- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Five Indigenous celebrity chefs will prepare traditional Indigenous dishes for the American Indian College Fund's EATSS event (Epicurean Award to Support Scholars) on November 8 at the Guthrie Theater, 18 South 2nd Street, in Minneapolis.
The chefs are Andrea Murdoch (Andean-Venezuela), Anthony Bauer (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa), Brian Yazzie (Diné/Navajo), Neftalí Durán (originally from Oaxaca, Mexico), and Pyet DeSpain (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation).
Adding to the Indigenous cuisine will be music provided by the Indigo Girls.
Attendees will also be treated to a public premier of the College Fund’s new public service announcement, “Move Aside,” created in partnership with Wieden+Kennedy Portland, the first campaign since the passing of longtime ally and agency co-founder David Kennedy. The campaign shines a light on the growing number of Native Americans with college degrees (more than 300,000), while celebrating the Indigenous experience.
Native graduates will speak about how attendees can serve as allies for Native students and their communities; why allies are integral in Native students’ education journeys; and how allies can help make room for Native graduates to succeed in their careers.
Tickets are $150 (and are limited in number and selling fast), which includes preferred concert seating at the Indigo Girls concert held directly after the culinary event. You can also purchase concert-only tickets for $100.
The five celebrity chefs work hard to promote Indigenous food sovereignty:
- Andrea Murdoch (Andean-Venezuela) – Owner and Executive Chef of Four Directions Cuisine. Murdoch is a recipient of the prestigious James Beard award who combines her Indigenous identity with her professional training.
- Anthony Bauer (Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa) – Economic and Workforce Specialist with the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission and owner of Traditional Fire Custom Cuisine. Bauer has over 25 years of experience and enjoys giving traditional ingredients a modern twist.
- Brian Yazzie (Diné/Navajo) – Chef and food justice activist who founded the Intertribal Foodways catering company. His career is devoted to the betterment of tribal communities, wellness, and health.
- Neftalí Durán (originally from Oaxaca, Mexico) – Co-founder of the I-Collective, an Indigenous collective that promotes a healthy food system valuing people, traditional knowledge, and planet over profit. He is working towards an equitable food system and building a network of Indigenous food leaders.
- Pyet DeSpain (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) – An award-winning traveling, private chef who became the first winner of Gordon Ramsey’s Next Level Chef on Fox. Her life’s work is dedicated to Indigenous fusion cuisine.
The American Indian College Fund, founded in 1989, provides scholarships for Indigenous students and supports tribal colleges.
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