The History of Native Foods: Its Impact in our Communities

Kurt Agoyo Hoksila Cordero

fig 1. Cordero, Kurt "mHOCOm", 2025

“Pueblo of Cochiti Flag.” Infobase, Facts On File. American Indian History, Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

“Pueblo of Tesuque Flag.” Infobase, Facts On File. American Indian History, Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.

“Rosebud Sioux Tribe Flag.” Infobase, Facts On File. American Indian History, Accessed 21 Oct. 2025

Cordero, Kurt SHP video - Screencastify - April 16, 2026 9_51 PM (1).webm

- Identity -

fig 2. Cordero, Kurt "HOCO game", 2025

"Sharing One Skin": The Okanagan Community -Jeanette Armstrong

Armstrong, Jeanette “Sharing One Skin”, The Okanagan Community 1996, The Case Against the Global Economy, San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books.

In summary " Sharing Ones Skin " revolves around a women from the Okanagon tribe who talks about her tribe and cultural practices. Language was a big part of her topic because without it, we don't have a " Identity " . She also talks about the four capacities of self: your Physical Self - existence beyond skin . Emotional Self - community and land are intersected in our own being . Intellectual Self - " Spark that Ignites " . Spiritual Self - both individual and larger self of which all things are apart.

fig 3. Cordero, Kurt "Hiking", 2025

"How Place names impact the way we see landscape" -B. Toastie

B. Toastie “How place names impact the way we see the landscape” High Country News, May 1st 2022, from print edition

In this article about how places names impact the way we see our natives lands, the author talk about place names and how place names and the stories behind them help us all connect to the landscape. Laura Tohe also said that the stories provide a sense of belonging. The Author also says that now we can't tell what story belongs to what song. and the landscape and its Indigenous people.

fig 4. Cordero, Kurt "Pep Rally", 2025

"And then I went to School"-Suina Joe

Suina, Joe (1985). “And then I went to school” : Memories of a Pueblo childhood New Mexico Journal of Reading, 5(2)

The Author talks about how he grew up and how, when he went to boarding school he found out that he had to follow the traditions of the white man and leave his own traditions behind. He felt sad but he had to keep moving forward in order to survive.

- History -

fig 5. Cordero, Kurt "BackYard", 2023

"Ancient Chaco Canyon population likely relied on imported food"

-University of Colorado Boulder

"Ancient Chaco Canyon population likely relied on imported food" CU boulder Dec, 29 2026.

In Chaco Canyon had been populated thousands of people around A.D. 1100. They were intelligent beings get to survive and build. Their soil at the time and still is too salty for growth of corn, beans and other seeds. The Ancient Ones built structures called "great houses". They also consumed corn from the chuska slope about 50 miles west of the canyon. Chaco Canyon was the main trading post for traveling traders coming from every direction, mainly from the South; Mexico territory. The Canyon were very advanced in the southwest. They existed over 1000 and imported corn to feed the people. The Great drought made Chaco Canyon inhabitable.

fig 6. Cordero, Kurt "Late Night", 2024

"How Native American Diets Shifted After European Colonization"

-Mike Nardacci

Nardacci, Mike. "Bandelier National Monument : What made ancient people vanish into history..."The Altamont enterprise, 10 Feb. 2017.

In the article about Native Diet shifts evidence of the rising culture of the people long known as the Anasazi. They were the ancestors of today's pueblo-dwellings people. The inhabitants appeared to grab only what nessesitites and food which some were left behind; later to be discovered as piki/pape bread. They existed in the driest and hottest parts of the country or in the southwest. The people there built gardens and fields for farming; which they grew the three sisters and also hunted for what game came across the lands and also did much as fishing among the near rivers or creeks.

fig 7. Cordero, Kurt "Back Roads", 2023

"Bandelier National Monument: What made ancient people vanish into history?"

-Lois Ellen Frank

Frank Ellen, Lois. "How Native American diets Shifted After European Colonization" Pub. Nov, 30. 2020.

In this article they talk about how the native elders taught the younger generation to prepare them to survive. Some native foods customs were upended and were broken down in four distinct time periods. Their diets consisted of calories consumed from the agricultural products. Native communities would adopt new foods and livestock into their cultural cuisines. The people living there had foods that could be dried and stored throughout the year. The native peoples and their pueblos incorporated cacao to make chocolate and make their foods with that imported source of food.

- Current State of Issue -

fig 8. Cordero, Kurt "Fire", 2024

"Senate Committee on indian affairs hear how tribe turn to natural resources as federal shutdown deepens food insecurity"

-Shaun Griswold

Griswold, Shaun. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Hear How Tribes Turn To Natural Resources as Federal Shutdown Deepens Food Insecurity. October 29, 2025

In this article U.S Committee on Indian Affairs hears the testimony on the impact of the federal government shutdown is having across tribal communities. The authorization from the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council to slaughter 18 buffalos from the tribes herd that will produce large amounts of meat that will help the community members that are facing uncertain food assistance.

fig 9. Cordero, Kurt "SunRays", 2024

" NM Pueblo leader says recent USDA tribal food program cuts means more reliance on 'commodities' "

-Patrick Lohmann

Lohmann, Patrick. NM Pueblo leader says recent USDA tribal food program cuts means more reliance on 'commodities'. August 28, 2025

Tribal members across New Mexico will rely on more limited food program often called “commodities”, the chairman of all Pueblo Council of Governors. Recent Federal cuts the food programs, which including those that help feed indigenous people, meaning that tribal members across New Mexico will rely on limited food programs. When the United States of Agriculture recently eliminated their Local Food Purchases, it provided funding to the tribal schools to purchase food within a regional areas to benefit student nutrition.

