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Turtle Island Tales

Join us as we launch Turtle Island Tales, a place to share the ingredients for a healthy family, inc

05/12/2025

Hi Turtle Island friends!

As the year winds down and we gather with loved ones, it's a powerful time to reflect on the Grandfather Teaching of Honesty.

Honesty is about living in truth with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us. Just like the winter season invites stillness and clarity, December can be a time to look inward and ask: Am I being true to who I am?

Practicing honesty isn’t always easy, but it builds trust, courage, and strong relationships values we carry into the new year.

✨ How do you practice honesty in your life or with your family this season?

03/12/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

Let’s go on a Scavenger Hunt! 🍂✨

Igmu spotted so many treasures while exploring outside, can you find them too?

Here’s your scavenger list:

🍁 A red leaf
🍂 A crunchy brown leaf
🌰 An acorn or pinecone
🪵 A stick shaped like a letter
🐾 Animal tracks (look closely!)
🪶 A feather
🎨 Something that matches your jacket color!

✅ Instructions:

1. Print or write down your list.

2. Take a small bag or basket to collect non-living items.

3. Check off each find or draw it if you can’t pick it up!

4. Share your favorite find with your family.

💡 Bonus: Make up your own list with your favorite fall colors, shapes, or smells!

What’s the coolest thing YOU found on your scavenger hunt? Tell us below! 🍁👇

28/11/2025

Igmu’s ready for a cozy weekend and what better way to slow down than with a warm bowl of Nasamp?

This traditional Wampanoag dish blends cornmeal, berries, and crushed nuts, simmered into a porridge and topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. It's nourishing, naturally sweet, and perfect for chilly mornings or family brunch.

Recipe:

- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup dried or fresh berries
- 1/4 cup crushed walnuts, sunflower seeds, or other nuts
- 2 cups water
- Maple syrup to taste

Combine everything except the syrup in a pot and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the water is absorbed. Spoon into bowls and finish with a maple drizzle.

This recipe honors Wampanoag food traditions and invites us to connect with simple, seasonal ingredients. 💛

Have you tried making Nasamp before? Would you top it with berries, seeds, or both?

27/11/2025

📖 Igmu is curling up with Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun’s Thanksgiving Story this harvest season because some stories fill our hearts like a warm meal shared with loved ones.

Every child learns about the “First Thanksgiving,” but what happens when we hear it from Weeâchumun, the wise Corn? Alongside her sisters, Beans and Squash, and the woodland animals, she helped the newcomers survive their first harvest.

Told by Native authors Danielle Greendeer (Mashpee Wampanoag), Anthony Perry (Chickasaw), and Alexis Bunten (Unangan/Yup’ik), this story honors the Wampanoag perspective and the spirit of true generosity.

🌽 What stories of gratitude do you share at this time of year?

21/11/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

Igmu caught the scent of something savory from the oven, Bison & Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers, a warming dish filled with seasonal goodness and traditional ingredients. 🌶️🦬🌾

🥣 Ingredients:

• 2 bell peppers (halved)
• ½ lb ground bison (or elk, venison, or grass-fed beef)
• ½ cup uncooked wild rice
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 1 Tbsp wild garlic

Method:

1. Simmer wild rice in 1 cup water (about 45 mins).

2. Brown bison with wild garlic, then stir in shredded carrots.

3. Soften bell peppers in boiling water (10 mins).

4. Fill peppers with bison & rice mix. Top with extra carrots.

5. Bake at 350°F for 10 mins. Serve warm!

Want to spice it up? Add chile powder, salsa, or a drizzle of hot sauce to make it your own.

🌀 What’s your favorite way to cook with wild rice or bison?

19/11/2025

Hey Turtle Island Friends!

Igmu found the perfect pile of leaves to leap into and we think you should too! Leaf pile jumping is more than just fun, it's a great way to get moving, use your imagination, and enjoy the outdoors with your family.

Before you jump:

✅ Check the pile for sticks or hidden rocks
✅ Wear cozy clothes that can get a little messy
✅ Invite a friend or sibling to join the fun!

What shape can you make your leaf pile? A circle? A heart? A giant cat paw like Igmu? 🐾

Let us know in the comments what kind of leaf pile you love to make! 🍃👇

14/11/2025

Behind the scene!

