By Emilse Siares (Kolla, CS Staff)
“In your hands, grandmother, cook of the world, things suddenly become magical," says Armando Tejada Gómez, Argentine poet, lyricist, writer, and broadcaster. For Indigenous Peoples, food is not only a source of nourishment, but it is also a source of strength. Planting, harvesting, seeds, community, advocacy, protection, resistance...we find there the force to resist the many and ongoing colonialist efforts to eliminate our Peoples, our territories, and our knowledge. As Chef Leo Cordier (Lakota) says, “We are alive and still here, ready to share a great food experience for the modern palate.”
Food is our community celebration, and this summer, we want you to be part of our gathering. We have added to our upcoming Cultural Survival Bazaars in Tiverton and Providence, RI, the following food vendors: Chef Sherry Pockett (Mashpee Wampanoag) from Sly Fox Den; Leo Cordier (Lakota) and his culinary project, Buffalo Jump NYC; Latinx flavors represented by Tapatía Mexican Food, Casa Azul Taqueria, Don Quintin Asado, and Aguas Frescas Tlaxcalita; and Afghan Women Catering, who create collaborative dishes from family recipes.
Sly Fox Den
The Bazaars offer a powerful experience to reconnect with our roots, with our flavors from our territories, and to feel the warmth of our communities. Food nourishes not only our bodies, but also our spirits. Aguas Frescas Tlaxalita guarantees us that “every cup will be made with passion, authenticity, and care,” and Tapatía Mexican Food says, “in every plate we want to share a little bit of our tradition and hospitality.”
Tapatía Mexican Food
Food is Diversity
Access to different types of food, fresh products, and recipes allows us to connect with the diverse Peoples we are. Food is also a way for us to connect with our ancestors, whether as ritual offerings for those who are not here, or as a form of reciprocity for those still supporting us. And, of course, food is a powerful way to remind us where we come from. Buffalo Jump NY says that each plate “reflects both historical and living food traditions,” explaining that "while some items like frybread emerged from survival during periods of forced displacement, we approach them with care and context, alongside efforts to uplift pre-colonial foods and narratives of food sovereignty.”
Cultural Survival Bazaars are a celebration Indigenous Peoples’ vitality and diversity around the globe, making it a perfect venue to showcase the variety of flavors and combinations, ingredients and cooking techniques, and styles and traditions of our vendors.
Aguas Frescas Tlaxcalita
Food is Memory and Time
We know the magic of slow cooking. In a kitchen, we can find a diverse range of ingredients, each one with its own meaning. Preparing a meal with them takes time and patience. In big cities, sometimes we forget the origin of each product; we forget the people who produce our food and the territorial networks that are involved in it. Through the Bazaars, we want to raise awareness about consumption, food waste, and the pleasure of sharing a plate.
"We lived by the seasons," says Chef Pocknett from Sly Fox Den, showing us the true connection among memories, territorial defense, and the respect for natural rhythms from the kitchen. Casa Azul Taquería says, “Every plate tells a story—of heritage, resilience, and cultural pride,” because food is also the legacy of our ancestors. “It isn't just about food; it's about sharing a generational expertise and the unforgettable experience of authentic Argentinian cuisine,” says Sergio from Don Quintín Asados. We want to help make this feeling palpable, spreading this flavor like seeds, as we exercise our right to preserve these cultural memories.
Buffalo Jump NYC
Food is Sovereignty and Self-determination
Around the world, Indigenous communities are fighting to preserve their native seeds and ancestral production techniques that respect Mother Earth. We face multiple challenges to practicing our lifeways with dignity and achieving sustainable food sovereignty. Food, says Pocknett, "it's stories; it's hospitality. It's what is happening in the community. It's ingredients. It's who you get your ingredients from. It's your story as a chef.”
We believe in food sovereignty as our right to define our own policies and practices of production, consumption, and preservation of food and related knowledge. We share Buffalo Jump NY’s philosophy of “reclaiming and re-Indigenizing food culture.” They do this by prioritizing sourcing from Indigenous producers and using their menu “as a platform for education, storytelling, and cultural visibility.”
We consider it a central right that all Peoples have access to healthy food, from known sources, that is fair trade and zero waste. The Cultural Survival Bazaars will model this mindset in an important step toward supporting everything food means for us and for future generations. The table is set. Come share a meal with us!
Afghan Women Catering
Top photo: Casa Azul
