Who was here first
Today is national Metric day. A day that honors the metric system: Celsius, Liters, meters, and grams. In the United States, we measure most things based on the “Imperial” System of Fahrenheit, gallons/ounces, feet/miles. Meanwhile, the rest of the world and industries like the medical professions have gone back to the metric system. We may as well follow the MIT system of measuring by “Smoots”. Coincidentally, today is also Columbus day, or as it has recently been renamed: Indigenous peoples day. The two holidays show great congruity in the sense that they both question the validity of the “Imperial” system. Just like the metric system was implemented before the imperial system, we can say: “who was here first” with a clear knowledge that the indigenous tribes predated the European settlers who we call our forefathers.
There has been a lot of complaining that the name Columbus day has been changed in some states. But, when you look at the facts, does Columbus really deserve a day for his “discovery”? First, he and his crew didn’t actually land in the United States. Their first landfall was actually on islands in the Caribbean sea. And, his later excursions were in Central and South America. Amerigo Vespucci (the guy who America is actually named after) followed Columbus about a decade later, and recognized our landmass as a “new continent”. And, over the next few centuries, people from the British empire and European countries migrated here. So, in reality, all of the “founders” of this country were actually “illegal” immigrants. None of them followed proper procedures, nor asked permission from the people who actually lived here. Thus, the Indigenous people are the actual owners of this country.
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If possession is 9/10 of the law, we should ask: Who was here first
Beside the fact that Columbus didn’t actually “discover” America, there are a number of other mitigating factors to his claims to this land. First of all, he didn’t do this of his own accord. He was funded and supported by the Spanish government. So, any claims, by the laws at the time, belong to Spain. And, the fact that there were already people there, nullifies any such claims. Of course, what followed was centuries of Slavery, abuse, thievery, and genocide perpetrated upon the indigenous peoples from south, central, and North America. In fact, if European settlers hadn’t wiped out and/or subjugated the native population, there would probably still be more people of native heritage in America today than there are of any of Columbus or his crews descendants. Hence, by the laws of possession, they would have more claim to the land than anyone else.
maybe the people who are offended by “indigenous peoples day” are actually afraid that what happened to the natives will happen to them. Many opponents of the re-designation also complain about immigrants taking over the country. But, we are the immigrants. We are the ones who abused our welcome. The people who welcomed Columbus and subsequent visitors did so out of trust and charity. They didn’t subscribe to the European obsession with ownership. The land belonged to nature, not man. So, they did not expect other people to lay claim to things that don’t belong to anyone. When we die, everything we possess goes back to the Earth. We merely inhabit space. To own land or people is as improbable as owning a sunset. Obviously, The settlers had a different perspective.
Try that in a court
Unfortunately, the people in power write the rules. So, instead of communing with nature, we have modern society, conveniences, and amenities. And, we have laws about ownership that create random borders. Just look at how the states got their shapes. People and governments decide who lays claim to a particular plot of land. And, the drive for possession creates all kinds of problems, wars, and general nasty behavior toward each other and the beings living in a particular area. The people who invaded the Americas destroyed entire civilizations like the Inca, Aztecs, Kalinago, and Pequot people. The rest faced forced assimilation. In the US, the forced sterilization of indigenous women was common practice right through the 1970’s. Pope Francis recently apologized for the Catholic church’s involvement in forced schooling and assimilation in Canada and the US.
Unfortunately, terms like manifest destiny and The “supremacy” of white races provided an excuse for horrific behavior in the name of expansion. It wasn’t until Hitler blatantly tried to eradicate “undesirables” that the term genocide formally entered international law. So, the wholesale destruction of cultures is a chapter in our history that goes largely unchecked, since crimes were never charged. And, if your view is that no one owns the land, you can’t lay claim to it either. So, the law, written by the perpetrators doesn’t apply to the people breaking the law (who are one and the same). Instead we lionize the “heroes” and vilify the victims. Remember, the crime of the indigenous people was that they trusted people who only wanted to destroy their culture and exploit their land.
Conspicuous Consumption
Now, we have a country that’s all about “stuff”. Everybody has to get the latest Iphone, play station, and UHD TV, and brag about it on the interwebs. We buy stuff, and, replace it within a couple years. We use up energy like it’s going out of style. Buildings keep getting bigger and closer together. Environmentalists are marginalized. And, nothing is made to last. Every year, Apple comes out with a new version of the same phone and tells you you have to buy one. And, they make a BOGO offer for something that costs $50 to make, selling you 2 for $1,000. And, millions of people lease vehicles that end up re-sold as used to other people, so they can lease you more vehicles in perpetuity. It’s an unending cycle of conspicuous consumption.
