Three Butternut Bowls

These butternut bowls were hand made from a storm tree collected in Essex, Vermont. The wood is easy to carve. The nuts are delicious but difficult to crack for the meats. Abenakis gathered them in the Fall and they stored well for Winter consumption as nuts, meal and oil. Many animals also love them. I remember when the trees were numerous along stonewalls and riverbanks in Vermont. Like other walnuts the often called white walnut inhibits nearby plant growth. Unfortunately Juglans cinerea is under attack by butternut canker disease which seems to gradually kill the tree. Scientists are working on finding and propagating disease resistant trees. Alnôbaiwi and nidôbak have planted some butternut trees at Negôni Alnôbaakik/VIHC in the Burlington intervale.

 Patrick “Blackhand”Lamphere, VAAA, Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, #65954