Flour, salt, water, baking powder – each on their own are such simple ingredients. Mixed and fresh from the oven however, they become warm and wondrous bread, invoking images of sunny kitchens and motherly and grandmotherly hands. Bread is truly an example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
On Manitoulin, amongst the First Nations communities, Osawamick’s of Wikwemikong are renowned for their “scone” or frybread -fluffy, golden bread that literally melts in your mouth.  But for the purist, the real bannock is not the light confection fried up quickly for the pow wow crowd but rather, a simpler bread baked old style over an open fire. Our elders on their travels by canoe or on foot would not have had the luxury of too many utensils, cooking oil and ingredients. Of necessity, this bread would have been baked in a cast iron pan over a low fire or wrapped around a stick. But the outcome is still one of life’s simpler pleasures. A soft bread warm from the fire to enjoy your fish or berries with.
Martina Osawamick recalls lovingly, her great grandmother, Midaaso-bines (”ten feathers”) who put great stock in visiting and spending time with family and friends. Midaaso-bines would make frequent visits to her home community of Magnetawan. She was very resourceful and would travel with a small sack containing all the simple necessities for a fresh baked bannock – A tablecloth, mixing bowl, spoon, pan, some flour, salt and baking powder. On a moment’s notice, with practiced ease, she would have a small fire ready and the bread mixed and into the pan. A short time later, the bread would be ready to be shared with tea and friends.
In honour of her auntie, this summer Martina and her son Rob Fox will recreate this particular method of bannock making and flavour it with commentary all in the Ojibwe/Odawa language.
As part of the summer schedule of cultural activities being promoted by the Great Spirit Circle Trail (GSCT), this very special hands on bannock cooking demonstration will take place at Zaawmiknaang located at 912 Wikwemikong Way every Tuesday & Wednesday beginning June through to August from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm. Contact the GSCT office at 1-877-710-3211 or 377-4404 for tickets and information.
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When I’ve gone to a pow wow on Manitoulin, I always had to get chili and scone! But my favourite is bannock cooked over the fire on a stick…..
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