Pow Wow Fried stereotypes Indians

Bandon's Pow Wow Fried name causes controversy. Should it?

Food truck owner threatened with lawsuit because name could be offensive to Native Americans

By Amy Moss StrongA woman in Port Orford, who is not Native American, drove by and the name and logo struck her. The logo depicts a child in a Native American headdress and clothing, standing next to a teepee. The words "Pow Wow Fried" are woven into the artwork.

The woman who complained, Sarah Molloy, thought it might be perceived as offensive to Native Americans, so she went on Facebook, found a group for Native Americans and posed her question: "Pow Wow Fried is a food truck run by a white woman who ate fry bread tacos at a pow wow and started her business recently. The name strikes me as not so respectful to natives and her logo seems rather stereotypical."And:Klein said she only means to honor Native Americans by making delicious food. Though her family's background is European, she spent many years in Reno near the Washoe Tribe and drove school bus for the Washoe County School District. After several years in the district, a Native American friend taught her how to make fry bread.

"What have I done to hurt anyone?" Klein asked. "I'm not making fun of them. It was never my intention to do anything derogatory to Native Americans. I just opened a business and what they are trying to do could put me out of business. It would cost a lot to replace all my signage and flyers."Comment:  A tiny tot in a headdress is an honor? And not derogatory? Guess again.

Klein learned from the Washoe Tribe of Nevada, but she's "honoring" them with phony symbols from the Great Plains, a thousand miles away. That makes sense only if she stupidly thinks all Indians are the same.

As my comments suggest, I think the artwork is the problem, not the name. If Klein hadn't gone with the stereotypical images, I doubt anyone would care about the name.

Navajo tacos at "pop-up" Philly restaurant

Navajo tacos debut at "Shiprock" restaurant in PhiladelphiaThe Four Corners gastronomical staple is making its debut in the Pennsylvania metropolis more often known for its beloved Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches.

Can the Navajo taco compete?

Philadelphians will find out during a one-night extravaganza Dec. 21 when three Philly chefs come together and put together a menu that will include the fry bread, lettuce, tomato, bean and meat mess that we all have come to love, as well as a few extras to pair with the main dish.

"Hopefully, Philadelphians will catch on," said Mexican food chef Lucio Palazzo, who joined the effort alongside "hot dog artist" Hawk Krall and beef jerky entrepreneur extraordinaire Marcos Espinoza.

"We all bring something different to the table," Palazzo said.

The cuisine will be served in a bar that none of the chefs own, but instead will be borrowing. The event is part of a trend known as the "pop-up," a temporary restaurant that uses a non-traditional venue as a restaurant for a few days at the most.
Comment:  One posting I saw said the date was January 21, not December 21. If that matters to anyone.

For more on frybread, see 3 Stars for More Than Frybread and Fry Bread House Wins Restaurant "Oscar."

3 stars for More than Frybread

Apparently this mockumentary has problems. The reviewer gives it only three of five stars (fair).

'More Than Frybread,' 3 stars

By Bill GoodykoontzSome of the biographical information is funny--Choyguha is particularly good as she establishes Sharmayne's need for order and discipline, although that, too, is a joke that Hamilton indulges for too long. One of many, actually. The film isn't overly long, just a little more than an hour and a half, but Hamilton spends way too much time on the actual competition. Some of it is interesting enough, but the judges' fanatical attention to detail is played too broadly, and a sameness creeps in.

As for the ending, well, without giving anything away, it simply doesn't work. The payoff, such as it is, is a letdown. It's fine to create chaos, but it has to make sense in the context of the story. This just seems tacked on.Summing it up:"More Than Frybread" is like the food of its title; it's tasty only in small doses.Comment:  For more on the movie, see More than Frybread Is "Must-See" and More than Frybread Seeks Funding.

More than Frybread is "must-see"

'More Than Frybread' hits the funny bone

By Alastair Lee BitsoiHamilton said he chose to write "More Than Frybread" as a comedy to showcase tribal nationalism, evil-eye staring, and inter-tribal competition.

"I have journeyed across Native America and when it comes to fry bread, a lot of my friends claim their tribe or grandma makes the best fry bread," Hamilton said. "I wondered why there wasn't a competition... It was a fun idea."

And to show that pride, the 90-minute film closely follows five individuals, representing the Hualapai, Hopi, Navajo, Tohono O'odham and Yavapai-Apache tribes, who are obsessed with their own fry-bread making skills.

Hamilton chose seasoned performers--actors, comedians and musicians--for the lead roles: Teresa M. Choyguha, Tohono O'odham; twin sisters Dey and Nite Gomez, Arapaho; Jennifer Joseph, Hopi; Tatanka Means, Navajo/Lakota; and Camille Nighthorse, Hualapai.Comment:  For more on the subject, see More than Frybread Seeks Funding and The Best Indian Movies.

Below:  "Dey Gomez poses outside Aztec 5 theater Friday where the movie More than Frybread is playing in Gallup." (Donovan Quintero)

Fry Bread House wins restaurant "Oscar"

Fry Bread House in Phoenix wins James Beard award

By Howard SeftelCecelia Miller of the Tohono O'odham Nation opened her first Fry Bread House in 1992, using the same fry-bread recipes and techniques she learned as a child.

She tops the hand-stretched, deep-fried dough with such savory toppings as red chile stew and chorizo and cheese, and her dessert fry bread with a killer combination of butter and chocolate.

