Native American: Cooking by the 13 Moons - March/April: Maple Syrup Moon (Southwest)

Adult Enrichment / Trips, Tours & Special Events -

Adult Enrichment Winter 2026

NOTE: New Time: 6-8 pm

Food, Reflection, and Renewal: The 13th moons in the traditional Anishinaabe calendar system is March and April, it’s called Iskigamizige-giizis, Sap Boiling Moon. Maple sap begins to run in the maple trees and blesses the gift of maple sap to make maple syrup. In this class, participants will prepare maple-glazed bison meatballs with a blueberry vinaigrette. The maple glaze speaks to the sacred role maple sap plays as both medicine and sustenance. Bison, a powerful and resilient animal, offers grounding strength, while blueberries bring in the soft, nourishing sweetness of spring’s awakening. We’ll sip cedar tea and sage tea, which holds wisdom and purification in many Anishinaabe traditions. Throughout the evening, April will share stories, teachings, and cultural reflections on the Sap Boiling Moon. Participants will leave not only with a meal to nourish them, a recipe and with a renewed gratitude for the cycles of the seasons.

April Smith is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. She is also an Indigenous Educator and Facilitator, an Herbalist from Cornell University, a Curriculum Designer, and her work is rooted in Ojibwe cultural education and nutrition, Indigenous Food Sovereignty, and community wellness. With over 16 years of experience designing and facilitating learning experiences for communities and organizations, April brings a unique approach that blends Anishinaabe foodways with modern wellness practices. Her work is grounded in reciprocity, sustainability, and respect for ancestral knowledge. She teaches that food is medicine and that every ingredient has a story, one that connects us all through shared humility and care for Mother Earth. April’s Indigenous Cooking Class Series runs from January 2026 through May 2026, featuring five seasonal classes that celebrate traditional Anishinaabe foods and share how the Anishinaabe people lived by the 13 Moon System. Cooking by the 13 Moons: Indigenous Seasons of Food Series invites participants to rediscover the relationship between food, culture, and the land, an experience that nourishes both body and spirit.

If the tour is full, please add your name to the waitlist. We will notify you if a spot opens.

April Smith

April Smith is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. She is also an

Indigenous Educator and Facilitator, an Herbalist from Cornell University, a Curriculum Designer, and her work is rooted in Ojibwe cultural education and nutrition, Indigenous Food Sovereignty, and community wellness. With over 16 years of experience designing and facilitating learning experiences for communities and organizations, April brings a unique approach that blends Anishinaabe foodways with modern wellness practices. Her work is grounded in reciprocity, sustainability, and respect for ancestral knowledge. She teaches that food is medicine and that every ingredient has a story, one that connects us all through shared humility and care for Mother Earth. April’s Indigenous Cooking Class Series runs from January 2026 through May 2026, featuring five seasonal classes that celebrate traditional Anishinaabe foods and share how the Anishinaabe people lived by the 13 Moon System. Cooking by the 13 Moons: Indigenous Seasons of Food Series invites participants to rediscover the relationship between food, culture, and the land, an experience that nourishes both body and spirit

April 2026