A Message from Garcia: Corn Patties Part II

Continued from April 1 Devils Lake Journal page 5 – editor LAO.

Flour Corn

The corn plant itself was named Wamnaheza. The scientific name for Flour Corn is Zea mays amylacea. This type of corn was allowed to mature. The Flower Corn was braided in long strings. Some of the best ears were set aside for seed, and some packed in rawhide bags and cashed -buried in underground chambers (Woha). This method of storing the corn was to save the corn for the winter (Waniyetu) when food was scarce. Burying food and other items they hid these items from predators both man and animal. Part of the harvest (Woksapi) was milled, crushed in a flour and with added water (Mni) and sometimes mixed with added natural salt, to enhance the bland flavor. This wet mixture was squeezed in the hand by the fingers to form into tubes (Wahuwapa) about four inches long and cigar size in diameter, then set aside to dry in the sun. These dried tubes were packed in rawhide bags and cashed (Woha), buried in the ground for future use. The milled Flour Corn was mixed with Tallow (animal fat), with dried berries, mostly Chokecherries, Cranberries and Juneberries. This mixture was named Wasna. If the mixture was principally meat, it would have been called Tado Wasna. The Wasna was formed into patties, finger sized tubes, or balls. For travel these Johnny Cakes (Journey Cakes) were placed in animal heart skins and consumed at will. The corn balls were flattened in patties and fried in grease / tallow, making Corn Fritters. Other than Maple and Box Elder Tree syrup, condiments were limited, until the French traded sugar (Canhanpi) to the Dakota.

Flint Corn

The scientific name for Flint Corn is Zea mays indueta. This variety of corn was used only for soup (Wahanpi). Flint corn has a hard shell or covering that is removed by soaking the corn kernels in lye. The lye was made from hardwood ashes. The kernels were placed in a basket to ease the lye boiling phase. After four soakings and draining off the lye water each time, the corn was tasted to make sure the lye was removed. The corn kernels are now ready to make the soup. Modern cooks speed up the process by using a generous tablespoon of Baking Soda, instead of the wood ash lye. Then washing the corn to remove the soda and hard corn shell. Again, the corn is tasted to assure palatability. Dried Pumpkin and Squash can be added as a thickener. The boiled soup was now ready to add meat and served. Modern cooks simulate the dried meat by cutting up store bought Jerky, adding potatoes and other vegetables. Because the lye technique is an added step in the process, modern chefs purchase canned Hominy, which is Flint Corn produced in a factory.

Glossary

The Dakota Language is in decline; therefore, I have included most of the terns used when speaking about corn. Students and teachers will find these terns useful.

Corn = Wamnaheza Flint Corn = Kohdi Flint Corn Flour Corn = Panpana

Wild Rice = Psin Sweetcorn = Waskuya Cache Pit = Woha

To Harvest = Woksapi Wahuwapa = Corn Fingers Sugar = Waskuya

Water = Mni or Mini Parched Corn =Wapapahyapi Homini = Pasdayapi

Corn mixed with fruit and tallow = Wasna / Wamnaheza Wasna

Shelled corn = Yusku Garden = Mahcistina Plant Root = Hutkan

Corn Stalk = Hu Corn Leaf = ape Kernal / Seed = Su

Corn Silk = Natu Corn Tassel = Inkpa Braided corn = Wasonson

Corn Smut = Aa Shell Corn = Yusku Corn hill =Mahpazu

Wood Ash = Canhota Popcorn = Wamnaheza PoPoa Soup = Wahanpi

Flint Corn = Kohdi Flint Corn Soup = Waskuya Dried Meat = Papa

Meat = Tado Salt = Miniskuya Beans = Omnica

Wet Fat = Wasin Potato = Bdo Eggs = Witka

Grease = Wihdi Hilled up Corn = Mahpazu Grind Grain = Wokpan

Pull Corn Ears = Woksapi Ripe Corn = Wasutun Pull Ears Down = Wayuksan

Corn Patties / Fritters = Aguyapiguguna Pulverize / Mill = Wayupan

Month of May = Wozupi Wi =Planting Moon Squash = Wamnu

Month of August = Wasutun Wi = Month when the seed was born. (Harvest Sweet Corn)

Month of September = Wayuksapi Wi = Harvest Moon

Bibliography

Dakota Ia Wohdaka Po Speak Dakota, Minneapolis, MN. 2014. Many Spirit Lake People contributed to this publication. www.dakhota.org

Garcia, Louis Papers. Chester fritz Library, University of North Dakota Grand Forks.

Riggs, Stephen R. Dakota-English Dictionary. St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press. 1992.(1890).

Williamson, John P. English – Dakota Dictionary, St. Paul: Minnesota Historical Society Press 1992.

YouTube search for Native American corn, soup, corn balls, fritters, etc.

Note: This Part 2 of “Corn Patties” of Garcia’s column was originally scheduled to run in the Tuesday, April 8 DLJ, however since that paper only had 10 pages it was held over to run in today’s DLJ – Thursday, April 10.