Her food has always won praise from her customers. Now her restaurant has been ranked by culinary experts as among the best in the country.

Fry Bread House on Tuesday was one of five restaurants nationwide to receive an "America's Classics" designation from the prestigious James Beard Foundation, which hands out the restaurant industry's version of the Academy Awards each year. It is the first Native American restaurant to receive the designation since the awards were started in 1998.Comment:  For more on frybread, see Off the Rez Food Truck and More than Frybread Seeks Funding.

Off the Rez food truck

Off the Rez, Seattle’s Newest Food Truck

The city gets its first mobile outfit serving Native American eats

By Christopher WernerFood trucks serve many purposes. They’re go-tos for a quick tasty lunch, start-up vehicles for cash-strapped cooks, a foundation for brand building. And some, like Off the Rez, fill the holes in the local dining scene.

The outfit of Mark McConnell and Cecilia Rikard, with Portalis sous Donovan Macinnis helming the kitchen, Off the Rez is inspired by Native American food—a cuisine long absent from menus here. McConnell grew up in Ballard on the Indian tacos and frybreads the truck will serve upon its debut in two weeks (give or take).

McConnell says he originally endeavored to open a restaurant but in January opted to pursue a mobile operation. He purchased the truck in April, and a buddy who builds custom motorcycles helped deck it out. A mural of a chief in a war bonnet wraps around one side. Flanking the back is a fellow smoking out of a peace pipe, a scene of Seattle behind him.Comment:  Unfortunately, the images chosen are stereotypical and have nothing to do with Seattle's Indians. Frybread isn't endemic to the Pacific Northwest either, although it's undoubtedly spread there. So the business seems to be serving inauthentic food in an inauthentic van.

For more on the subject, see Grocery Truck at Santo Domingo and LA's First Native Food Truck.

More than Frybread seeks funding

More Than Frybread Film Seeks Finishing FundsHolt Hamilton Productions, the producer’s of hit Native American Films Turquoise Rose, Blue Gap Boy’z and Pete & Cleo move closer then ever in completing their fourth, and potentially biggest cult film, More Than Frybread!

The mockumentary film tells the story of the First Annual State of Arizona Frybread Championship between the 22 federally recognized Native American Nations within Arizona. Each Nation sends one person to represent their tribe and compete for the coveted ‘Arizona Frybread Championship’ title. The film follows five individuals from the Navajo, Hopi, Yavapai-Apache, Hualapai, and Tohono O’odham Nations as they journey from their homelands to the state championship that will be held in Flagstaff, Arizona.

The filming was completed in May of 2010 and has been in post-production ever since. “We are extremely excited with the receptions we’ve already received for this film! We want to get this film out to the people!” Director Holt Hamilton commented in an interview earlier. Hamilton also went on to say, “We also want to take our time and get this film right. We’ll bring it to theatres when it is ready.”

The film is seeking additional finishing funds through an online fundraising website at www.Kickstarter.com. “We are in need of a few more dollars to cover our extended time in post-production. Doing things right, isn’t always the cheapest.” Stated producer Travis Hamilton. He continued by saying, “We want to let our audience know they can have a direct impact on the progress of this film by donating as little as one dollar.”The movie's Kickstarter page:

More Than Frybread--a Holt Hamilton Film

A Narrative Film project in Mesa, AZ by Travis Holt HamiltonThe Story

Our story follows five frybread-making gurus from the twenty-two federally recognized Indigenous Nations in Arizona as they prepare and compete in the ultimate frybread challenge. The five frybread extraordinaires we follow in the film include: Buddy Begay (Navajo), Sharmayne Cruz (Tohono O'odham), Sammy Powsky (Hualapai), Sunshine Smith (Yavapai/Apache) and Betti Muchvo (Hopi) who bring their skills, their nations' pride and their foolproof determination to compete for the frybread title at the 1st Annual Arizona Frybread Championship held in Flagstaff, Arizona! The film is full of outrageous frybread humor that will keep audiences laughing long after the end credits have rolled!

View our website for more information: www.frybreadmovie.comComment:  For more on the subject, see Crowd Funding for Native Projects and Preview of More than Frybread

The Frybread Queen reviewed

I attended a preview of Carolyn Dunn's play The Frybread Queen last week. Here's the scoop on it:

"The Frybread Queen" Succeeds As Surprising, Entertaining DramaThe title of Carolyn Dunn's The Frybread Queen is mildly misleading. It's not really about frybread, the Native American staple, although there are several frybread recipes discussed. What the show is truly about is family, and the things people will do to keep it safe. Dunn's play, a world premiere by Native Voices at the Autry, is a successful blend of family comedy/drama and thriller, with an unexpected and intriguing detour into the supernatural. Director Robert Caisley and an accomplished quartet of actresses make this production both entertaining and dramatically compelling.And:Lind is believable throughout as the tough Jessie, but her dramatic scenes seem to work a bit better than the comedic ones. Marlin impresses as peacemaker Carlisle, solicitous of her sister-in-law and niece, and mesmerizes in a monologue where she describes gambling with the dead for her father's soul. Guerrero fully inhabits the ailing but fierce character of Annalee, and she makes the tragedy of the story manifest in her final expressions of horror and sadness. Frances, decked out in black lipstick and purple-streaked hair, is very funny as Lily, making the most out of a monologue where some Native American stereotypes are debunked.Theater Review:  ‘The Frybread Queen’ at the Autry

By David GerhardtWhile it is a distinctly Native American story, the themes that it explores are ones that we can all relate to. Losing a loved one is difficult for everyone, and it affects each of the characters differently. We see these four women bare their hearts and souls to each other, learning that none of them really understands the next. Each one has a secret that changes the story dramatically, and Dunn makes sure that we don’t see those changes coming. To make matters more interesting, the element of the supernatural leaves its mark on the production in very effective ways.

