Milkweed Soup Cooking

media release: In early summer, Ho-Chunk people celebrate the foraging season for common milkweed flower buds, known as “Mahic” (MAW-heench) in the Ho-Chunk language. The mahic is cooked up into a delicious brothy soup with other vegetables and tiny dumplings.

Milkweed soup tasting and sweetgrass braiding were just two experiences brought together local Ho-Chunk tribal members and garden visitors in the Indigenous Garden at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Join Indigenous Garden facilitator Rita Peters (Ho-Chunk) and Herb Garden horticulturist Erin Presley as we cook up and share the last of our 2022 milkweed harvest along with some insight into Ho-Chunk gardening and culinary traditions!

Last year we had the honor of hosting Ho-Chunk tribal member Andi Cloud as our Storyteller-in-Residence! Find out more about her exciting, multifaceted residency, "Ho-Chunk Through Story: The Origin, The Wayz, and The Life"

This year, we're thrilled to continue our partnership with Ho-Chunk Gaming Madison and to welcome a variety of Native artists, storytellers, and community leaders for a series of programs celebrating Indigenous people in and beyond Teejop (pronounced day-jope, meaning Four Lakes, or Madison). In order to honor the specific role that storytellers play in Ho-Chunk and many Indigenous cultures and expand this program to include other kinds of knowledge, we've updated the name of this series from Storyteller-in-Residence to Teejop and Beyond: Celebrating Native Nations of the Great Lakes. Native folks from different nations will lead programs highlighting both traditional and contemporary practices, stories, and community relationships. Programs kick off in October following Indigenous Peoples' Day, and include art workshops, cooking and crop demonstrations, storytelling, presentations on traditional skills and customs, and more!