fbpx
 
Rear Adm. Michael Weahkee

The American Indian College Fund is bringing back its Epicurean Award to Support Scholars (EATSS) fundraising event to New York City on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. The evening will feature four renowned Indigenous chefs who will prepare some of their favorite recipes.

Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and sample dishes prepared by the chefs. The four Indigenous chefs are: Chef Stephanie “Pyet” DeSpain, Chef Crystal Wahpepah, Chef Elena Terry, and Chef Freddie Bitsoie.

Never miss Indian Country’s biggest stories and breaking news. Sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. 

Chef Pyet (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is a Native American and Mexican American award-winning private chef and the first winner of Gordon Ramsay’s new televison show, Next Level Chef. As a culinary student, Pyet says she struggled to find her identity in the curriculum as traditional Indigenous recipes were missing. She featured some of her Indigenous recipes on Next Level Chef causing Ramsay to say he loved her frybread.

Chef Crystal (Kickapoo Nation of Oklahoma Sac and Fox) is the owner and executive chef of Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, Calif. Crystal understands the deep and powerful role that food has in our lives and uses it as a bridge to connect others with Native issues that are important to her and Wahpepah’s Kitchen. Wahpepah is a James Beard Award finalist for Emerging Chef with best new restaurant of the Bay Area of 2022.

Chef Elena (Ho-Chunk Nation) is the executive chef/founder of community outreach catering organization Wild Bearies, which services individuals recovering from alcohol and drug abuse or emotional traumas. Elena emphasizes the healing nature of working with traditional Indigenous ingredients while building community. Terry started the Honoring our Farmers, Foragers, Growers and Producers tours, which crosses the nation and honors Native producers in-person. Terry is also a butcher and wild game specialist.

Chef Freddie (Diné) is the owner of FJBits Concepts, a firm that specializes in Native American foodways. In addition to being considered one of the leading Native food educators in the country, he is also the former Executive Chef of The Mitsitam Native Foods Café, and his first cookbook, New Native Kitchens, is a 2021 best-seller. Originally a student of anthropology and archeology, Chef Bitsoie was drawn to food during an archeology course when studying the people from Chaco Canyon and what they ate. Freddie’s realistic (and delicious!) perspective is that it is better to center on indigenous ingredients instead of ever-evolving food trends.

In addition to learning more about our chefs and what inspires them, American Indian College Fund scholarship recipients will address some of the most pressing topics affecting Indian Country today.

Redhawk Native American Arts Council  will provide a dance and students from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) selling their handmade artwork and jewelry.

For get your tickets, CLICK HERE

WHAT: Epicurean Award to Support Scholars (EATSS) fundraising event

WHEN: Tuesday, May 17, 2022 - 5:30 PM - 8:30 PM

WHERE: The Lighthouse - PierSixty, Chelsea Piers, New York, New York 10011

More Stories Like This

Immersive Language School Renews Generational Dreams of Cherokee Culture
Native American High School Graduate Sues School District for Forceful Removal of Sacred Eagle Plume at Graduation
Little Priest Tribal College Awarded a National Science Foundation Grant
The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Donates $2.7 million to Sherman Indian High School for Career Pathways Program
New York Public Schools Banned from Using Native American Mascots

Native News is free to read.

We hope you enjoyed the story you've just read. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.

Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps.  Most readers donate between $10 and $25 to help us cover the costs of salaries, travel and maintaining our digital platforms. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to join the Founder's Circle. All donations help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.

Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you. 

About The Author
Native News Online Staff
Author: Native News Online StaffEmail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at [email protected].