Including ghosts and spirits on stage can be a tricky business. The director, Robert Caisley, and his cast do a masterful job of making the audience believe in this ghost, and force us to fear it. The physicality of the actors, especially Shyla Marlin and Elizabeth Frances, is spot-on and terrifying. Pair that with the dynamic acting by Jane Lind and Kimberly Norris Guerrero and you have a cast that pushes each other beyond what is comfortable for the audience to watch. The audience must witness them tear each other’s beliefs and values apart, which is both difficult and engaging.But a few problems...

The Indian ComethAfter that show, the cast was joined onstage by members of the creative crew and took part in a talkback with the audience called “Peace Over Violence” about The Frybread Queen and the underlying issues of violence the drama delves into. However, some of the white theatergoers saw the violent plot as reinforcing the stereotype of Indians as “savages,” just as Alan Duff’s novel and the screen adaptation of Once Were Warriors was criticized by some (Native and non-Native alike) for perpetuating clichés about New Zealand/Aotearoa’s Maoris.

Dunn maintains that Frybread’s purpose is to end the cycle of violence that persists in indigenous communities and families that began with the coming of the Europeans and their genocidal conquest of what we now call America, or, as the Indians might call it: “How the West was lost.” Fair enough. However, Dunn’s verbal description of her play’s denouement, and that the survival of some of its characters escape an apotheosis of violence and go on to live full, healthy lives may be inferred from the action. But audiences aren’t mind readers, and Dunn needs to take her play, which has been extensively workshopped already, back to the creative drawing board in order to add a finale that makes this crystal clear. After all, Dunn won’t be able to explain what she really meant after each and every curtain fall, and again, playwrights should not expect ticket buyers to be clairvoyants. And ethnic nuances may fly right over the heads of unsophisticated viewers unfamiliar with the peoples being depicted.Theater review:  'The Frybread Queen' at the Autry National Center

By David C. NicholsDunn is a writer of talent and imagination, gifted at exposition and the telling detail, but her plot grows so over-seasoned--spousal abuse, incest and spectral possession are but three complications--that it cannot really breathe, and the explosively abrupt ending sorely needs an epilogue.

That said, each player has her tickling and/or arresting moment. Director Robert Caisley's staging certainly holds attention, as smoothly presented and flavorful as anything the Autry National Center's Native Voices series has yet housed. It suggests what "Frybread" might yet become with remixed ingredients.The "savage" thing didn't even occur to me. The violence seemed like the kind you might find in any dysfunctional family, not something inherent in Indians.

The ending was a bit abrupt and undermotivated, and a final scene might help. But it didn't ruin the play for me.

But I do agree with the comments in the last review. The Frybread Queen has a lot of good ingredients, but they need some remixing.

Background on the play

Also of interest are these articles on the play's history and Native Voices' development of Native playwrights. They explain how you build a Native arts community: with dedication and hard work.

Native Voices Opens Carolyn Dunn’s The Frybread Queen

Frybread Queen Is Poised for a Breakthrough

The last article is by me, so it has to be good. <g>

Here's a paragraph that didn't fit into my article:The novel [precursor to Frybread Queen] was inspired by a trip to Arizona's Lake Powell for camping and water-skiing. Dunn saw a father there who didn't look Native with two sons who did. She started imagining the circumstances that led to that scene.It's not important to know the novel's origin to talk about the play. I just liked the idea of Indians and water-skiing. As with Indians and jousting, those two terms may never have appeared in the same sentence before.

For more on the subject, see Frybread Queen at the Autry and Frybread Queen Explores Tribal Connections.

Below:  Shyla Marlin, Elizabeth Frances, and Jane Lind.

Powwow participants compared to homeless

Indianz.com summarizes a rant that's been circulating around Indian country the last couple of days:

University student newspaper ridicules powwow, participantsThe Union Weekly, a student newspaper at California State University, Long Beach, published an article in its latest issue that ridicules a powwow and its participants.

The American Indian Studies Program and the American Indian Student Council organized the powwow. Union Weekly editor Noah Kelly described the event as an "underwhelming affair" that resembled a "flea market" and said its participants acted worse than homeless people.

"The gathering of tent-vendors and fry-bread ironically circled their wagons around the Native American performers, dressed in traditional garb and dancing around a large tree on the Upper Campus lawn," Kelly wrote.

Kelly was particularly disturbed by a dance in which donations were taken for the powwow. "The entire scene felt disingenuous and cheap," he wrote.

"Donations are great, and necessary; tossing them unceremoniously on the ground is crass and borderline obscene," Kelly said. "Even the homeless have hats and cups."Comment:  You can read the text of the article below or here.

The photo is of actor and powwow dancer Saginaw Grant, of course.

I'm not up on powwow traditions, but I suspect it's customary to toss donations on the ground. I'm confident people aren't doing it because they're lazy or thoughtless, as writer Noah Kelly implies.

Kelly also makes fun of Indian tacos--blaming the Indians because he's too ignorant to Google the subject--and frybread, which is basically the same thing. News flash: Indians and non-Indians both eat fried food and they're both overweight. Stop the presses!

