We have assembled some of the best Native Indigenous professional talent out there today. We are extremely excited and grateful to be hosting these important presenters from across Indian Country. This blog, Apaches in the Kitchen, details our collective journey and now is beginning to involve the pathway of others. In the beginning we, the culinary staff at Sunrise Park Resort, talked about this. I shared a vision of Culinary Culture Building in our community and how it can affect other communities as well. This culinary events symbolizes how we as Apaches in the Kitchen are making that vision a reality, together.ABOUT PRESENTERS:
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| Claudia Serrato |
Claudia Serrato,
MA
Bio: Foundress
of Sac(RED) (WOMB)yn, Doctoral Student of Medical Anthropology, co-author of
Decolonial Food For Thought blog,
alternative Cocinera and Womb Ecologist, and co-president of the Native
Organization of Indigenous Scholars (NOIS) at the University of Washington.
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| Valerie Segrest |
Valerie Segrest, Author, Scholar and Nutrition Educator
Bio: Valerie
Segrest is a member of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and works as a native
nutrition educator for the Northwest Indian College’s Traditional Plants
Program. She coordinates the Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project. She
co-authored the book Feeding the People, Feeding the Spirit: Revitalizing
Coastal Indian Food Culture.
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| Chris Rodriguez |
Chris Rodriguez,
Chef/Scholar
Bio: Chris
Rodriguez is a Xicano, professional chef and co-creator of the grassroots
community health project Decolonial Food For Thought. He is an independent
scholar and political commentator on native and Indigenous food autonomy and
sovereignty movements in Mesoamerica.
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| Lois Ellen Frank |
Lois Ellen Frank,
Ph.D.
Bio: Lois
Ellen Frank is a working Chef at Red Mesa Cuisine, a Native American Catering
Company specializing in locally sourced, seasonal Native American foods. She is
also a James Beard Award winning cookbook author of Foods of the Southwest
Indian Nations. Her work is internationally known and influences a generation
of Native Chefs.
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| Walter Whitewater |
Walter Whitewater,
Chef/Author
Bio: Walter Whitewater
is a working Chef at Red Mesa Cuisine, a Native American Catering Company
specializing in locally sourced, seasonal Native American foods. Chef
Whitewater is also a James Beard Award winning cookbook co-author of Foods of
the Southwest Indian Nations. His work is internationally known and influences
an entire generation of Native Chefs.
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| Kyle Knox |
Kyle Knox, Farmer
at Natwani Coalition
Bio: Kyle is
Hopi and Akimel O’odham (Pima) from the village of Kykotsmovi and is a member
of the Coyote clan. Mr. Knox has a BA in Fine Arts and Media Production from
ASU and brings his experience as an active Hopi farmer to help shape the future
of the Natwani Coalition.
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| Jason Champagne |
Jason Champagne,
MA student in Public Health and Dietetics
Bio: Jason
Champagne is a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa, a graduate student at
University of Minnesota School of Public Health, and a graduate of the Le
Cordon Bleu culinary arts program. Jason has three years of experience working
for Walt Disney World as a culinary professional. Champagne’s unique
combination of the culinary arts and dietetics produce a unique approach to
health conscious foods to combat diabetes.
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| April Adams |
April “Bleu” Adams,
Owner/Operator at Black Sheep Café
Bio: April is Navajo, Hidatsa and Mandan
descent originally from Provo, Utah.
April started in the food business selling homemade Navajo foods at
countless pow wow’s and events over the years. On September 1, 2011 April her
husband, family and sister signed a lease for 19 N University in Provo. Utah.
This is the location of Black Sheep Café, of which April
Adams is owner and operator of this successful independent restaurant.
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| Mark Mason |
Mark Daniel Mason,
Executive Chef of Black Sheep Café
Bio: Mark is
Navajo, Hidatsa and Mandan descent originally from Morenci, AZ. Mark Mason has been cooking since age 8. Chef
Mark lists his mother and great grandmother as early influences. Mark has
experience working at Marcellino’s Ristorante in Scottsdale, AZ working under
the tutelage of Master Chef Marcellino Verzino. Chef Mark Mason is currently
the Executive Chef of Black Sheep Café in Provo, Utah.
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| (Photo of Vanya unavailable) |
Vanya Szabo, MS
Bio:
Vanya Szabo is from Bulgaria and
currently works as a Program Coordinator with Johns Hopkins Center for American
Indian Health at the Center’s Whiteriver, Arizona office. Her work has focused
primarily on implementing Edible School garden curriculum and building a school
garden at Cibecue Schools, coordinating Traditional Apache Plants
program, helping families start their own gardens and starting the first
Farmers Market on White Mountain Apache reservation.
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| (Photo unavailable) |
Andrea Beatty,
White Mountain Apache Wild Foods Specialist
Bio: Andrea Beatty is a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, born
and raised in Cibecue, Arizona. She is currently working with Johns Hopkins
Center for American Indian Health on developing and implementing the Traditional
Apache Plants curriculum. She is knowledgeable in indigenous plants and foods,
skillful crafter in making cradle boards, coil and burden baskets, water tus,
and moccasins. She enjoys gardening and cooking traditional Apache meals.
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| Loretta Barrett Oden |
Loretta Barrett Oden, Chef/TV host/Lecturer
Bio: Loretta owned Native Foods Restaurant called Corn Dance Café
in Santa Fe, New Mexico for 10 years. She is the host of the Emmy Award Winning
TV series “Seasoned with Spirit, A Native Chef’s Journey.” She has been
featured on “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show,” “In Food Today” and
“Cooking Live” and in numerous publications including the New York Times.
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| Arlie Doxtator |
Arlie Doxtator, Oneida Executive Chef of Bear Paw Cafe
Bio: Arlie
Doxtator has 27 years of professional culinary experience as a First Nations
Chef in Hotel/Casino, independent, private resort and corporate food service.
Chef Arlie has been featured in numerous publications including Native People's
Magzine. Chef Doxtator specializes in the research and study of the indigenous
foods of the Lotinishoni--People of the Long House, and their importance of
their existence in the future.
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| Nephi Craig |
Nephi Craig, Chef/Founder of NACA and Executive Chef
Bio: Nephi
Craig is the Chef and Founder of The Native American Culinary Association
or NACA.
Chef Craig has 14 years of professional experience as a Native Chef. Chef Craig
has cooked all over the world in Germany, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Japan
specializing in Native American Cuisine. Chef Craig is the creator of the Apaches
in the Kitchen blog. Craig currently serves as Executive Chef for the
Sunrise Park Resort Hotel on the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
These short biographies do not do these individuals justice. You can do you own independent research and learn more about these individuals. Come and join us at Sunrise Park Resort, on the White Mountain Apache Tribe!
For more information contact naculinaryassoc@gmail.com
or call the Sunrise Park Resort Hotel at (928)-735-7669. Space is limited!
