and Nutrition Program Marissa Johnson on November 13th at the Minneapolis VA Center Auditorium for a Healthy Indigenous Food Demo! We're proud to collaborate with the Minneapolis VA Health Care System!

10/30/2024

🌾 We’re excited to announce the Healing Meals Grant Opportunity—an initiative to support Native individuals, groups, and organizations in bringing traditional, Indigenous foods to your community. 🌽⁠
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🌿 Are you ready to host a community meal, food box program, culinary class, or event focused on Indigenous ingredients? This grant is here to help you make it happen! ⁠
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We’re offering up to 10 grants, averaging $3,000 each, to fund Healing Meal projects that nourish and heal through the power of Indigenous foods.⁠ Available to US residents only.
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📅 Key Dates:⁠
+ Applications Open: October 1, 2024⁠
+ Q&A Webinar: Friday October 11, 2024⁠
+ Application Deadline: October 31, 2024⁠
+ Awarded Grantee Notifications: November 21, 2024⁠
+ Grant Period: December 16, 2024 - December 15, 2025⁠
+ Project Event Window: March 1 - December 5, 2025 ⁠
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🔗 Apply now! https://nativefoodalliance.org/2024-healing-meals-grants/

10/29/2024

Mark your calendars for November 16th! We’re thrilled to announce the grand opening of our Gitigaan Classroom! Everyone is Welcome to Join us at 964 Cary Rd, Cloquet, MN as we break in this new space with a feast and fall demonstrations.

More information and updates will be posted on social media

10/08/2024

The Klamath River has welcomed its first salmon in over a century, thanks to the largest dam removal project in the history of the United States.

Read more 👉 https://bit.ly/4eTOVdS

10/08/2024

PBS North did a feature on Spirit Lake Native Products Farm on their Wild Rice Processing.

09/27/2024

Meet the team behind Gatherings Cafe, a breakfast and lunch cafe in the Minneapolis American Indian Center that provides Native foods and knowledge to the community.

Executive Chef Vernon DeFoe (Red Cliff Anishinaabe) has more than 20 years of restaurant experience. He was one of the first hired staff at The Sioux Chef and has been part of the growing Indigenous food sovereignty movement in Minneapolis for the past decade. He most recently led community outreach efforts at the Indigenous Food Lab before becoming Gathering Cafe’s executive chef in October 2023.

Vernon joined Gatherings Cafe as it was closed for renovations and undergoing a major expansion. Under Vernon’s leadership, the team, kitchen, dining space, and capacity expanded, allowing the cafe to serve more people through its restaurant and catering services.

Vernon enjoys learning the history and culture around food and sharing that knowledge with the community. He often leads food demonstrations that help people gather ingredients and make recipes at home.

In his free time, Vernon enjoys hiking, foraging, wildlife, botany, and geology. He’s a bass guitarist and has been part of the Minneapolis metal and punk scene for more than two decades.

Gatherings Cafe is open Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.