The Truth About Bannock: A Story of Survival, Strength, and Celebration
bannock is more than just food—it is a testament to the strength, resilience, and ingenuity of Indigenous Peoples. What was meant to break us instead became a symbol of survival. Bannock was not freely given. It was born out of hardship, out of necessity, and out of the refusal to be erased.
The Dark Truth: Starvation as a Weapon
Before colonization, Indigenous Peoples thrived on the land, harvesting food in perfect balance with nature. The buffalo, fish, wild game, and plant medicines provided everything needed for survival. Then came the slaughter of the buffalo—a deliberate act of war against our people. The buffalo was more than food; it was life. And when they were massacred in the millions, it was not just an attack on the animal—it was an attack on us.
With our natural food sources destroyed, our people were forced onto reservations under the threat of starvation. Promises of support were made, but what came instead were government-issued rations of spoiled, bug-infested flour, rotten lard, and scraps barely fit for consumption. This was not a gift. This was control. This was a system designed to keep us weak.
But they underestimated our people.
Turning Oppression into Strength
Faced with nothing but these scraps, Indigenous families did what they have always done—adapted, created, and survived. From the worst of what was given, we made bannock. With flour, water, and fat, we created something that could be fried, baked, or cooked over open flames. It was never meant to nourish us, yet we turned it into something that fed generations. It became our survival food, our connection to each other, and a statement that we are still here.
They tried to starve us.
They tried to erase us.
But they failed.
Bannock Today: A Symbol of Resilience and Unity
What was once forced upon us has now become a cherished part of our culture. Every family, every Nation, has their own way of making bannock—fried until golden, baked soft like bread, paired with stews, made into Native Tacos, or sweetened with berries and honey. What was once a tool of oppression has been reclaimed as a symbol of strength.
But bannock is more than just our story. Food is a bridge—a way to bring all cultures together in celebration. Today, bannock is being shared across communities, enjoyed by people from all walks of life, and used to connect, educate, and honor our traditions.
Bannock is not just food.
It is survival. It is resistance. It is a celebration of who we are.
Native Delights Inc. honors this legacy, sharing bannock not as a reminder of the past, but as a way to bring people together, celebrate culture, and move forward in unity.