This screed is an example of the "good for nothing" stereotype--i.e., Indians as shiftless or mercenary bums. It's a variation on the savage and uncivilized stereotypes. As usual, the goal is to put Indians down because they're not white Christian Americans like "real people."

For more on these stereotypes, see Fischer:  Natives Had No Morals and 19th-Century Cartoons About Indians.

LA's first Native food truck

Auntie's Fry Bread--LA's First Native American Food TruckIn LA's culturally diverse Food Truck Culture, Native American culture has been underrepresented. Not just food trucks, but brick and mortar restaurants as well. Seeing this need, Kate Koyama and Eric Evans are opening the Auntie’s Fry Bread Gourmet Food Truck in a few weeks. According to Koyama, “Growing up in a community where fry bread is as common as hamburgers, I was surprised that a city as large and culturally diverse as Los Angeles did not offer fry bread.”

Los Angeles, CA, March 05, 2011 -- Koyama’s family has owned and operated Koyama Indian Tacos at the Little Big Horn Days Festival in Montana for over 20 years. Little Big Horn Days is a four-day festival honoring the anniversary of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Their family recipe for fry bread and fry bread tacos (also called Navajo Tacos or Indian Tacos in different parts of the country) is a hit with both the locals and visitors every summer.

Auntie’s Fry Bread got their start last year utilizing a web 2.0 fundraising company called Kickstarter. Kickstarter is an online community where artists, filmmakers, designers, foodies, and other creative types can post a project or concept and an amount needed to realize that concept. If the community likes the idea, “backers,” or donors, will give to the project often in exchange for “prizes.”

After successfully funding their project, Koyama and Evans opened Auntie’s Fry Bread at Farmer’s Markets throughout Los Angeles and participated in festivals and special events such as the American Indian Arts Marketplace at the Gene Autry Museum. Auntie’s Fry Bread takes the traditional recipes with modern and unexpected ingredients creating what they call “Native American Fusion.” Realizing the demand for good Native American fusion food was greater than their small booth could handle, they decided a food truck would be the best way to share their food and grow their business. The Auntie’s Fry Bread truck is set to hit the road in late March, so all your Tweeters and Facebookers, get ready for Auntie’s to roll into your neighborhood soon.Comment:  Sounds like an enterprising idea. But let's recall that Americans are grossly overweight because of frybread and other fried food.

For more on the subject, see "One of the 50 Fattiest Foods" and Frybread = "Impending Doom."

Frybread Queen at the Autry

Native Voices At The Autry Presents THE FRYBREAD QUEENNative Voices at the Autry continues its vital role as the country's only equity theatre company dedicated exclusively to developing work of Native American Playwrights with the world premiere main stage Equity production of The Frybread Queen, which runs from Saturday, March 12 through Sunday, March 27, 2011 (previews begin March 9), at the Wells Fargo Theater at The Autry National Center, Los Angeles. Written by esteemed playwright Carolyn Dunn (Muskogee Creek, Cherokee*) The Frybread Queen is a quietly poetic drama with all the haunting qualities of a Chekhovian tragicomedy--Navajo-style. Native Voices' deep commitment to nurturing new works and seeing them fully realized is illustrated by this production, which is the culmination of the play's pivotal three-and-a-half-year development process shepherded by Native Voices. Robert Caisley, who served as dramaturge during the play's development, directs, and the four-member cast features Jane Lind (Aleut*) as Jessie Burns, Kimberly Norris Guerrero (Colville, Salish-Kootenai, Cherokee*) as AnnaLee Walker Hayne, Shyla Marlin (Choctaw*) as Carlisle Emmanuel Burns, and Elizabeth Frances (Cherokee*) as Lily Savannah Santiago Burns.

The Frybread Queen portrays three generations of strong, opinionated, passionate Native women bound by marriage and family ties who come together for the funeral of a beloved son, and in their grief confront long-simmering tensions and family secrets that threaten to tear them apart. The play addresses many of the challenges facing Native people across the country today, from the erosion of traditional values to the loss of family and tribe and ownership of belonging, elements that factor into the relationships of the women as they struggle to deal with their troubled situation. Each character has her own unique recipe for frybread, a Native American staple, all reflecting their individual attempts to assert some kind of "authority" over the past and to take some kind of control over the future. In competing, both literally and metaphorically, to be the real "frybread queen" in the play, they illustrate the friction between traditional Native ways and contemporary assimilation, from the grandmother's traditional use of lard to her daughter-in-law's "new-fangled" use of self-rising flour.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Frybread Queen Explores Tribal Connections and Developing The Frybread Queen.

Frybread Queen explores tribal connections

‘Frybread Queen’ explores individuals, roles, tribes

By Joe NickellIn Indian Country, frybread isn’t simply food. Though comprised of the simplest ingredients, the humbly named staple sandwiches aspects of culture, family and tribal tradition in its folds. And it’s the meaning, more than the meal, that matters in Carolyn Dunn’s play, “The Frybread Queen,” says Jere Hodgin.

“The interesting thing about the title, each of the women in the play at some point tells the story of how they make frybread; but the frybread itself isn’t the point,” said Hodgin, director of a production of the new play, which opens at the University of Montana tonight. “Rather, it’s something that unifies these women as Natives from different tribes, and that allows some of their different perspectives to come forth.”

