The fire has not been started yet. Mother still wants to add some water and the dried corn that is hanging next to the wigwam door. When all the ingredients have been mixed, the clay pot will be suspended over the fire and the stew will simmer very slowly for several hours. Later, the woman may sweeten the bubbling stew. A birch bark storage container called a ‘makak’ sits just behind the hearth and it contains sweet crystallized maple sugar.

The woman will use the long wooden paddle to stir the stew occasionally. When finally done, she will serve the food using the carved wooden ladle which sits now in the other clay pot to the left. For her own family, she has birch bark dishes which sit on the woven mat in front of the hearth. The meal will feed more than just our immediate family. Grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins will also enjoy this meal. Our helpful neighbors may come to eat as well, and they usually bring their own dishes or cups.