The people Columbus met were about anything but that. He first landed on an island in the Bahamas where he met the Lukku-Cairi people, whom he described as:
“They are very gentle and without knowledge of what is evil; nor do they murder or steal… . Your Highness may believe that in all the world there can be no better people … they have the sweetest talk in the world, and are always laughing.”
Then, he and his successors taught them about all the crimes they were unaware of. And, now we have a nation of people obsessed with crap. And, a perpetual system of trying to protect your crap from theft.
When we look at society, let’s think of who was here first
Our society is all about the stuff. While there are pockets of people with a spiritual outlook, most of us can’t live without our things. The indigenous people Columbus encountered only took what they needed to live comfortably. And, they appeared very charitable in sharing, since they didn’t believe in ownership, like their European visitors. John Lennon famously said, “Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can.” The concept is really deeper than you think. But, it wasn’t his original idea. This was the philosophy of the gentle people Columbus encountered. It was easy to share because, nobody actually owned anything. Although, even that was not entirely true. Because they did occupy the land and had stuff, no matter how rudimentary it was.
And, if you try to claim someone stole land that wasn’t yours to begin with, you will lose in a modern court case since you can’t own anything in your view. It’s kind of a catch 22. By settling in one place, you are claiming that land, if only temporary.
But, this is getting too philosophical for a food blog. So, back to the point at hand: Columbus “discovered” the Bahamas and Central America. So, if we want to talk about Indigenous people and European influence, We should mark the occasion with food from the islands. And, we will try to remember who was here first.
Some recipes
Our first recipe is more of a Thanksgiving thing, using a moniker from Columbus. But, Indigenous people’s pudding doesn’t exactly flow off the tongue. So, here is an Indian pudding recipe that combines Native and European ingredients.
New England Indian Pudding With Salted Whiskey Caramel
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Light Cream
- 1/2 Cup Molasses
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Cornmeal
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- For Caramel Sauce:
- 1 Cup Turbinado Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Whiskey
- 1/2 Cup heavy Cream
- 1/2 tsp Kosher or sea Salt
- Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream
Instructions
- pre heat Oven to 350.
- make the syrup: Heat sugar over medium heat in a heavy pot until it melts. Allow it to lightly caramelize. Stir constantly. Add in the whiskey and flame off the alcohol. Then add the heavy cream and whisk until smooth and an even color appears. Add a little salt and taste. Don't add all the salt at one. Just what tastes good to you. Set aside.
- Mix the cornmeal and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Heat the cream, molasses, and brown sugar in a pot over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer. Then remove from the heat. Stir in the butter until it melt. Fold the liquid into the dry ingredients. Then transfer the mix to a sprayed and sugared oven proof crock or casserole dish. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. At that point, take it out and give it a stir. Return it to the oven and cook for another 20 minutes until it sets up firmly. Serve warm with the caramel syrup and ice cream and/or whipped cream.
But, Columbus landed in the Bahamas. So, here is a recipe more indicative of that beautiful land.
Pineapple Tuna Ceviche
Ingredients
- 8 Oz Fresh grade A Raw Tuna
- 1/2 Cup Diced Fresh Pineapple
- 1 Whole Lime, juice only
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Red Onion
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Chili like jalapeno or cerrano
- 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh red bell pepper
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil
- 1 tsp Chopped Fresh Cilantro
- 1 Cup Fresh Micro Greens or baby Green for garnish
- 1 Large Plantain
- Neutral oil for frying plantains
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sugar to sprinkle in plantains
Instructions
- Carefully peel and thinly slice plantain. Use a mandolin or slicer if you have one. We are going to make plantain chips to give some crunch to the dish.
- Heat oil for frying in a deep pot over medium heat or fryer at 350 degrees. Try one chip to make sure it's hot enough. Adjust heat as needed. When the right temperature is achieved, Fry the plantains until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oil with a basket, tongs, or strainer. Do not over-crowd or they won't cook evenly. Transfer to paper towels to dry the oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and sugar. Set aside.
- Dice the tuna into 1/4 inch pieces. Chop and dice all other ingredients. Then toss all ingredients in a bowl, except greens and plantain chips. Stir to coat evenly. Allow the acid from the lime to lightly "cook the tuna for about 1 hour.
- Plate the Ceviche individually: Arrange it nicely on a plate and garnish with greens and plantain chips. You can use the plantain chips as a scoop to eat the ceviche.
So, let’s mark the day by recognizing both the good and bad that came from the European invasion. Remember, Columbus may have started this. But, the British Invasion brought us John Lennon and his words of wisdom that he learned from people who thought like the original indigenous peoples Columbus encountered.