Wild Onion Festival
Encyclopedia
Wild Onion festivals are part of the cultural lives of southeastern Native American
tribes who were removed
to Oklahoma
. The event revolves around the appearance of wild onion
shoots in the Spring, a food that was familiar to most of the Tribes east of the Mississippi
.
"Wild onion" refers to several plant species but most commonly Allium vineale
or Allium canadense
. Allium tricoccum or ramps are a traditional food in the eastern United States but not Oklahoma. Families often gather wild onions together from February to April. The plants can be found even in urban areas. The dishes served that feature wild onion are often accompanied by a side of pork. Typically the onions are fried with scrambled eggs. Poke salad
can be added. Frybread
, corn bread, and grape dumplings are popular side dishes.
Many of these feasts are held by cultural clubs, Indian churches, and stompgrounds. They can include gospel sings or prayers in tribal languages. Stickball tournaments are also common, a game that inspired the French adaptation of lacrosse
.
A 1932 cookbook published by the Indian Women's Club of Tulsa
suggests substituting scallions with one clove of garlic for wild onions, to be fried in bacon grease. The Bartlesville
Indian Women's Club has held an annual wild onion festival for over half a century.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes who were removed
Indian Removal
Indian removal was a nineteenth century policy of the government of the United States to relocate Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands west of the river...
to Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The event revolves around the appearance of wild onion
Allium
Allium is a monocot genus of flowering plants, informally referred to as the onion genus. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic....
shoots in the Spring, a food that was familiar to most of the Tribes east of the Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
"Wild onion" refers to several plant species but most commonly Allium vineale
Allium vineale
Allium vineale is a perennial bulbflower in the genus Allium, native to Europe, north Africa and western Asia. The species was introduced in Australia and North America, where it has become an invasive species....
or Allium canadense
Allium canadense
Wild onion , also known as Canada onion, wild garlic, meadow garlic, and Canadian garlic, is a perennial plant native to North America. It has an edible bulb covered with a dense skin of brown fibers and tastes like an onion. The plant also has strong, onion-like odor...
. Allium tricoccum or ramps are a traditional food in the eastern United States but not Oklahoma. Families often gather wild onions together from February to April. The plants can be found even in urban areas. The dishes served that feature wild onion are often accompanied by a side of pork. Typically the onions are fried with scrambled eggs. Poke salad
Pokeweed
The pokeweeds, also known as pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot, poke sallet, polk salad, polk salat, polk sallet, inkberry or ombú, comprise the genus Phytolacca, perennial plants native to North America, South America, East Asia and New Zealand...
can be added. Frybread
Frybread
Frybread is a Native American food found throughout the United States. Frybread is a flat dough fried or deep-fried in oil, shortening, or lard. The dough is generally leavened by yeast or baking powder....
, corn bread, and grape dumplings are popular side dishes.
Many of these feasts are held by cultural clubs, Indian churches, and stompgrounds. They can include gospel sings or prayers in tribal languages. Stickball tournaments are also common, a game that inspired the French adaptation of lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
.
A 1932 cookbook published by the Indian Women's Club of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
suggests substituting scallions with one clove of garlic for wild onions, to be fried in bacon grease. The Bartlesville
Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Bartlesville is a city in Osage and Washington counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 43,070 at the 2010 census. Bartlesville is located forty-seven miles north of Tulsa and very close to Oklahoma's northern border with Kansas. It is the county seat of Washington County, in...
Indian Women's Club has held an annual wild onion festival for over half a century.