What foods did your ancestors love? Aparna Pallavi

Transcriber: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Camille Martínez

Translator: Tracey Carro Noya Reviewer: Mario Cal

O ano pasado estiven a vivir cunha familia indíxena na India.

Unha tarde,

o fillo pequeno estaba comendo

Last year, I was living with this indigenous family in India.

e, ao me ver, axiña agochou a comida detrás das costas.

One afternoon,

the young son was eating,

Custoume moito persuadilo para que me amosara o que estaba a comer.

and at the sight of me, he quickly hid his curry behind his back.

Resultou que eran larvas de avelaíña,

It took a lot of persuasion to get him to show me what he was eating.

un manxar tradicional dos pobos indíxenas madhya.

Berrei:

It turned out to be moth larvae,

“Meu deus, estás a comer iso!

Espero que quede un pouco para min!”

a traditional delicacy with the Madia indigenous people.

Vin incredulidade nos ollos do neno.

I cried,

"Oh my God, you're eating these!

“Vostede... come isto?”

I hope there's a little left for me!"

“Encántame isto”, respondín.

I saw disbelief in the boy's eyes.

"You ... eat these?"

Decateime de que non se fiaba nada de min.

"I love these," I replied.

Como podía gustarlle a unha muller urbana e educada a mesma comida que a el?

I could see he did not trust me one bit.

Logo, saquei o tema co seu pai

How could an urban, educated woman like the same food as him?

e resultou ser un asunto moi delicado.

Later, I broached the subject with his father,

Dixo cousas como:

“Oh, só a este fillo meu lle gusta comelo.

and it turned out to be a mighty touchy affair.

Dicímoslle: ‘Deixa de comer iso. É malo’.

He said things like,

Mais non fai caso, coma ves.

"Oh, only this son of mine likes to eat it.

Nós deixamos de comelo hai anos”.

We tell him, 'Give it up. It's bad.'

“Por que?“, preguntei.

He doesn't listen, you see.

“Este é un alimento tradicional voso.

We gave up eating all this ages back."

Está dispoñible no voso ambiente,

"Why?" I asked.

é nutritivo

e, dou fe, delicioso.

"This is your traditional food.

Por que é malo comelo?“.

It is available in your environment,

it is nutritious,

O home quedou calado.

and -- I can vouch for it -- delicious.

Preguntei:

“Dixéronche que a vosa comida é mala,

Why is it wrong to eat it?"

The man fell silent.

que comer isto é atrasado,

I asked,

incivilizado?“.

"Have you been told that your food is bad,

Asentiu caladamente.

that to eat it is backward,

Esta foi unha das moitas, moitas veces traballando con pobos indíxenas na India

not civilized?"

He nodded silently.

que presenciei vergoña asociada á comida.

This was one of the many, many times in my work with indigenous people in India

Vergonza de que a comida que che encanta comer,

que se vén comendo dende hai xeracións

that I witnessed shame around food,

é dalgún xeito inferior,

shame that the food you love to eat,

mesmo infrahumana.

E esta vergoña non se limita a alimentos extravagantes ou noxentos

the food that has been eaten for generations,

is somehow inferior,

coma insectos ou ratas, quizais,

even subhuman.

mais esténdese a alimentos comúns:

And this shame is not limited to out-of-the-way, icky foods

vexetais silvestres,

cogomelos, flores...

like insects or rats, maybe,

basicamente, calquera cousa apañada da natureza en lugar de cultivada.

but extends to regular foods:

white vegetables,

Nos pobos indíxenas da India, esta vergoña é omnipresente.

mushrooms, flowers --

basically, anything that is foraged rather than cultivated.

Calquera cousa pode provocala.

Un mestre vexetariano dunha casta superior comeza a traballar nunha escola e,

In indigenous India, this shame is omnipresent.

en semanas, os nenos estanlles a dicir aos pais que é repugnante comer cangrexos

Anything can trigger it.

One upper-caste vegetarian schoolmaster gets appointed in a school,

ou que é pecado comer carne.

Un programa nutricional do goberno serve arroz branco e solto,

within weeks, children are telling their parents it's yucky to eat crabs

e xa ninguén quere comer arroz vermello ou paínzo.

or sinful to eat meat.

Unha ONG chega á aldea cunha táboa da dieta ideal para mulleres preñadas.

A government nutrition program serves fluffy white rice,

now no one wants to eat red rice or millets.

E aí tedes.

Tódalas mulleres xestantes lamentan

A nonprofit reaches this village with an ideal diet chart for pregnant women.

non poderen pagar mazás e uvas.

E a xente semella esquecerse das froitas

There you go.

All the expectant mothers are feeling sad

que poden apañar do chan no monte.

that they cannot afford apples and crepes.

