Spirit Plate Episode 4: Cooking Ancient Roots in the Finger Lakes

In this episode of Spirit Plate, I travel to the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York to visit the ancestral lands of the Onondaga Nation, part of the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. This place is rich with history, beauty, and agricultural knowledge passed down through countless generations. The Onondaga people were and still are farmers, and the land reflects that care and relationship.

At the heart of this visit is Angela Ferguson, a legendary Onondaga seed keeper and leader in the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Movement. Angela safeguards tens of thousands of seeds, some thousands of years old, others from tribes that no longer exist. Being in the presence of those seeds felt powerful. These are not just seeds, they are memory, resilience, and responsibility.

The Three Sisters, corn, beans, and squash, remain staples of Onondaga life, just as they have been for thousands of years. Learning directly from Angela reminded me how much intention goes into preserving these foods. Seed keeping is not about the past. It is about protecting the future.

We began by foraging alongside Onondaga matriarchs, gathering wild berries and plants from the land. Every step felt slow and intentional. Nothing was taken without gratitude. Nothing was wasted. This kind of relationship with food requires patience and respect, qualities that are easy to forget in modern cooking.

Back at the fire, we cooked together using clay pots and an open fire ring. Cooking this way brings you back to the elements. Fire, earth, water, and time all play a role. Clay pots cook food slowly and evenly, creating meals that are more tender, flavorful, and nutritious. Watching the pots heat and begin to boil felt almost meditative. In less than fifteen minutes, I learned four important lessons about patience, balance, and listening to the food.

Together with Angela and the women elders, we prepared a ten course feast. We cooked hot rock venison stew, salmon steak with cedar and maple, and a squash purée made from seeds that are over three thousand years old. Each dish carried deep meaning. This was not just about technique or flavor. It was about honoring the hands and hearts that carried these foods forward.

For me, the prayer behind this visit was about preservation. Protecting knowledge. Protecting seeds. Protecting the wisdom of women who have quietly held our food systems together for generations. Cooking alongside these elders reminded me that food sovereignty begins with respect for those who came before us.

Spirit Plate continues to show me that Indigenous foodways are living systems. They evolve, but they never lose their roots. Every seed tells a story. Every meal is an act of survival and love. I am deeply grateful to the Onondaga people for welcoming me into their kitchens, their fields, and their fire.

🌽 Watch the full episode on PBS Food: Spirit Plate | Cooking Ancient Roots in the Finger Lakes