Entries by pemmican

Rediscovering Our Family History

Pemmican Patty Food Company is a family business. It is owned and operated by my brother, Mike, his son, Micah, and me, Patt Mabin. Together we share a beautiful blend of experience, wonder, resilience, and hope. Micah is our adventuresome soul. He contributes to the richness of our family and partnership with his vast knowledge […]

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

PPFC was born in the summer of 2019 and became an “official business” one Friday the 13th shortly thereafter. It will forever be considered my LUCKY day! Since then we have navigated through the uncertainty of a pandemic, unexpected family needs and relocation of a number of members of our partnership. We have learned about […]

Blend of Cultures Working Together

Pemmican Patty Food Co. participated in its first UTTC Tribal Leaders Summit prior to the annual Powwow last week. It was an AWESOME experience! Talk about a blend of cultures working together for a common goal! Even though we were there to share our products, the biggest reward was in the connection with people that […]

Blending Tastes and Traditions

  Through Pemmican Patty we hope to shine a light on the beauty of blending tastes and traditions in our everyday lives. Cultural blending has long enhanced the human experience and continues to do so today. The Anishinaabe of Turtle Island (North America) first migrated out around the great lakes. Trade and intermarriages occurred for […]

Our Partnership – A Beautiful Blend

Pemmican Patty Food Company began its journey in 2019. Our goal has been to preserve, protect and promote our American Indian/First Nation culture by creating a modern-day version of pemmican. Little did we know what an extraordinary experience was to come! The resiliency of our ancestors inspired our efforts. When roadblocks arose on the path, […]

Traditional Medicinal Herbs and Flowers

Non-indigenous visitors and occupants of the “new world” believed that our ancestors relied on primitive remedies. We now know that many of the herbs used by Natives are very effective and have been instrumental in modern drug development. The north-central region of Turtle Island has long been a rich source of edible and medicinal plants […]

Notable Indigenous Women in History

As this month of celebration for the vital role of women in society comes to a close, I’m reminded to always honor the women in my life, both past and present. The everyday heroes that have given so much in order for us to survive and thrive! Moms and Grandmas especially! There are thousands of […]

Irish and Metis Connection

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in more countries than any other national festival. Growing up as baptized Catholics, I remember dad telling us that we had “a bit of Irish in our blood”. Mom also encouraged us to be proud of our Indian heritage. With those things in mind, I’ve begun to explore the connections […]

Roles of Indigenous Women

Traditional gender roles of Indigenous people varied greatly by region and community. Most of the activities of Native women were considered men’s work by Europeans. Female members of a tribe (or clan) cultivated the crops from planting to harvesting, along with collecting herbs, roots, nuts, berries and other foodstuffs. They gathered wood, managed their homes […]

Rugaru and Wendigo Folklore

The Native people of Turtle Island have many spiritual beliefs and traditions. Some of these are similar in nature to Christianity. Both cultures have used story-telling to inspire fear and obedience. Stories of the creature known as a “Rugaru” were told most often during the Christian season of Lent. These stories are as diverse as […]