For the four women in “The Frybread Queen,” those different perspectives encompass elements of generation, tribe, and family--all of which come to bear when they are called the funeral of an enigmatic man who connects them all.Comment:  For more on the play, see Frybread Queen at University of Montana and Developing The Frybread Queen. For more on frybread, see Review of Losing It with Jillian and Jillian Stirs Frybread Furor.

Below:  "“The Frybread Queen” is presented by The University of Montana School of Theatre and Dance and is co-produced by Native Voices at the Autry and Montana Repertory Theatre."

Bloomberg, mosque, and frybread

Indian Comics Irregular #196:  Cowboys 'n' Terrorists in NYC

Frybread Queen at University of Montana

Arigon Starr starring in 'The Frybread Queen' at University of MontanaThe Autry National Center, the School of Theatre & Dance, and the Montana Repertory Theatre are proud to present the newest production from Native Voices at the Autry on the UM-Missoula campus. Native Voices at the Autry is America’s leading Native American theater company.

The Frybread Queen, by Carolyn Dunn (Muskogee Creek), is the winner of the nationwide Native Voices development competition held each year at the Autry and is the first to be mounted in collaboration with The University of Montana and Montana Rep. It is the spirited story of three generations of Navajo women bound by marriage and family ties. They come together to Lake Powell for the funeral of a beloved son, and in their grief, they confront long-simmering tensions and family secrets that threaten to tear them apart.

The Frybread Queen will be mounted in the Masquer Theater on The University of Montana campus September 16-19, and 23-26, starring professional stage actors Jane Lind and Arigon Starr, The University of Montana and Montana Rep alumnus Lily Gladstone, and current UM student Tiffany Meiwald.Comment:  For more on The Frybread Queen, see Developing The Frybread Queen and All About Carolyn Dunn. For more on the subject in general, see Native Plays and Other Stage Shows.

Review of Losing It with Jillian

As noted in Preview of Losing It with Jillian and Jillian Tosses the Frybread, America's latest weight-loss guru tackled the Yavapai-Apache tribe's health problems. I finally watched the episode called Improving a Tribe's Health (airdate: 7/6/10). It was good overall, but with several bumps in the road. Let's take a look:

[spoiler alert]

Dr. Katja Van Herle apparently gives the Plunkett-Marquez family initial check-ups, or at least a talking-to. She's blunt, telling the Indians they're 100 or whatever pounds overweight with little preamble. Traditionally, Indians don't like blunt talk from strangers; it's considered rude.

I don't know if that applies in this case. Since the family is participating in a TV reality show, it probably doesn't consider itself traditional. Cora-Lei, the woman who invited Jillian Michaels to the rez, is a tribal councilwoman. Also, the family asked for the doctor's advice, and doctors are supposed to be honest and direct.

Jillian drives up and everyone is hugs and smiles. It's not clear if she knows anything about the family, other than their names, or the tribe. But she doesn't say anything condescending or embarrassing.

Jillian starts training the five family members. Immediately she yells at them, harangues them to do better. This is so obnoxious it becomes uncomfortable. Jillian isn't haranguing them for not trying hard enough, or for quitting, although she does that too. Her style is apparently to shout at exercising people whether they're doing well or not.

The tribe prepares a welcoming ceremony for Jillian. Someone says they'll be serving frybread. Jillian innocently asks what that is and is shocked to hear it's a dish baked with white flour and lard.

Really? Are we supposed to believe Jillian didn't do any research on tribal health issues or practices before the show? That she's totally ignorant about frybread? I suppose that's possible. It's also possible that every scene was scripted and staged--that nothing happened spontaneously.

The frybread incident

Jillian attends the ceremony with its traditional dancers. She notices that people are serving everyone frybread--even little children. She decides she has to save them from what she calls "poison," so she grabs a box of frybread and dumps it in a trashcan.

A boy approaches with a plate of frybread, perhaps wanting more. Jillian says he's got to be kidding. She tries to grab the plate from his hands. He warns her that he'll throw the frybread at her, then does it. She brushes it off and says okay, maybe you'll live longer, kid.

I'd say Jillian got what she deserved for her rude behavior. The boy is 11 or 12 and not overweight. He's exactly the type of person who can eat frybread without worrying about it right away. What's next...snatching bottles from babies and forcing them to breast-feed?

Sure, Jillian may be concerned about his future health. But to take the frybread from a healthy person's plate? At a welcoming ceremony in her honor? I don't think so.

Interesting to note the power dynamics here. White woman moves to physically assault a Native boy. Yet it seems to work out okay.

If Jillian had snatched the frybread from a grown woman, an elder of either sex, or a girl, it might've seemed like bullying. The boy is one of the few people she could've confronted physically without looking bad. Since she's an older white woman and a celebrity, the boy wouldn't do anything too challenging in response. And since boys are supposedly rambunctious, no one would get too upset at the altercation.

Of course, Jillian and company may have staged some or all of this incident. Beforehand, she even hints that the Indians may not like what she does. Whether she staged the boy's response or not, she apparently had a good sense of how far she could go without going too far.

The diabetes lecture

As the frybread controversy buzzes through the community, Jillian decides the tribe needs more information. She invites Dr. Van Herle to fly out from Los Angeles and give a presentation on diabetes. She makes up fliers and distributes them.

Only about 20 people show up. Which conveniently gives the show more drama. How can I get through to these people? Jillian asks the camera. This is her toughest challenge yet.