Profesionais da saúde,

And people just kind of forget the fruits

misioneiros,

funcionarios varios do goberno,

that can be picked off the forest floor.

mesmo os propios fillos escolarizados

Health workers,

estanlles a berrar, literalmente, aos pobos indíxenas

religious missionaries,

random government employees

que a súa comida non é boa abondo,

and even their own educated children

are literally shouting it down at the indigenous people

non é civilizada abondo.

E así é que os alimentos continúan desaparecendo

that their food is not good enough,

pouco e pouco.

not civilized enough.

Pregúntome se algunha vez pensastes

And so food keeps disappearing,

se as vosas comunidades terán unha historia similar cos alimentos.

a little bit at a time.

I'm wondering if you all have ever considered

Se falásedes coa vosa avoa de noventa anos,

whether your communities would have a similar history around food.

falaría de alimentos que nunca vistes ou dos que nunca escoitastes?

If you were to talk to your 90-year-old grandmother,

Tedes idea de cantos alimentos da vosa comunidade

xa non están dispoñibles para vós?

would she talk about foods that you have never seen or heard of?

Dinme os expertos locais

Are you aware how much of your community's food

que a economía alimentaria surafricana baséase agora en alimentos importados.

is no longer available to you?

Local experts tell me

O millo converteuse no alimento básico,

that the South African food economy is now entirely based on imported foods.

mentres o sorgo, o paínzo, os bulbos e os tubérculos locais desapareceron todos.

Corn has become the staple,

Tamén desapareceron os legumes e vexetais silvestres,

while the local sorghum, millets, bulbs and tubers are all gone.

e a xente come patacas e cebolas, repolos e cenorias.

No meu país,

So are the wild legumes and vegetables,

esta perda de alimentos é colosal.

while people eat potatoes and onions, cabbages and carrots.

A India moderna está presa de arroz, trigo

In my country,

e diabetes.

this loss of food is colossal.

E esquecimos totalmente alimentos como grandes variedades de tubérculos,

Modern India is stuck with rice, wheat

zumes das árbores, peixe, marisco,

and diabetes.

And we have totally forgotten foods like huge varieties of tubers,

sementes oleaxinosas,

moluscos, cogomelos, insectos,

tree saps, fish, shellfish,

carne de pequenos animais non ameazados de extinción,

oil seeds,

que adoitaban estar todos dispoñibles ao noso arredor.

mollusks, mushrooms, insects,

small, nonendangered animal meats,

Daquela, a onde foi esta comida?

all of which used to be available right within our surroundings.

Por que as nosas modernas cestas de alimentos son tan limitadas?

Poderiamos falar de complexas razóns políticas, económicas e ecolóxicas,

So where has this food gone?

Why are our modern food baskets so narrow?

pero estou aquí para falar deste fenómeno máis humano da vergoña.

We could talk about the complex political economic and ecological reasons,

Porque a vergoña é o punto crucial

but I am here to talk about this more human phenomenon of shame,

no que os alimentos desaparecen do prato.

because shame is the crucial point

Qué fai a vergoña?

A vergoña faite sentir pequeno,

at which food actually disappears off your plate.

triste,

sen valor,

infrahumano.

What does shame do?

Shame makes you feel small,

A vergoña crea unha disonancia cognitiva.

sad,

Distorce as historias dos alimentos.

not worthy,

subhuman.

Vexamos un exemplo.

Shame creates a cognitive dissonance.

Que vos parecería ter

It distorts food stories.

un alimento básico marabilloso e versátil

Let us take this example.

que é abondoso no voso ambiente?

How would you like to have

Todo o que precisades facer é apañalo,

a wonderful, versatile staple

secalo e almacenalo

that is available abundantly in your environment?

e tédelo durante todo o ano

para preparar con el cantos pratos diferentes queirades.

All you have to do is gather it,

dry it, store it,

A India tiña tal alimento, chamado “mahua”,

and you have it for your whole year

to cook as many different kinds of dishes as you want with it.

esta flor que vedes aquí.

Veño investigando este alimento dende hai agora tres anos.

India had just such a food, called "mahua,"

Sábese que é moi nutritivo, tanto na tradición indíxena

this flower over there.

And I have been researching this food for the past three years now.

como no coñecemento científico.

Para os pobos indíxenas

It is known to be highly nutritious in indigenous tradition

adoitaba ser un alimento básico entre catro e seis meses cada ano.

and in scientific knowledge.

En moitos xeitos, é moi similar á vosa “marula” local,

For the indigenous,

it used to be a staple for four to six months a year.

agás en que é unha flor, non unha froita.

