I'll start by acknowledging once again that fry bread is not a traditional food. The natives have mixed feelings about this bread because its ingredients represent our colonization. However, I can't think of any Native gathering across the country where I haven't seen fried bread on the table. Over the decades, this survival food has become a staple of our kitchen. Either someone from the community brings it to our meetings or a vendor sells it at meetings.
We are so passionate about our fry bread that many tribes are proud to put their own spin on it. Navajo fry bread is thinner and wider, our Potawatomi version is a little smaller and thicker, and others make them in small pillow-like squares. Some are flatter and some are fluffier. We eat fried bread with soups and stews, drizzle it with honey and cinnamon, top it with wojape, and have even turned it into our own version of a taco. So as aware as I am of its history, I honestly believe it also represents our resilience and our efforts to survive some of the most difficult times in our lives. Just remember that, like anything sweet or fried, this traditional guilty pleasure should be consumed in moderation.
