Native Americans are changing the way they eat, and Mariah Gladstone, a member of the Blackfeet tribe, is helping lead the way.
Gladstone founded an organization called Indigikitchen about five years ago to educate those in Indian Country on where their food is coming from and how it’s gathered and cooked.
“We have access [to food]—that’s a huge part of this,” she said. “But we also need to restore information and get the education around these foods as well.”
To do that, Gladstone teaches cooking classes and creates cooking demonstrations on YouTube. She’s also booked her share of speaking engagements, including a talk at TEDxBozeman in 2017.
She wants people to be able to access indigenous recipes from wherever they are, as easily as possible.
“The goal of Indigikitchen has always been to make sure that everyone has access to a resource where they can find indigenous recipes,” she said.
When she started filming videos, she began experimenting with recipes and exploring dishes from other tribes. She wanted to show how delicious traditional foods can be.
When using recipes from other tribes, she’s careful not to share sensitive information and always credits the tribe the recipe is coming from. But acknowledging history and food isn’t about decolonization, Gladstone said.