Drawing on the knowledge and wisdom of countless generations of Crow Indian women, the well-known speaker and teacher Alma Hogan Snell presents an indispensable guide to the traditional lore, culinary uses, and healing properties of native foods."" "A Taste of Heritage" imparts the lore of ages along with the traditional Crow philosophy of healing and detailed practical advice for finding and harvesting plants: from the key to creating irresistible dishes of cattails and dandelions, salsify and Juneberries, antelope meat and buffalo hooves, to the secret of using plants to enhance beauty and incite love. Snell describes the age-old practice of turning wildflowers and garden plants into balms and remedies for such ailments and injuries as snakebite, headache, leg cramps, swollen joints, asthma, and sores. She brings to bear not only her lifetime of experience but also the invaluable lessons of her grandmother, the legendary medicine woman Pretty Shield. With life-enhancing recipes for everything from soups, teas, and breads to poultices, aphrodisiacs, and fertility aids, "A Taste of Heritage" is above all a fascinating cultural document certain to enrich the reader's relationship with the natural world. A partial list of recipes: Wild Bitterroot SauceWild Carrot PuddingCattail BiscuitsDandelion SoupSalsify Oyster StewBalapia (Berry Pudding)Juneberry PieChokecherry CakeWild Mint TeaBitterberry LemonadeWheel BreadBoiled HoovesBill's Mother's Antelope RoastStuffed TroutElk RoastStuffed EggsOld-Time Moose RoastWild Turnip PorridgeWild Turnip BreadFresh Wild SaladBuffalo Cattail StewGround Tomato SaladGooseberry PuddingBearberry ButterSpicy Dried Plum CakeBuffaloberry Jelly

"I became what the Crows call "kaalisbaapite"--a 'grandmother's grandchild.' That means that I was always with my Grandma, and I learned from her. I learned how to do things in the old ways."--Alma Hogan Snell

"Grandmother's Grandchild" is the remarkable story of Alma Hogan Snell (1923-2008), a Crow woman brought up by her grandmother, the famous medicine woman Pretty Shield. Snell grew up during the 1920s and 1930s, part of the second generation of Crows to be born into reservation life. Like many of her contemporaries, she experienced poverty, personal hardships, and prejudice and left home to attend federal Indian schools.

What makes Snell's story particularly engaging is her exceptional storytelling style. She is frank and passionate, and these qualities yield a memoir unlike those of most Native women. The complex reservation world of Crow women--harsh yet joyous, impoverished yet rich in meaning--unfolds for readers. Snell's experiences range from the forging of an unforgettable bond between grandchild and grandmother to the flowering of an extraordinary love story that has lasted more than five decades.