Saturday, 26 April 2014

Sarah Winnemucca A Woman of History



Thocmentony “Shell Flower”


Sarah Winnemucca
Descended from two chiefs Sarah Winnemucca was born in 1844 into the Piute Nation now the state of Nevada.  Growing up Sarah was pulled in two opposing directions.  Her Grandfather Chief Truckee supported General John C. Fremont in the Bear War while her father Chief Winnemucca did not trust white people and advocated a position of separation between the two races.

At the age of six her Grandfather Chief Truckee took Sarah to California where she  first encounter white people and was introduced to the opulence of the colonial cultural.  |At the age of thirteen she was sent to become “part of the household” of a white family at Mormon Station and here she learned to speak five languages.

As a young woman Sarah was relocated with the rest of her nation on to reservations as colonists took over more and more of the best land for themselves.  Her linguistic skills provided her a unique opportunity and she became an interpreter for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  Later she worked for the US Army again as an interpreter and scout.

In January 1880 she went to Washington where she addressed Secretary of Interior Carl Schurz and President Rutherford B. Hayes.  She is described as speaking passionately on the poor the treatment of her people and the broken promises of the government agencies.

Sarah’s connection to the white culture and the agencies that continued to mistreat the Piute people resulted in her becoming an object of mistrust by her own people, while at the same time being Aboriginal a member of the Piute nation meant that the white culture also mistrusted her.

Sarah was an amazing woman not just for her linguist abilities but also for her writing skills, tenancy in the face of adversity, her respect for herself as an Aboriginal woman, her Piute Culture and in her belief that knowledge and truth would motivate good people to do the right thing.

Over her lifetime she delivered over 400 speeches where she presented the broken promises and deplorable treatment of her people in an attempt to gain support public and political support for the fare treatment of her people.

She wrote the book “Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims and doing so she attributed with preserving the history and culture of the Piute Nation.  She was also the first known Native American Woman autobiographer.  

Sarah died on October 17, 1891 believing herself a failure.  Her mission throughout her life was to educate the white culture about the Piute people and their tradition.  She went to her grave believing that knowledge would end the oppression of her people.

Sarah Winnemucca was a Woman of History when in the face of overt oppression she remained optimistic believing that in the face of knowledge/truth people will do the right thing.

While the oppression of Aboriginal people and Aboriginal women specifically continues today in North America Sarah represent the best of us as she remain optimistic and  out spoken all of her life.  Could we ask for our daughter to do more than this?

 To Learn more about Sarah Winnemucca please visit these website:





 Grandma Snyder
©2013-2014 twosnydergirls

Friday, 25 April 2014

Thursday, 24 April 2014

Good Food Box

April 2014

Good Food Box
April 2014 Good Food Box



The Good Food Box is a community program supported by the Public Health Units in Ontario CA.   
Established approximately 20 years ago the original mandate was to provide low income and the working poor with fresh fruits and vegetables through a cooperative like program. 
Families pool their money and with the increase purchasing power a buyer travels to the Toronto Food Terminal and purchases in bulk.  In this way the families get their fruits and vegetables for less than what they would be forced to pay at local grocery stores.
The program was later opened up to everyone increasing the buying power of the group.  The Good Food Box is $15.00 per month with anyone making under $30,000 annually paying $12.00, the Public Health Unit subsidizing other $3.00 per family.
Currently our local Good Food Box outlet puts together between 118 and 120 boxes per month with approximately 30 of the boxes being subsidized.

This months  handout came with a wonder mushroom and potato recipe.  
Mushrooms
The Graphics Fairy

Creamy Mushroom-Potato Bake
Ingredients (8 servings)
2 1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tsp of salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1.  Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Add 1/2 tsp. salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.  Drain and mash.
  2. In a large skillet, saute onion and mushroom in 2 tbsp of butter for 3-4 minutes or until just tender.  Stir into potatoes along with sour cream and remaining salt.
  3. Spoon into a greased 2 qt. baking dish.  Sprinkle with cheese
  4. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until heated through and golden brown.

Note: I used the leftover mashed potatoes from our Easter Feast and added the onions, mushroom, sour cream and cheese.  Everyone loved them and asked for these instead of the traditional mashed potatoes.  I would have included a picture only left over mashed potatoes baked mushrooms does not photograph well and it take great!
©2013-2015 twosnydergirls