Onde as fragas son fértiles,

In many ways, it is very similar to your local marula,

a xente aínda pode apañar abondo para comer durante todo o ano

except that it is a flower, not a fruit.

e amais ter de sobra para vender.

Descubrín 35 pratos diferentes con mahua

Where the forests are rich,

people can still get enough to eat for the whole year

que xa ninguén prepara.

and enough spare to sell.

I found 35 different dishes with mahua

Este alimento xa nin sequera é recoñecido como unha comida,

that no one cooks anymore.

senón como materia prima para facer licor.

Poderíante apresar por telo na casa.

This food is no longer even recognized as a food,

O motivo? Vergoña.

but as raw material for liquor.

Falei con pobos indíxenas por toda a India

You could be arrested for having it in your house.

sobre por que a mahua xa non se come.

Reason? Shame.

E obtiven exactamente a mesma resposta:

I talked to indigenous people all over India

“Oh, adoitabamos comela cando eramos moi pobres e pasabamos fame.

about why mahua is no longer eaten.

Por que habiamos comela agora?

And I got the exact same answer.

Temos arroz ou trigo”.

"Oh, we used to eat it when we were dirt-poor and starving.

E case no mesmo alento

fálanme do nutritiva que é a mahua.

Why should we eat it now?

We have rice or wheat."

Sempre hai historias de anciáns que adoitaban comer mahua.

And almost in the same breath,

people also tell me how nutritious mahua is.

“A nosa avoa tivo dez fillos

There are always stories of elders who used to eat mahua.

e, mesmo así, sempre traballou duro e nunca estaba cansa nin enferma”.

"This grandmother of ours, she had 10 children,

Exactamente a mesma narrativa dual en cada un dos lugares.

and still she used to work so hard, never tired, never sick."

Como pode ser?

Como o mesmo alimento

The exact same dual narrative every single where.

pode ser considerado moi nutritivo e amais comida de pobres

How come?

case na mesma frase?

How does the same food

get to be seen as very nutritious and a poverty food,

O mesmo pasa con outros alimentos silvestres.

Escoitei historia tras conmovedora historia

almost in the same sentence?

de fame e inanición,

Same goes for other forest foods.

de xente que sobrevive con lixo apañado do monte

I have heard story after heartrending story

porque non teñen comida.

of famine and starvation,

Se indago un pouco máis,

of people surviving on trash foraged out of the forest,

resulta que non é falta de comida propiamente,

because there was no food.

senón de algo respectable como arroz.

If I dig a little deeper,

Pregunteilles:

it turns out the lack was not of food per se

“Como aprendiches que iso que chamas lixo é comestible?

but of something respectable like rice.

Quen che dixo que certos tubérculos amargos se poden adozar

I asked them,

"How did you learn that your so-called trash is edible?

deixándoos nun regueiro durante a noite?

Ou como tirar a carne dunha cuncha de caracol?

Who told you that certain bitter tubers can be sweetened

Ou como tender unha trampa para ratas salvaxes?”

by leaving them in a stream overnight?

Aí é cando comezan a rascar a cabeza

Or how to take the meat out of a snail shell?

e a decatarse de que aprenderon todo iso dos seus maiores,

Or how to set a trap for a wild rat?"

de que os seus devanceiros viviron e prosperaron con eses alimentos por séculos

That is when they start scratching their heads,

and they realize that they learned it from their own elders,

antes de que aparecera o arroz,

e estaban máis sans que os da xeración actual.

that their ancestors had lived and thrived on these foods for centuries

Isto é o que acontece coa comida,

before rice came their way,

and were way healthier than their own generation.

o que acontece coa vergoña:

fai desaparecer os alimentos e as súas tradicións das vidas e memorias da xente

So this is how food works,

how shame works:

sen que se decaten.

making food and food traditions disappear from people's lives and memories

Logo como revertermos esta tendencia?

without their even realizing it.

Como reclamarmos os nosos fermosos e complexos sistemas de comida natural,

So how do we undo this trend?

alimentos que a Nai Terra nos dá con amor de acordo co seu propio ritmo;

How do we reclaim our beautiful and complex systems of natural food,

comida preparada con ledicia polas nosas devanceiras

food given to us lovingly by Mother Earth according to her own rhythm,

e que os nosos devanceiros comían con gratitude;

food prepared by our foremothers with joy

alimentos que son sans, locais, naturais,

and are eaten by our forefathers with gratitude,

variados, deliciosos,

que non precisan ser cultivados,

food that is healthy, local, natural,

que non danan a nosa ecoloxía,

varied, delicious,

que non custan nada?

Todos precisamos estes alimentos

not requiring cultivation,

e penso que non teño que explicar por que.

not damaging our ecology,

not costing a thing?