The poor attendance isn't surprising. There's no evidence the tribe lacks health and nutrition information. This is a tribe located on a well-traveled freeway between Flagstaff and Phoenix with its own casino. It's not in some remote location without doctors or clinics.

What the tribe lacks is something else--perhaps motivation or willpower. But Jillian isn't asking them what they need, she's telling them. She's harangued people and disrupted their ceremony; now she's flying in an outside expert to lecture them about something they probably already know. The Indians naturally don't respond to this Great White Father (or Mother) routine.

Jillian and Cora-Lei go jogging in the desert. Jillian is realizing that she can't save a thousand Indians singlehandedly. She has to empower tribal members such as Cora-Lei to lead the effort.

Gee, really...ya think? The tribe won't listen to a rude outsider but may listen to a respected insider? Brilliant deduction, Sherlock!

Jillian meets an overweight mother and harangues her for serving junk food to her 4-year-old. "Why don't you care?" Jillian demands. Jillian gets the woman to break down and admit she doesn't know what to do. Jillian then promises to help her--to "teach" her day and night.

I wonder if Jillian really hands out her phone number so people can call her at 3 am and say, "I have an uncontrollable craving for ice cream. Can you talk me out of it?" It's possible, but somehow I doubt it.

The big walk

The frybread controversy is still shaking up the community, so Jillian meets with an elder to smooth things over. She says she's sorry for offending people, but she considers frybread "poison," not food. The elder says that some people agree with her that they don't need frybread.

Left unsaid is what the other people think. Jillian allows only her side of the story on camera. If others think she's rude, disrespectful, insulting, outrageous, an ugly American, a smug know-it-all, a rich white phony, etc., we don't get to hear it.

Jillian organizes a tribal walk and again distributes fliers. The big question is whether the people who didn't come to the diabetes lecture will come to this. After a few tense moments, we learn the answer: yes! A couple hundred people show up to walk.

At the end of the walk, Jillian congratulates them on taking the first step. She says she's given them the "tools and information" they need, which apparently refers to her harangues and her website. As a special bonus, she'll give them free memberships in JillianMichaels.com, where they can develop personalized recipes and workout plans.

This seems ludicrously wide of the mark. How many of these Indians have computers and Internet access? How many of the older ones know how to navigate websites? Etc.

What these people seem to need is leadership and motivation, not "tools and information."

Jillian's week on the rez is up so she leaves. The Plunkett-Marquez family continues to exercise and train for the next six weeks. This goes by in a rapid montage so we don't have to see the grueling work involved.

Jillian returns to check on the family's progress. Lo and behold, they've lost an average of 33 pounds each. Not bad for a six-week effort. Jillian finally gives them something real. She says local trainers have developed a five-week program and she'll help fund it.

Conclusion

Some key questions go unanswered. Does tribe still serve frybread at events? Did it continue the walking program? Has anyone other than the Plunkett-Marquez family committed to losing weight? A year from now, will the family members have gained the weight back, or will they continue to diet and exercise?

Despite my criticism, Jillian's "tough love" approach may be the only one that'll work. These people know they're overweight. They know frybread is bad for them. They know they're susceptible to diabetes and heart disease. They know they need to diet and exercise.

It seems they're in denial, which is probably true of a lot of overweight Americans. If a kinder, gentler approach hasn't worked, maybe they need someone yelling at them to their faces. As I'm sure Jillian would agree, they can blame the messenger all they want, but it's the message that counts. Even if it means being unpopular, someone has to set them straight.

For more on Losing It with Jillian, see How Jillian Came to the Rez and Jillian Stirs Frybread Furor.

Jillian stirs frybread furor

Some reactions to frybread's being named one of the 50 fattiest foods and the Losing It with Jillian episode:

The Horror of Fry Bread?  The Truth about Mindful Eating

By Susan AlbersJillian is passionate about her job and about helping people manage their weight. Each week, she expresses her commitment to this goal on the show. She is amazing in her dedication to helping people make healthier choices. In the show, she used creative strategies to get this group engaged and dedicated to changing their unhealthy eating habits.

Jillian discovered that her stance on cultural foods is a controversial topic. This was pretty clear by the reaction of the community. Jillian’s stance was unwavering. She seemed to suggest that you should nix culturally infused foods if they aren’t the healthiest.

There was some debate about whether Fry Bread is a "traditional Indian food." But, no matter what culture you come from, it’s likely that you have particular foods that are part of your heritage. So what do you do? Give up your Knish, tamales and handmade perogies?

This is where mindful eating can be helpful. You can still eat foods important to your culture but in a new way. It is about savoring them, eating mindful portions and balancing it in your life.Comment:  I'm not as enthusiastic about Jillian Michaels as Albers is. Michaels is getting paid for every TV show, book, and DVD she produces. What she gives of herself is a different matter. Her inclination in the Yavapai-Apache case was to help only in low-cost, low-effort ways. Fly out a diabetes expert, organize a single walk, and give free memberships in JillianMichaels.com--which basically costs her nothing.

It goes back to the "3 am phone call" question I asked. How much does she help people when she isn't being paid for it?

More criticism of frybread

Go easy on that tasty fry bread

By Colleen SimardIt's not surprising that in the U.S. native Americans suffer from high rates of obesity and obesity-related diseases, like diabetes, similar to aboriginal Canadian rates. In fact, it's time we back away from the fry bread, too.

