November 14, 2012 –
MAYETTA: The Prairie Band Potawatomi community will kick off the holiday season tomorrow with two community dinners that are planned. The annual Fire Keepers Elder Center Annual Thanksgiving dinner and potluck will begin at 11:30 a.m. and an evening traditional Native American Harvest Feast will be held beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Bingo Hall.
The luncheon Thanksgiving dinner will be held in the dining room at the Elder Center and will serve traditional turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie and a potluck of various dishes and desserts. In addition, drawings for door prizes will also be available.
The Harvest Feast is being sponsored by the PBPN Diabetes Program and will include traditional Native American foods including buffalo, turtle, wild rice, squash, fry bread, hominy, Indian beans and more. It is open to the community and the feast is a part of the “Return to a Healthy Past” program that is designed to educate Native Americans about learning about traditional foods and developing patterns of healthy eating.
In addition, the 2nd annual Inter-tribal Solutions free cooking demonstration is being held at Prairie Band Casino & Resort tomorrow and Friday that required pre-registration. Richard Hetzler, of the Mitzitam Café at the National Museum of the American Indians (NMAI) will be offering cooking demonstrations on how to prepare healthy foods and participants will also receive a diabetes specific cookbook and get to share in a meal that the group will prepare for that evening. The event is co-sponsored by AARP, The Association of American Indian Physicians, and the Kickapoo Diabetes Coalition.
During the following week which is Thanksgiving week, the Boys & Girls Club plan to host their annual Thanksgiving meal at noon Nov. 21.