We are again in the throws of Brandon’s Winterfest where we can visit our Ethnic Backgrounds and discover the Culture, Dress, Dance, and Food of our various Ancestral groups. More than one group will be serving Bannock as their traditional staple food, but like many Canadian foods enjoyed by us, they may not have been traditional to Canada, but adapted from the many Pioneer cultures that make up our Heritage.
Bread is a staple of life in Canada, and Bannock is the unleavened bread that is strongly associated with both Native and Metis cultures. The Fur Trade travelled on it, and it is a common feature at Metis, Native, and Northern Manitoba festivals today, and it is eaten in tens of thousands of homes. This bread, and its name, illustrates the multicultural history of Manitoba. The “Michif Dictionary” located in the Boissevain Library gives two alternative phrases for the English word “Bread”: “Li Paen” derived from French “le pain”: and “Puhkwayshikun” from the Assiniboine Indians. The word “Bannock” however is neither Matis nor Native. It’s the Gaelic word for Bread. When the Scottish Fur Traders intermarried with Native and Metis women, they brought with them their cooking habits and terms. Today’s Bannock is probably neither the original Native bread, that was based on corn flour, or is it the same as the Scottish Bannock or Tea Biscuit. It is an adaptation of old ideas to a new land for the Pioneers giving a distinctive regional food reflective of our mutual History. It is deceptively flat but very fulfilling. It can be baked of fried, I personally prefer it fried, and I really like it when it is made into “Indian Pizza.”
Let’s enjoy our very own Winterfest, one of Brandon’s Major events, and which is mainly organized and presented by volunteer performers vendors and workers with generous donations of facilities and sponsorship from our Business Sector. It is nice to see that most Pavilions are open at 1 p.m., which will allow younger visitors to sample the offerings of music, costumes, food, and bright lights.
http://dragon.sleepdeprived.ca/camping/recipes/campfire_snacks/campfire_snacks_1.htm