It was a really tough road for the Plunkett-Marquez family, but four of them ended up losing about 150 pounds (combined) in only six weeks.

I've been aware of the dangers of fry bread for a while. I actually try stay as far away as I can from anything made with white flour, like white bread, white pasta and our beloved native staple: fry bread. I'm a multi-grain or whole-wheat flour lover.

Just like the Plunkett-Marquez family explained, fry bread is a relatively new but treasured part of our culture, but something we shouldn't hold on to so tightly.Fry bread furor:  Standing by a food tradition in a negative light

The traditional Native American food has been condemned as the fattiest food in the state. How are Native Americans standing up for their culture?

By BryAnn BeckerPeople expect the food at Native American celebrations, DeCory says. "It's become so inculcated in our feasts and our ceremonies, when we have food, that everyone thinks, 'Where's the fry bread?'"

She tries to encourage women to cut the fry bread into small pieces at traditional events, like powwows and sun dances.

"Fry bread, for those of us who are trying to lose weight, trying to not get on the diabetes train, that's one of the things that we can't be eating," she says.

But cutting out the food may not be feasible--or practical.

"It falls into the category that I call a splurge food," Shearer says. "It's one of those foods that's a treat, something that you might have at the fair once a year. ... Certainly not something you want to have on a daily basis, for obvious reasons, because there's nothing in the bread that's really of any nutritional benefit."

The long-term solution may be going back to a more traditional diet that doesn't include flour and processed foods.Comment:  I like how this article counsels "moderation" but defines it as eating frybread once a year. Yeah, you can keep enjoying your frybread as long as you don't eat it 99.7% of the time. In other words, moderation is the same as abstinence with an annual lapse.

For more on Losing It with Jillian, see How Jillian Came to the Rez and Review of Losing It with Jillian. For more on frybread, see Frybread = "Impending Doom" and Frybread = Prison Food.

Below:  "Mary Tsosie mixes the ingredients for her frybread." (Devin Wagner/Argus Leader)

How Jillian came to the rez

Yavapai-Apache Nation takes lead in fight against diabetesWith insurance premiums on the rise and the demand on YAN's healthcare resources at an all time high, Chairman Thomas Beauty directed his staff to implement a weight loss challenge to the tribe's employees and community members. Executive Assistant Kim Nightpipe took the initiative one step further and sought advice from one of the country's top weight loss promoters.

Nightpipe states, "I couldn't believe they (the national program) contacted the tribe. When I got the phone call that the producers would be sending a team to the tribe to begin working on negotiations, I still couldn't believe it. I don't think it really hit home until the production team actually showed up and got the community members out of their homes and walking."

One family from YAN was chosen to lead in the fight against diabetes. That family, while nervous about appearing nationally and taking the lead internally with the tribe, undertook the challenge and set aside their performance and leadership fears to fight diabetes as an example for Native American communities. This effort resulted in a six-week fitness program designed to implement exercise with nutrition to reduce weight that would otherwise lead to the identified health problems.

As a part of the fitness program, frybread, an intrinsic part of today's Native American dietary cuisine, was tossed out and replaced with healthier foods. Exercise, along with good nutrition, became a part of the family's daily lives. Gradually, the family came to understand that their former lifestyle promoted the diabetic epidemic we now see in Indian Country.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Review of Losing It with Jillian and Jillian Stirs Frybread Furor.

Below:  "A television show has helped the Yavapai-Apache Nation implement a change of lifestyle."

Jillian tosses the frybread

I haven't watched the Yavapai-Apache episode of Losing It with Jillian yet, but apparently it started with a bang.

Losing It With Jillian:  The Marquez-Plunkett family

By Gail Gedan SpencerJillian’s in Arizona this week to visit the Plunkett-Marquez family–mom Dolores, daughters Delight and Cora-Lei, Cora-Lei’s husband Brian and their son Brandon. The Yavapai-Apache tribe, and native Americans in general, has a huge obesity and diabetes problem and this family is no different.

The traditional food made Jillian nuts–especially the frybread, which is bleached flour blobs fried in lard. And things got a little testy when at a welcoming party for Jillian, she dumped a big box of frybread in the trash. A preteen boy even threw a chunk of frybread at her in retaliation.

A new day dawned and Jillian was unsure of how open the tribe was about having Dr. Van Herle speak about diabetes prevention. They were open to it but only a handful of people came to her the doctor talk--another blow for Jillian.

The apathy in the community was hard for Jillian to understand. “Crap is all I’ve known,” said a tearful Delight, who seems like she really wants to change. She said that she just needs to be steered in the right direction.

Jillian then met with Don Decker, the tribal elder, about the frybread incident. Turns out all the controversy over her throwing out the food turned into a positive thing. People started saying “We don’t need that frybread” as a cultural staple. And Mr. Decker assured Jillian that he would help her with her quest.Comment:  I figured Jillian would be insensitive to the Indians' culture. Glad to see she didn't disappoint me.

Whether the Indians needed a kick in the pants from Jillian is another matter. I'm sure people have debated and done studies on whether the "tough love" approach works.

Of course, frybread isn't really a "traditional food." It's traditional only in the sense that US government forced imprisoned Navajos to concoct it about 140 years to avoid starvation. Other tribes adopted it after that and it became a pan-Indian food. Which is fine, but let's not pretend the Creator gave it to Indians as a gift at the dawn of time.

Rob = Jillian?

