Women’s Environmental Institute: Cooking by the 13 Moons: Indigenous Seasons of Food, October Falling Leaves Moon

Course Description : The 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. This October workshop guides participants into the quiet strength of the Fall season through Indigenous foodways and the teachings of the 13 Moons. Participants will craft a Medicine Bundle, a medicine bundle is a way for participants to reflect on what they want to carry into their New Year such as gratitude, courage, balance, or healing. Rooted in the energy of the October, Falling Leaves Moon is a time of preparation, reflection, and gratitude. This gathering honors the shift from harvest into rest and readiness for winter.

The class will then move into a hands-on cooking experience. We will prepare a 3 Sisters Bison Stew along with Blue Corn and Blueberries for dessert. This meal reflects traditional food systems rooted in balance and sustainability.

Together, these experiences offer participants a grounded, hands-on cultural learning experience where food and seasonal teachings come together. Participants leave with new skills, deeper seasonal awareness, and medicines they can carry forward into daily life.

April Smith is also offering Indigenous Seasons of Food: August Ricing Moon on Saturday, August 15th. Register for both offerings for a nourishing seasonal series this year.

All are welcome – WEI classes are open to everyone.

What to Bring : A notebook, and $10 materials fee paid directly to the instructor on the day of class (cash only)

Instructor Bio : April Smith, She/Her 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.

Make a day of it! On the way to WEI, visit charming Lindstrom, MN, for Northwoods Roasterie coffee and a pastry from the Lindstrom Bakery. After class, visit Wild River State Park (only 10 minutes from WEI). Franconia Sculpture Park is also nearby and open ’til 8pm daily.

If you would be interested in staying overnight at WEI before and/or after this class, please reserve accommodations through our FarmStay .