Special Feature

Wake cooks: a light during times of darkness

By Rene Strahan

The job is hard. The hours are long and there are few breaks - if any. The mood at times is somber, and the pace is fast. And, to top it off, there is no pay. Yet, wake cooks are not only highly regarded; they are the light in times of darkness.

"When we lost my mom, the last thing we wanted to think about was feeding the people who came to the funeral," said Genevieve Morigeau. "It's one less task to worry about when you know cooks will show up to help out. I just wish more people would do it."

Morigeau has been on both the receiving and giving end of wake cooking. Having volunteered numerous times at primarily the Longhouse located in St. Ignatius, she recalls the first time she helped with the preparations.

"It was so much work. I peeled potatoes, prepared salads, and washed dishes. By the time I went home I was achy and sore," she said.

So why did she continue to volunteer? She explained that the energy expanded in helping a grieving family was worth it."

Just knowing you're there for a family when they need it makes you feel good about yourself," she said.

According to Morigeau, the process of finding a wake cook is usually done on a volunteer basis. She explained there is generally a need for a head cook who prepares the menu and does the food shopping. And, if there are enough people to help out, then cooks work in shifts: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a midnight meal crew.

Morigeau has prepared meals at wakes with the help of as many as ten people, and other times with only herself and one other.

"There is always something to do," she said. "Washing dishes is a task that can keep someone busy the entire time they're there."

While the tasks may not seem glamorous, the need is high. Monique McDonald, 43, who started helping in the kitchen as a young girl, worries that this long standing tradition will soon be forgotten.

"I worry because there are times when no one seems to be available to help. But, I think a need is a need and a tradition is a tradition. I want to encourage people to step up, and send your kids in to help," she pleads.

"Even if your kids are only 10 or 11, there's patience in the kitchen. If they want to learn, we can teach them."

McDonald started bringing her four children, Phylicia, 19; Lucas, 16; Katie, 14; and JaNeal, 12; when they were young. She said even though there are times they don't want to, they still show up."

"It seems like we have a generation of youth, teenagers and young adults - who haven't stepped in and come out of their comfort zones to try it. It's sad. It's like a link in a chain that's broken," she says somberly.

Then, recalling the "old days," McDonald's tone picks up as she recounts the numerous people who taught her and as she put it, "they let me hang on to their apron strings."

"I remember cooking with Marge Michel, Deedo Dumontier, Rachel Arlee, Dorothy Stevens, and Dorothy and Virgie Woodcock. They led by example. I started by helping with simple things like rolling the plastic ware and setting tables," she said.

"This was long before we had community centers. Back then we went to people's houses and did the work right there. We'd clear out a room and lay cheese cloth or meat wrap down and just start pitching in wherever there was a need it didn't matter if it was cooking or cleaning or baking." Laughing, she adds, "I don't bake well so I don't bake. Once I put something in the oven and close that door, I forget about it, but I'm a good stove top cook so I cook."

Her message is simple. Whether or not you think you have a talent or gift to offer, there is always a place for anyone in the kitchen and she says that includes both females and males. And, knowing the family in need is not a prerequisite either. It doesn't matter if you know anyone at all.

"Don't be afraid, just walk in and introduce yourself and be open and honest and say I haven't done this before but I have a desire to help," suggests McDonald. She says there isn't a person there who will turn anyone away.

The only time she's seen that happen was recently when Tribal elder Janie Hawk tried to help in the kitchen this past summer. Then, McDonald explained her gifts as a prayer leader were needed elsewhere. "It broke my heart that she recognized there was such a lack in this area of tradition."

But, at the same time, according to McDonald, it deepened her appreciation for the ladies from "up North."

"The women from Elmo came down and in this particular situation, they took over the kitchen and did a great job."

However, being at the site of the wake is not required. McDonald says it helps even when people stop by and pick up a turkey or cake mixes to be prepared at home. "Every little bit helps," she says with a sigh.

But, there are perks to being hands-on. McDonald maintains that there's only one way to learn to make fry bread. "You need to watch, and then just do it."

And the same goes for all aspects of wake cooking. Come tolearn, stay to help, and just do it.