Incidentally, a Native woman on Facebook "defriended" me for criticizing frybread. Here's how she dismissed me:Nice being friends with you...but I don't like feeling like some nice white guy's project. Later...Here's how I would've responded if she'd stuck around:

Pardon me for reporting that a health magazine labeled frybread one of the 50 fattiest foods. I guess no one should talk about health or nutrition because it might mean judging someone's choices.

Incidentally, my advice applies to all races, creeds, and colors. It's false or misleading to suggest this is a black and white (or red and white) issue.

Find my dad in heaven and ask him if you don't believe me. You'll see I don't play favorites when it comes to advocating good health.

In Hofer:  Are You Living Smart?, a Native woman advocates healthy eating the same way I do. Note that she doesn't make exceptions for food such as frybread. She doesn't try to justify "traditional" food, "comfort" food, or food that signifies "love."

For more on the subject, see Frybread = "Impending Doom" and Frybread = Prison Food.

Below:  "Jillian, Cora-Lei and Dolores commune with nature."

"One of the 50 fattiest foods"

Magazine takes aim on South Dakota frybread as one of nation's fattiest foodsSouth Dakota's official bread has been put in the crosshairs of a national health magazine.

“Health” magazine on Tuesday named frybread as one of the 50 fattiest foods in the United States as part of a story identifying at least one less-than-healthy food item from each state.Some edifying comments on this article:Just a quick fact check. Frybread is not a 'traditional' Lakota food. It is something we created out of the high-fat commodities we were forced to eat as a result of our buffalo being killed in the sorriest attempt at Native extermination ever. Additionally, being forced onto reservations where many of the roots and berries we lived on were not growing contributed to our unhealthy diets as well. I guess being fat/unhealthy is something the government has been pushing on people for a long time now. Just look around you.

Wait a minute, along the same argument, I could blame the 1950s fast food diners on Americans' obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high sodium, etc. We can't lay blame on a whole group of peoples' eating disorders and bad habits on government, society and the like. We all have to take personal accountability in our daily actions and lives.

i personally don't care how high in cholesterol or whatever is wrong with it, i love fry bread. i come home once a year to enjoy this fattening food and i love it!! whether i die today or tomorrow, i am going to enjoy life and the foods that i love to eat!!And this one:The biggest problem with the heath magazine, is that most people forget one key word. Moderation.

Sure, if you eat 6-8 pieces of fry bread, maybe a little refried beans and slather it with sour cream and some cheddar cheese, you have the makings of a gutbomb 101. Add into it a diet and exercise routine of getting the remote, watching reruns and sleeping in the easy chair, you should die in a couple months, easy.

The key, is maybe enjoy it 3-4 times a year, with more lettuce, light sour cream, fat free cheese or even just with a little clover honey...and get out of the easy chair and over to the pool now and then.Comment:  Some of these people seem to be in a bit of denial. 3-4 times a year? Correspondent Melvin Martin reported on one Indian boy who ate frybread 3-4 times a week. I bet that isn't uncommon.

Those who say it's a whole meal are also kidding themselves. One serving of frybread probably has half or more of the daily recommended calories. So it's a whole meal...if you have only one other moderate meal per day. If you have three equally fattening meals per day, not to mention snacks, you're in trouble.

Obesity is a major problem among Indians. If they aren't eating frybread regularly, they're eating something else that's just as bad. People need to stop glorifying food like this as a "tradition" and start eating fruit and vegetables.

For more on the subject, see Frybread = "Impending Doom" and Frybread = Prison Food.

Bringing Native foods to the fore

Fry Bread Nation:  The Birth of a 'Native' CuisineJacobs and Chandra—the owners of Tocabe, an American Indian fast-casual restaurant in Denver that serves stuffed tacos, sweet fry bread nuggets, and, of course, classic Indian tacos—are part of a larger movement that is bringing Native American foods to the fore. From the acclaimed Kai restaurant in Phoenix to Fernando and Marlene Divina's James Beard Award-winning cookbook, Foods of the Americas, to the White Earth Land Recovery Project, which sells traditional foods like wild rice and hominy, this long-overlooked is cuisine is slowly gaining traction in the broader culinary landscape.Educating the public:The partners see their restaurant as an opportunity to educate the public about a cuisine that has received little attention. "Overall, American Indians have not pushed for that," Jacobs says. "We need to help push it." He adds that consumers' lack of experience with native cooking reflects a broader dearth of knowledge about American Indian culture. "People come in and ask questions about Native Americans in general," Jacobs says of the inquiries Chandra and he receive about reservation life and federal per capita payments. "They don't realize that there are 500 different tribes and that we don't know everything, but they ask and we try to find answers."What's behind the trend:"There's a huge push for food history and where food comes from," Hetzler says. Blue Spruce agrees. "We benefited from timing. I'm no foodie, but I'm aware of the tremendous focus on organic food and getting food from good sources," he says. "All of those things have kind of fed into people's acceptance of the food that we serve."

This interest in sustainably sourced food has fueled a large number of other Native American purveyors onto the scene. The Intertribal Agricultural Council has registered more than 500 "Made by American Indian Trademarks," which identify agricultural and food products made by federally recognized tribes. These products, a large portion of which are organic, free-range, or wild, range from sockeye salmon to buffalo and cranberry power bars to chocolate covered potato chips.Comment:  Foods are one of the greatest Native contributions to Western civilization, of course.

For more on the subject, see Aboriginal Chefs Aim for Culinary Olympics and Frybread = "Impending Doom."