- Global Connections -

fig 10. Cordero, Kurt "Sandias", 2025

"Historical Tales and the contemporary consumption of Australian native foods"

- Charlotte craw

Craw, Charlotte. Monash University. vol5, 2012, Gustatory Redemption colonial appetites, historical Tales and the contemporary consumption of Australian Native Foods. International Journal of critical Indigenous Studies.

In this article of Native Foods has played a role in history about Australia. They have had their own culinary practices around the use of Native Ingredients. New settlers would have a disinterest to Indigenous Ingredients. This is so other Indigenous people would have to rely of Introduced foods, A argument that is not intended to dissuade settlers across Australia is the consumption of Native Foods.

fig 11. Cordero, Kurt "Evening Bloom", 2022

"Food habits related to wild edible plants of the Paraguayan people in the atlantic forest"

- Amanda Walch

Kujauska, M. (2025). Food habits related to wild edible plants of the plants of the Paraguayan people in the Atlantic Forest Journal of Ethnic food, 12 (1)

The ecological and cultural complexity of the Atlantic forest of the upper parama closer to local food habits. This study documents 49 edible plants of which wild foods/plants are most appreciated. These people maintain Huarani indigenous heritage in preserving the names and uses of numerous wild-grown plants. The Paraguayan people support the Native biodiversity by using and propagating wild food resources. They found a connection between eating and healthy and edible plants that can be used for medicinal use.

fig 12. Cordero, Kurt "Heavens", 2024

"Traditional Food Security and Diet Quality in Alaska Native peoples"

-Monika Kujawska

Walch, Amanda, et al. "A scooping review of Traditional food security in Alaska." international Journal of Circumpolar health, vol 77. no 1, 2018.

The lack of food security in Alaska with extreme conditions. Many rural Natives communities and culturally foods. The research that traditional foods focused on would be to contribute to in taking nutrients. The food that founds that would help must these recommendations for energy, protein and fat intake. Studies collected dietary data from participants men-boy and women-girl for food research. In this article, the native foods that would be inadequate for some people. Legislators would pass laws for the promoting of culturally-appropriate nutrition for those who receive food and nutrition assistance. Now that Alaska is modernized they would rather go buy their produce and other food resources.

fig 14. Cordero, Kurt "spring", 2025

Research 5

A person I consider as a positive contributor to my community is Ada Suina. She has been a big part of my life and a big part in my community, serving as a well respected elder and distinguished artist from Cochiti Pueblo. My grandma Ada has contributed to the community by sharing our Pueblo artistry knowledge to the world. She has made numerous contributions residing our heritage for our people to be acknowledged. Ada was always the center of our family and would bring all of us together to have family impact. She would always have a positive thing to say around the family. Rather it be good or bad, when we would go over to Ada’s there would always be some sort of food but is known for her famous rice pudding.

Chosa mentions, “...was another principle of community value—that of belonging. The concept of belonging to a community is powerful,...[is] central to engagement…participation, and involvement. You belong to us creates a dynamic of mindfulness or consciousness for the individual and the community, at the same time developing a meaningful relationship for the individual to feed back into the community.” This is what my grandma Ada was doing through her art and cooking. Spending the time I have with her and learning the ways of old traditions, since my grandma Ada is the closest to our indigenous food history.

- Personal Connection -

Food has been a passion of mine since I was a little. My mom intrigued me with traditional foods. The smell of roasted chili centers me and connects me to my community. I am interested and inspired to seek traditional recipes from around the world and desire try to make what I have learned. I want to learn more about traditional Pueblo foods that were before Columbus and how we got our foods today.

- Action Plans -

1

My First plan was on November 21, 2025. I wanted to give back to my community, so I planned to give my assistance at the last food donation of that month. I attended and gave my assistance to ‘Cochiti Family Services’. This service group helps small families within Cochiti Pueblo and help families who are in need of food. I help distribute food rations to various families including water.

fig 15. Cordero, Kurt "Action", 2025

fig 16. Cordero, Kurt "Action", 2026

2

My Second action plan was on March 12, 2026. I attended and gave my assistance again to the ‘Cochiti Family Services’. I volunteered to put together food and hygienic supplies for my community. There was a good turn out for supplies and families participated in various games. The center supplied a snack bar with popcorn, pickles and nachos. There was a speaker, Amanda Rosetta, Family Services director, who spoke about how this event and other ones benefit the community to bring them together as family.

- Citations -