The ‘Gete-okosimin’ squash is from pre-Columbian time and was grown by Native Americans in the region around Wisconsin but had vanished from cultivation and was lost to humanity.
It is said that the seeds from the Gete-okosimin squash were found by archaeologists during an archaeological dig conducted by The Canadian Mennonite University on a reservation of the Menominee near Green Bay, Wisconsin. During the dig a small clay vessel was excavated containing the seeds. In an article by The Chicago Tribune, Susan Menzel of Chicago’s American Indian Center stated that carbon-dating placed the artifact to be around 850 years old.
These seeds were given to Frank Alegria by the University, and he gave them to native foods seed sovereignty advocate Winona LaDuke. She named them in Anishinaabe which is an indigenous Canadian language, choosing the name ‘Gete-okosomin’ which means “really cool old squash”. The White Earth Land Recovery Project took their chances at germinating the seeds and amazingly it worked and they were able to save seeds to share with people today.
The fruits are about 3 feet long and can weigh over 18 pounds and the color is a combination of orange and pink and has light orange stripes and a bumpy texture. The flavor is said to be sweet has notes of melon while containing a silky texture. This squash is truly a piece of history.
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