Success StoryWabanaki Tribal Meat Cutting School; University of Maine



Wabanaki Tribal Meat Cutting School; University of Maine

Author: Gregg Rentfrow

Planning Unit: Animal and Food Sciences

Major Program: Agriculture and Extension Leadership Development

Outcome: Long-Term Outcome

The younger, Gen Z members of the Wabanaki Reservation in Maine want to learn more about the traditions of their ancestors as well as mix those traditions with modern skills.  Thus, they reached out to Dr. Colt Knight at UMaine and me to teach them about meat processing and whole animal butchery, utilizing every part of the animal.  The 10 members of the Wabanaki nation learned to fabricate a pork carcass, make sausage, along with touring a meat processing facility.  In addition, we discussed how these skill could be transferred to processing wildlife such as moose, deer, and bear.  The Wabanaki members were very appreciative of the educational opportunity and want to develop a larger training in the future.  I even got invited to a traditional moose hunt this fall.  






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