Bear's Den: "Blueberries Are The Real McCoy - A Genuine Star"

Now, as strange as it may seem, I´ve never been accused of being all that brilliant. Yeah… I know… it shocks me, too? Yet, since I´m not all that swift, I ain´t smart enough to be offended by this, neither. So, here´s something I do know. Now is the time of the Blackberry Moon when this fruit ripens in the Shawnee homelands. Here in the Water-Winter-Wonderland of Michigan, it´s the time when ini-ni-min-an (blueberries) are ready. And even if you´re a simple-minded dude like moi… you know that the blueberry… is one the Great Mystery´s most wonderful gifts to us. And, unlike the phony-bologna Hollywood actors… the blueberry… is a gen-u-ine ´STAR´.

Yes´sir, no matter if you´re Hopi, Ojibwe or Shawnee, there´s a rich history shared by all American Indians with the blueberry. Known as "starberries" to many American Indians, this equates them with … stars… which are in the heavens, eh. The Hopi called blueberries mo-qui. Yeah, it´s a term which means ´spirits of the ancestors´. So if you´re thinking that blueberries were important to Indians, then you´re on the right track. The blossom end of each berry, called the calyx, forms the shape of a perfect five-pointed star. Um-hmm, so native Elders would tell little ones of how the Great Good Spirit sent stars from the heavens to be made into berries, hence "star berries". The Creator sent them to the people to relieve illness and children´s hunger during times of drought, harsh winters or other lean periods when there was no game.

Sure, they were eaten fresh and dried. Blueberries were added to stews, soups and meats throughout the year. Heck, dried berries were even crushed into a powder and rubbed into meat for flavor. Oh yeah, and ini-ni-min-an woja-pi (blueberry pudding) was made by adding dried and crushed wild rice powder and cooking over an open fire with an ane-kwaan-an (pudding stirring stick). Then a two-legged simply dipped their frybread into this pudding and, presto, really tasty frybread, hmm. Because it contained so many nutrients, the blueberry was the most commonly used fruit ingredient in pemmican (a fortified jerky), too. Pemmican is a ground meat to which nuts and fruit have been added before smoking or drying. It´s a protein and vitamin-rich tasty that´s excellent for traveling because it stores easily and lasts a long time. Yep, and a tea made from blueberry leaves is good for the blood. But, the most important use was a tea that was made from the roots. It was given to mothers to help them relax during childbirth in a period… when ´saddle blocks´… didn´t exist, eh. So, I reckon you know how much mothers appreciated starberries, eh. Blueberry juice was used to treat coughs and danged if it doesn´t work well for that, too. So, like many things that the Creator put here upon the Earth Mother, the blueberry has always been a vital source of food and medicine for Indian two-leggeds. You bet´cha, and, as if all of this wasn´t aplenty, the juice of a blueberry also made a good long-lasting dye for leathers and baskets, as well. See what I mean, the blueberry… is a ´star´.

Yes´um, and, although I´m not all that bright, even I can figure out what all the other Indians have always known, and that's how good the blueberry is for two-leggeds. Uh-huh, and modern medicine has now caught-up. Blueberries are rich in Vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene; they´re rich in the minerals manganese, potassium and magnesium. They are really high in fiber but low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Yep, and recent studies show that of all fresh fruits and vegetables, blueberries provide the most health-protecting antioxidants – the valuable stuff which prevents cancer-causing cell damage. Sure, and they may even limit the changes brought on by age related diseases, too.

Um-hmm, there you go. So if a simple-minded dude like me can figure out how good blueberries are for you, then I´m sure that most of ya´all will have no trouble whatsoever. Yeah, if you didn´t know already, then you can trust now… that the blueberry… is one the Great Mystery´s most wonderful gifts to us. And unlike the phony-bologna Hollywood actors… the blueberry… is a gen-u-ine ´STAR´.

Here´s the old American Indian recipe for Ini-ni-min-an Woja-pi (Blueberry Pudding). If you´re hanker´n to give it a try, it´s simple, low-fat and pretty darn nutritious to boot. The recipe below is how we´ve made it for centuries, but you can add a little white sugar and substitute flour or cornstarch as you wish.

Ini-ni-min-an Woja-pi ("Blueberry Pudding")

Put about 3 cups of fresh blueberries into a medium sauce pan.

Add about 3 cups of water.

Heat until boiling, then lower flame and mash the berries and cook a tad longer.

Slowly sprinkle ¾ cup rice flour, in smidgeons, while stirring.

Cook until pasty, enough to make a thick gravy-like mixture and voila: Ini-ni-min-an Woja-pi. It´s good for dipping frybread, cornbread or what-have-you… into.

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

David Walks-As-Bear is an Inter-Tribal Elder and Kispoko Shawnee Indian. He works as a private game warden and detective captain and is a novelist and syndicated newspaper columnist living in Northwest Michigan. Contact him at The White Lake Beacon: 231-894-5356 or visit his website at: www.Walks-As-Bear.com