Magazine
Bread of Resilience
Fry bread was a survival food for many Indigenous People forced off their land.
History
- The history of fry bread is linked to the forced relocation of Native American and Alaskan Native Tribes in the 1800s. Credit is given to the Navajo people for creating fry bread after they were forced to make the “Long Walk” from Arizona to New Mexico. Hungry and far away from their traditional foods, they turned U.S. government rations of flour, salt, baking powder and lard into a filling bread that saved many from starvation.
- Fry bread is a food that represents resilience and family. Knowledge of how to make fry bread, and the story of its history, has been passed down through the generations.
- Fry bread brings diverse Indigenous People together through a shared cultural experience. It is enjoyed with family and friends for meals, holidays, pow wows and other gatherings.