Pemmican


 * Jake Anderson **

** Pemmican **
// Pemmican is a high energy food source developed by the natives of temperate regions of North America. By combining dried meat with berries and nuts, and then sealing it with melted animal fat, the product is able to be stored without refrigeration for over a year. // // ** History ** // // Pemmican has played a key role in the survival of mankind for thousands of years. Early Native Americans learned that when sun-dried meat was sealed with rendered fat, it was able to keep for long periods of time. This was made possible due to the fact that when the meat was encased in the fat, all air and moisture was very effectively sealed out, the resulting anaerobic properties of the product made it very resistant to spoiling. The pemmican could easily be carried on long journeys or eaten throughout harsh winters when food was scarce. When Europeans first started making their way into inland North America, they observed Native Americans pounding meat with stone tools, upon introduction to this strange new product they found themselves instantly hooked. Pemmican was held in very high regard by trappers involved in the early fur trade. And for the trapper’s sled dogs, there was dog pemmican. This was of considerably lower quality and not suitable for human consumption. The Metis people, among other tribes, would make large quantities of the valuable food and use it as a trade good at European trading posts. Although often eaten directly, a favorite preparation method was to boil pemmican in a pot. Upon boiling, the meat and lard would break apart and combine with the water to form a very tasty stew. // // ** How it’s Made ** // // The traditional preparation of pemmican starts with the lean meat of elk, buffalo, deer, or other medium to large-sized game. After being cut into thin strips, the meat was allowed to dry either in the sun or over a fire until it was hard. The dried meat was them pulverized with stone tools until it took on an almost fluffy appearance. While dried berries and other wild edibles were sometimes added to the mixture, it may have been more common to use only the meat. The pounded meat would then be mixed with melted fat; the fat-to-meat ratio could range from 1:2 to 2:1 depending on the intended use of the pemmican. The resulting product was then formed into individual patties and stored in skin pouches or other containers. // // ** The 1814 Pemmican War ** // // In 1814, a food shortage in the Red River Colony (consisting of parts of present day N. Dakota, Minnesota and Manitoba) resulted in a small war that involved two trading companies and the Metis Indians. At the root of this war, was pemmican. Because of the famine, governor Macdonnell, founder of the colony for the Hudson’s Bay Company, issued the Pemmican Proclamation. This ordinance forbade residence of the colony (mostly Metis) from exporting Pemmican outside of the colony. Members of the North West Company saw this as unlawful restriction of the trade of the Native Americans as well as an attempt to monopolize the fur industry. Various small skirmishes and conflicts finally led up to the Battle of the Seven Oaks, a firefight between the Metis and members of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The Metis won the battle, killing 22 and only suffering 2 casualties. This was a victory for the rights of the Metis, and for the North West Company who benefited from them. //

// ** Conclusion ** // // Although relatively unheard of by most people today, pemmican has played a pivotal role in the survival and long-term prosperity of people throughout the temperate regions of North America. //

Works Cited //[10], Vilhjalmur Stefansson. "Pemmican." //Health and Fitness for Homo Sapiens//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. .// This website explains what pemmican is, how to make it, and how to eat it. "The 1814 Pemmican War: How a Traditional Native American Food Started a War." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. .// An interesting look into the 1814 Pemmican War "American Native Food." Tahtonka.com: Global Culture, Exploring the Humanities of Humans//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. .// This website is full of information on Native American food. "Buffalo as a Food Source." Native Americans Online//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. .// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This website talkes about the buffalo as a food source and how Native Americans used it. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Dried Meat/Jerky/Pemmican Recipes - PaleoFood Collection." Paleo Diet/Paleolithic Diet Recipes/Cookbook, Caveman Diet Recipes, Primal Diet Recipes<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://paleofood.com/jerky.htm>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This site contains several Pemmican recipes. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Drying Food." College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/DRYING/dryfood.html>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This website explains how to dry various types of food <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Eating Healthy." The Blue Wanderer<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://bluewonder369.blogspot.com/2011/02/eating-healthy.html>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This is where I retrieved a picture of some pemmican bars. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Food." White Oak Society - Deer River, Minnesota<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.whiteoak.org/learning/food.htm>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This web page covers the making of pemmican and who it was used by. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"The Fur Trade - Opening the West." First Peoples of Canada Before Contact Menu<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_furtrade/fp_furtrade4.html>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This website contains a very complete timeline of the fur trade. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Grandpappy's Basic Recipes - Pemmican Recipe - by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E." Grandpappy's Information Home Page, by Robert Wayne Atkins, P.E., Christian Poems, Free Games, Recipes, Wilderness Survival Tips, Six-Sigma Quality.<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"> //Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.grandpappy.info/rpemmica.htm>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This article explains how to make pemmican <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Keith Connects The Dots: The Nature and Early History of Pemmican by Charles." Keith Connects The Dots<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://keithconnectsthedots.com/2009/03/24/the-nature-and-early-history-of-pemmican-by-charles.aspx>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">Briefly coveres the history of pemmican use by European Americans <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Manual on Simple Methods of Meat Preservation." FAO: FAO Home<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6932e/X6932E02.htm>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This website covers many aspects of meat preservation. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"MNC :: Who Are the Métis?" Métis National Council :: Home<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. 15 Apr. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.metisnation.ca/who/index.html>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This site explains who the Metis are and where they are from. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"The Métis - Food / Hunting / Tools." First Peoples of Canada Before Contact Menu<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://firstpeoplesofcanada.com/fp_metis/fp_metis3.html>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This website tells about how the Metis people lived, what they ate, and how they prepared food. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Native American Netroots:: The Pemmican War." Native American Netroots - A Forum for Native American Issues<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.nativeamericannetroots.net/diary/863/the-pemmican-war>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This is an explanation of the events surrounding the Pemmican War. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Pemmican." Blog<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://blog.grasslandbeef.com/bid/40499/Pemmican>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This site has quite a bit of general pemmican information <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"The Pemmican Brief « WildeRix." WildeRix<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://wilderix.wordpress.com/2007/02/28/the_pemmican_brief/>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This is a tutorial on how to make pemmican and contains a few nice pictures <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Pemmican." NEWTON, Ask a Scientist!<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"> //Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/natbltn/200-299/nb257.htm>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This article is a look at how pemmican was involved in the fur trade and the pemmican war. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Pemmican Recipe." NatureSkills.com, Your Source for Animal Tracking, Outdoor Survival Skills, Wilderness Survival Skills, Primitive Skills and More.<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;"> //Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://www.natureskills.com/pemmican_recipe.html>.// <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This website is informative on the history and production of pemmican. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">"Pemmican." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 15 Apr. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pemmican>. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: -0.5in;">This site has a broad range of information on pemmican