Tomaquag Indigenous Gardens

Museum Tour Explores Native Foodways, Nature’s Bounty

Tomaquag Museum is in Exeter, where Dovecrest, a nationally known Native American–owned restaurant, once served traditional Native American culinary dishes from 1960 until it was sold in 1984. Dovecrest owners Ferris and Eleanor Dove were known for sharing delicious Indigenous foods and cultural knowledge and people came from around the world to sample their jonnycakes, made from locally ground flint corn.

Today, Tomaquag Museum offers a Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) tour that highlights edible flora. Director Loren Spears (granddaughter of Ferris and Eleanor Dove) and other Indigenous staff educate visitors on various pathways to enjoying nutritious locally harvested foods. They share knowledge of the symbiotic relationship all people have with nature. Spears says that reciprocity is necessary to maintain a healthy environment: “If you take care of the land, the land takes care of you.”

She begins the tour by pointing out the large maple tree that is growing in front of the museum because most people know that their breakfast syrup comes from that kind of tree. Maple syrup is used on cornmeal cakes (aka jonnycakes), a breakfast staple in most Native diets.

A traditional “three sisters” garden consisting of corn, beans and squash is not far from the maple tree. Spears talks about the symbiotic planting relationship: Corn provides support for the beans, which provide nitrogen for the soil, to grow upon and wide squash leaves provide a protective covering for the soil mounds. However, Spears points out that what is growing outside of the planted gardens is especially wonderful because nature does all the tending. She uses the TEK tour to inform museum visitors how certain plants grow best together. She shares how nature inspires Indigenous storytelling and artwork. The TEK tour allows guests to see how museum collections connect to their ecological origins.

Spears is a traditional knowledge keeper and is indigenous to Rhode Island. She descends from the Narragansett/Niantic people and is an enrolled citizen of the Narragansett Nation. Spears is quick to give thanks to all her relations and to acknowledge the Creator for giving these gifts. She mentions that 13 Thanksgivings are celebrated every year, one for each moon. The Thanksgiving that is celebrated in America is derived from of these original celebrations.

The fall harvest is a time for gathering and preserving types of flora that are not readily available or become expensive to buy during the winter.

Many wild edible plants that Spears mentions during the TEK tour are worth knowing. Before the advent of Walmart, nature was the superstore that provided our sustenance. Some of the naturally grown “groceries” and medicines covered during the tour include strawberries, blueberries, elderberries, cranberries, sunflowers and more, which can be gathered in summer and dried for later use. These wild ingredients, rich in vitamin C, when added to ground corn make a nice meal and promote good health during the cold winter months.

Chokecherries can be crushed and eaten raw or cooked; the pit, however, contains hydrocyanic acid and should not be eaten. Boiling the chokecherries leaches out the toxin; traditionally these berries were heated and sweetened with maple sugar for use in sauces. Traditionally, acorns were collected and leached in running streams. They were then dried and pounded into flour. This method is still used today by some local Native Americans.

Groundnut, known as “Indian potato,” can be boiled and used like any other potato. This plant is a versatile staple that can be stored; the plant’s tuber can be made into a poultice to treat external sores and boils. Groundnuts can be pounded into flour; the plant’s seeds, pods and flowers are edible.

Various teas are made from leaves collected from birch trees, sassafras roots, red raspberry bushes and many other indigenous plants. Tea can be naturally sweetened with honey, maple sugar and specific kinds of tree sap. Teas can be enjoyed as a beverage or used to treat illnesses.

The Eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is an extremely popular traditional medicinal plant that is used in treating respiratory ailments and sore throats. It is also an effective anti-inflammatory medicine. Due to its effectiveness, this plant has been overharvested and is difficult to find in the wild, but it has been planted and grows in Tomaquag’s indigenous gardens.

Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is another important traditional plant that grows in the wild. Mullein was put into moccasins for cushioning. When walking, plant oils are released that promote circulation in the feet. Mullein flowers and leaves can be made into a tea and used as an expectorant to loosen phlegm.

Wild grapes have a stronger flavor than those bought at the grocery store. The fruit juice is delicious, and it makes a beautiful purple dye that can be used in artwork. The young tender leaves, once boiled, are edible and can be added to soups and stews. Wild grapes, like the other traditional flora mentioned, offer multiple health benefits. Grapevines themselves are flexible and used in Native American basket making.

Tomaquag Museum holds a variety of intricately woven basketry in its collections. The baskets come in various shapes and sizes according to their use and were created using a variety of natural materials. The Narragansett/Niantic people used the bark from birch, pine, poplar and other trees in their basketry; during the TEK tour, Spears discusses the traditional use of trees and grasses. Sweetgrass, bulrushes and other grasses were sometimes intertwined with the bark. Storing food in these baskets adds unique flavor to their contents. Birch bark was not only used for creating basketry but also to make containers, as well as canoes, for which it is well known.

Some of the museum’s baskets are stamped with naturally made dyes, which adds a level of artistry uniquely reflective of a basket’s maker. Dyes can be made from black walnuts, berries, leaves and other natural sources. Stamps can be made from carved twigs, potatoes, other tubers, shells or anything that transfers a mark.

For local chefs and home cooks, a visit to Tomaquag’s gardens can reveal a new world of flavors and ingredients for cooking. Sitting on the handmade oak benches and observing the cultivated and wild gardens awakens the imagination. Plus, learning how basketry not only serves a utilitarian purpose but adds beauty and flavor to food is inspiring.

Beyond the fall harvest season, Spears and her knowledgeable staff offer the TEK tour throughout the year because each season has its own culinary gifts to share.