America 250: Foodways as Pathways

Derek Nicholas

Derek Nicholas, also known as Niigaanibines, is a member of the Red Cliff Band of Ojibwe. He is the founder of Wiisinig LLC, a social enterprise that focuses on practicing and revitalizing indigenous food and knowledge systems amongst tribal communities. 

Derek believes that our indigenous food systems are deeply intertwined and connected to all facets of our Anishinaabeg lifeways and that through this practice, it can begin to offset the damages caused by colonialism. Additionally, Derek is the author of Through Food We Know Ourselves and Eating with the Seasons, Anishinaabeg, Great Lakes Region.

Sara Marie Massee

Dr. Massee has many years of experience in the field of living history. Her particular passions are interpreting the enslaved community and conducting 18th-century cooking, baking, and textile demonstrations, using a combination of research and hands-on experience to illuminate daily life. 

She received her Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from George Mason University. She recently developed a walking tour titled "Washington the Farmer" about how George Washington’s innovative farming experiments at Mount Vernon transformed agriculture, revealed his forward-thinking leadership, and helped shape his vision for the future of the nation.

Expertise: Textile Production at Mount Vernon, Historic Cooking Techniques and Food Traditions, and Foodways of the Enslaved

Meghan Davisson

Meghan Davisson is a Program Specialist with the Teacher Education and Curriculum Development team at the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS). She designs and implements teacher professional development for K-12 teachers in Minnesota. Additionally, Meghan is a contributor to MNHS's sixth-grade Minnesota Studies curriculum, Northern Lights Third Edition.

Meghan has thirteen years of classroom teaching experience in grades 6-8 social studies (Minnesota Studies, US History, and Global Studies). She holds a BA in Social Science Secondary Education and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction, with a certificate in Differentiated Instruction. She has a passion for engaging students in historical inquiry through primary sources. Meghan also enjoys reading and embroidery, as well as traveling.

Emily Dauk

Emily Dauk is a high school math teacher with a passion for connecting other content areas with the world of mathematics. Her professional development experience includes NASA’s Microgravity University for Educators, the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources, and the George Washington Teacher Institute. 

Emily earned a BA in mathematics and a Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. In addition to teaching, Emily has been a marching band instructor, debate coach, knowledge bowl coach, Upward Bound program instructor, and Link Crew coordinator. She is currently teaching in southern Minnesota at her alma mater, Mankato East High School. 

Outside of the classroom, Emily is an active flute player, has traveled to 40 states, has visited 20 of the 21 Smithsonian Museums, and is on a quest to make her way to each of Minnesota’s 87 county historical societies and 64 state parks.