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- By Native News Online Staff
Indigenous Food Chef Crystal Wahpepah will be on this week’s Native Bidaské program on Friday, January 20th, at 12:00 noon ET. Wahpepah (Kickapoo) will discuss how Indigenous foods are healthier for us.
Wahpepah was the first Native American to appear on the Food Network’s popular Chopped show in 2012. She did not win but credits the show as being life-changing for her because it gave her confidence to promote the health value of returning to her Native American roots to promote Indigenous Food Sovereignty.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, she took the bold step to open Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, California, where she grew up. The restaurant caught the attention of the James Beard Awards, which give our annual awards to successful restaurants. Wahpepah was a semi-finalist for the 2022 James Beard Awards in the emerging chefs' category. Recently, she was featured on CNN to bring attention to the Indigenous Food Sovereignty issue.
To watch this episode, tune into the livestream on the Native News Online Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube social media accounts, and subscribe to our channel.
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