It was a success! On November 19, 2025, the Electa Quinney Institute held their annual AlterNative Giving Meal. The purpose of the event is to come together as a community and reflect on gratitude through Indigenous lenses while enjoying native foods.
Inspired by the first public school teacher and Wisconsin’s Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans member, Electa Quinney, the EQI works to prepare students to face challenges faced by their communities. For the AlterNative Giving Meal, the EQI puts together this event by hosting, setting up, and bringing the native foods that students and facility members get to enjoy. One of the foods, the beans, came straight from Ukwakhwa. These beans, a Haudenosaunee Mix shown below, were bartered during a field trip taken by EQI’s Kinship and Responsibility Scholars and a WGS class taught by Professor Sharity Bassett. People enjoyed other Indigenous traditional foods such as, wild grain rice with cranberries, corn dishes, and more. Students and faculty gathered around the EQI Fire Circle, the American Indian Student Lounge, and classrooms in Merrill Hall to celebrate. Additionally, towards the end of the event there was a gathering to celebrate Celeste Clark, who is the AISC Tribal Liaison and Student Support Specialist.
Personally, I really enjoyed my time at the event! Being able to help chop vegetables in preparation for the soup for the event made me gain not only a greater appreciation for the food I was eating but facilitated building a relationship with the food. It was nice to be able to try traditional Indigenous foods as I probably wouldn’t have the chance to do so elsewhere. Additionally, it was so nice to see how many people came to the event- every single chair was filled, and everyone was so welcoming to one another. So many people were there to appreciate the event and interact with the food. Having the opportunity to be a part of an event like this really helps expand knowledge on Indigenous culture and lenses. It gave me the opportunity to hear the individual experiences of American Indian students. Going to the AlterNative Giving Meal and being able to take part in community-based learning gave me more of an appreciation for the relationships we can build not only with others, but with the food that we eat which could not be replicated in the traditional classroom setting.
I am appreciative having been able to attend and help with this event! Make sure you stop by at other Electa Quinney Institute events and next year’s AlterNative Giving Meal!
– Written by Katharine Vetuschi
I am Katharine Vetuschi and I majoring in criminal justice and criminology as well as women and gender studies with a minor in counseling. With that I am hoping to work for a nonprofit following graduation. Currently, I am a senior standing and am on track to graduate in upcoming Spring graduation.