advertisement

Vinyard Indian Settlement holds 3rd Annual Festival of Wild Onions

The Vinyard Indian Settlement at Herod will host the 3rd Annual Festival of Wild Onions Saturday and Sunday.

Members of the settlement and guests will gather and prepare wild onions for a traditional Shawnee meal, according to a release from the Vinyard Indian Settlement. Cooking will begin on Saturday evening with a dinner concluding at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Volunteers who would like to help gather wild onions for the feast are asked to meet at the settlement no later than 10 a.m. Saturday morning. Teams who gather the most wild onions will be served first at the Frybread and Wild Onion Cook Off.

Since this is a traditional Shawnee gathering, Native citizens are asked to bring a traditional dish to the gathering.

Members of all tribes, VIS members, friends and family of the Vinyard Indian Settlement and the general public are welcome.

There is no charge for the event, but donations will be welcomed. Weather permitting, traditional dance for this event will be held at the Stomp grounds near dark on Saturday evening. Primitive Camping is available along with outdoor toilet and water from the springs.

Vinyard Indian Settlement descendants are especially encouraged to attend. Their help is needed in securing the reunification and education goals of the VIS. Volunteer help with rock walls, organic-traditional gardening, edible/medicine plants/herbs, construction, traditional techniques and oral history is badly needed, according to the release.

The Vinyard Indian Settlement is located 1 mile north of Herod on the left, in the curves; on the right if you're coming from Saline County at 1027 State Highway 34 South, Herod, Illinois 62947. For more information, people may call the Vinyard Indian Settlement at (618) 264-5909 or Mark Denzer: (618) 201-4090.