Non preciso falarvos da crise mundial da saúde,

We all need this food,

do cambio climático, da falta de auga,

and I don't think I have to tell you why.

do esgotamento da terra,

do colapso dos sistemas de agricultura,

I don't have to tell you about the global health crisis,

todo iso.

Mais para min, razóns igual de importantes de por que precisamos estes alimentos

climate change, water crisis,

soil fatigue,

son as que sentimos ben dentro,

collapsing agricultural systems,

all that.

porque a comida é tantas cousas.

But for me, equally important reasons why we need these foods

A comida é nutrición, conforto,

are the deeply felt ones,

creatividade, comunidade,

because food is so many things, you see.

pracer, seguridade, identidade,

Food is nourishment, comfort,

e tanto máis.

creativity, community,

O xeito en que conectamos coa nosa comida

pleasure, safety, identity

define tanto nas nosas vidas.

Define como conectamos cos nosos corpos,

and so much more.

How we connect with our food

porque os nosos corpos son en esencia alimento.

defines so much in our lives.

Define o noso sentido básico de conexión

It defines how we connect with our bodies,

coa nosa existencia.

because our bodies are ultimately food.

Precisamos máis estes alimentos hoxe

It defines our basic sense of connection

para sermos quen de redefinir o noso espazo coma humanos

with our existence.

dentro do esquema natural do mundo.

We need these foods most today

E non precisamos tal redefinición hoxe en día?

to be able to redefine our space as humans

within the natural scheme of things.

Para min, a única resposta real é o amor,

And are we needing such a redefinition today?

porque o amor é o único que pode contrarrestar a vergoña.

For me, the only real answer is love,

E como traemos máis deste amor á nosa conexión coa nosa comida?

because love is the only thing that counters shame.

Para min, o amor trátase, en gran maneira,

And how do we bring more of this love into our connections with our food?

do desexo de ir máis amodo,

For me, love is, in a big way,

de tomar tempo para sentir,

percibir, escoitar, preguntar.

about the willingness to slow down,

to take the time to feel,

Podería ser escoitar os nosos corpos.

sense, listen, inquire.

Que é o que precisan alén dos nosos costumes alimentarios, crenzas

It could be listening to our own bodies.

e adiccións?

What do they need beneath our food habits, beliefs

Podería ser tomar o tempo de examinar esas crenzas.

De onde veñen?

and addictions?

Podería ser remontarnos á nosa infancia.

It could be taking time out to examine those beliefs.

Que comidas nos gustaban daquela

Where did they come from?

e que cambiou?

It could be going back into our childhood.

Podería ser pasar unha tarde tranquila cunha persoa maior,

What foods did we love then,

escoitando as súas lembranzas sobre a comida,

and what has changed?

It could be spending a quiet evening with an elder,

mesmo axudándolle a preparar algo que lle gusta

e comendo xuntos.

listening to their food memories,

O amor podería ser lembrar

maybe even helping them cook something they love

que a humanidade é vasta

and sharing a meal.

e os alimentos escollidos diferentes.

Love could be about remembering

Podería ser amosar respecto e curiosidade,

that humanity is vast

en lugar de censura,

and food choices differ.

cando vemos alguén desfrutando dunha comida estraña.

It could be about showing respect and curiosity

O amor podería ser tomar o tempo de preguntar,

instead of censure

when we see somebody enjoying a really unfamiliar food.

buscar información,

establecer conexións.

Love could be taking the time to inquire,

Mesmo podería ser dar un paseo tranquilo polo “fynbos”

to dig up information,

e ver se algunha planta vos fala.

reach out for connections.

It could even be a quiet walk in the fynbos

Iso pasa.

A min fálanme todo o tempo.

to see if a certain plant speaks up to you.

E sobre todo,

o amor é confiar que estes pasiños exploratorios

That happens.

They speak to me all the time.

teñen o potencial de nos levar a algo maior,

And most of all,

love is to trust that these little exploratory steps

ás veces a respostas verdadeiramente sorprendentes.

have the potential to lead us to something larger,

Unha curandeira indíxena díxome unha vez

que o amor é camiñar pola Nai Terra

sometimes to really surprising answers.

como a súa filla máis querida,

An indigenous medicine woman once told me

confiando en que ela valora as intencións honestas

that love is to walk on Mother Earth

as her most beloved child,

e sabe como guiar os nosos pasos.

Espero tervos inspirado

to trust that she values an honest intention

para comezar a reconectar coas comidas dos vosos devanceiros.

and knows how to guide our steps.

Grazas por escoitar.

(Aplauso)

I hope I have inspired you

to start reconnecting with the food of your ancestors.

Thank you for listening.

(Applause)