Grandma Darnell was on set this week with Igmu and special guests Jake and Erika from Montana PBS! 🐾🎥

It’s been a joyful, creative whirlwind as we wrap up the final three films of the season. So much laughter, learning, and love go into each story we share.

Stay tuned… these new tales are something special. 💫

12/11/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

Igmu couldn’t resist the sweet, aroma in the kitchen today… 🍯🍿 Our friends at Indigikitchen shared a treat that’s perfect for cozy fall gatherings: Sunflower Butter Popcorn!

✨ Here’s what you’ll need:

• ¼ cup popcorn kernels
• Oil + salt
• ½ cup honey
• ⅓ cup maple sugar
• ½ cup sunflower butter (no added sugar)
• ½ tsp vanilla

🥣 Method highlights:

1. Pop your kernels on the stove.

2. Mix honey + maple sugar, boil for 2 mins.

3. Stir in sunflower butter and vanilla.

4. Pour over popcorn and coat well. Let cool.

This snack is sweet, crunchy, and filled with meaning.

🌀 What traditional ingredient do you love seeing in new ways?

07/11/2025

Hey Turtle Island Friends!

Igmu wandered into the kitchen and found something zesty sizzling on the stovetop Zoodles Pad Thai, brought to life by our friends at Indigikitchen! 🥢🌿

This vibrant dish swaps traditional noodles for spiralized zucchini, blending fresh garden flavors with the bold kick of chili, garlic, and fish sauce. It’s a beautiful fusion of Indigenous ingredients and global inspiration.

🌱 Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• 2 Tbsp maple vinegar
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp chili garlic sauce

For the Pad Thai:

• 2 medium zucchini (zoodled)
• 2 Tbsp avocado oil, divided
• ½ lb shrimp (or your preferred protein)
• ½ red bell pepper, sliced thin
• 3 wild onions, sliced
• 1 egg
• ⅓ cup roasted peanuts
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)

🔥 Cooking steps:

1. Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside.

2. Sauté zoodles in oil for 2–3 mins, then rest and drain.

3. Cook shrimp in the same pan, then add veggies + egg.

4. Stir in zoodles and sauce; cook until just heated.

5. Top with peanuts and cilantro. Serve warm!

6. This dish celebrates balance: spicy, savory, crunchy, and light, all in one skillet.

🌀 What garden harvests are you turning into meals this season?

05/11/2025

“To honor all of creation and treat all beings with respect.”

This month, we reflect on Respect, one of the sacred Seven Grandfather Teachings shared by many Indigenous Nations. Respect calls us to walk gently, to listen deeply, and to recognize the spirit and value in all things.

It lives in our words and actions in how we speak to others, how we care for the land, and how we carry ourselves. To live with respect is to live in right relationship with the world around us.

As the season turns, may we move with humility, gratitude, and care for the people, the land, the stories, and the responsibilities we each hold.

31/10/2025

Hi Turtle Island Friends!

Igmu discovered a golden treasure in the kitchen this Halloween, Pumpkin Purée! 🎃

Whether it’s from a can or made fresh at home, pumpkin purée is packed with fiber, vitamin A, and that rich, earthy flavor we love in fall recipes. It’s perfect for more than pie think soups, smoothies, muffins, and even savory dishes.

✨ Tip: Roast your own pumpkin for a deeper flavor! Sugar pumpkins (also called pie pumpkins) work best. Just slice, remove seeds, roast until soft, then blend until smooth.

Here are a few ideas to try:

🍲 Stir into chili for extra creaminess
🍞 Add to cornbread batter
🍌 Mix with banana in morning smoothies
🌾 Combine with cinnamon and oats for a warm breakfast

🧡 What’s your favorite way to use Pumpkin Purée?

29/10/2025

As October comes to a close, we take a moment to honor the quiet strength of Wisdom one last time this season.

Igmu curled up beneath a golden tree today, watching the leaves drift down like soft reminders. Each one a whisper: “You’ve learned. Now carry it gently.” 🍂

Wisdom doesn’t always speak loudly, it lingers in the choices we make, the stories we share, and the ways we care for ourselves and our communities. If it arrived for you through a conversation, a challenge, or a moment of stillness, may it guide your path ahead.

🌀 Before we welcome November's new teaching:

🌿 What moment this month helped you grow?
🌿 How will you carry Wisdom into tomorrow?

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