Rachel Sayet facts for kids

Rachel Sayet, also known as Akitusu (which means 'She Who Reads' in the Mohegan language), is a member of the Mohegan Tribe. She is a Native American educator who teaches people about her culture. Rachel is very interested in bringing back traditional Native foods and helping communities control their own food sources. This idea is called food sovereignty. She shares her knowledge through storytelling and talks at schools, universities, and special events. Her main goal is to help everyone learn more about the history and culture of Native people in New England.

Growing Up Mohegan

Rachel Sayet grew up going to many Native American food festivals and events. These included the Green Corn Festival, Succotash Time, and summer powwows. As the oldest child in her family, she spent a lot of time with her elders. They would drink tea, share stories, and pick flowers and herbs in the woods. She loved hearing stories about giants and little people. Rachel's mother, Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel, is the Mohegan Medicine Woman and Tribal Historian. Her family believes it is important to teach others about Native history. Her Uncle Harold once said, "you can't hate someone you know a lot about."

Learning and Studying

Rachel Sayet went to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, for her first degree. Later, she earned a master's degree in anthropology from Harvard University. For her master's project, she studied stories about a giant hero named Moshup. Moshup was taller than trees and lived by the ocean, catching whales. He married Granny Squannit, who was a leader of little people and knew a lot about plants and medicine. These stories reminded Rachel of the tales her elders told her as a girl. Moshup and Granny Squannit are important figures in both Mohegan and Wampanoag traditions. They represent the balance between male and female, and big and small.

Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum

Rachel Sayet's aunt, Dr. Gladys Iola Tantaquidgeon, who was also a Mohegan Medicine Woman, started the Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum with her brother in 1931. The museum is in Uncasville, Connecticut. It is now the oldest Native-run museum in the country. Inside, you can find Mohegan artifacts, and there is a room with items from other tribes across Indian Country. The museum has also started a garden and a greenhouse. These help teach about food sovereignty and growing traditional foods.

Working for Food Sovereignty

Rachel Sayet began her work in food sovereignty in the fall of 2017. In September, she visited the Red Lake Chippewa Nation in Northern Minnesota. There, she took part in their food summit. This event was supported by the Red Lake Local Foods Initiative. Rachel learned important skills like seed saving, which helps keep traditional plant varieties alive. She also visited their fishery, which processes local walleye fish. This fish is then sent and sold all over the world.

Later in the fall of 2017, Rachel joined a group of Indigenous chefs. This team was led by Chef Sean Sherman and was called the Sioux Chef team. The chefs held a series of special dinners in New York City during the week of Thanksgiving. Each dinner had a different regional theme. The main goal of these dinners was to help people rethink Thanksgiving and bring back traditional Native American foods and ways of eating.