I-Collective: Boiled Cornbread

Introducing the

I-Collective

The I-Collective is honored to be a part of the Indigenous Goodness Gang. The collective was founded in 2017 by Erica Scott (Lenape), Liz Charlebois (Abenaki), Neftali Duran (Mixteco), and Karlos Baca (Tewa, Dine, Nuche) as a response to instances of appropriation and commodification of Indigenous cuisines by non-natives. The founders wanted to bring together a collection of Indigenous creatives and knowledge keepers of all ages to work together and mentor one another. 

Indigenous, Inspired, Innovative, Independent

The I-Collective stands for four principles: Indigenous, Inspired, Innovative, and Independent. An autonomous group of chefs, activists, herbalists, seed and knowledge keepers, the collective strives to create open dialogue and a new narrative that highlights not only historical Indigenous contributions, but also promotes our communities’ resilience and innovations in gastronomy, agriculture, the arts, and society at large.

Indigenous food sovereignty is critical because many health issues are tied to colonialism and the exploitation of resources and people. Food is the most intimate connection to ourselves, our ancestors, our communities, but most importantly our future generations. Their vision is to increase visibility; own our foods and culture; and promote Indigenous ingredients and histories in our modern world. We will strengthen intertribal relationships with food, agriculture and technology as a key component in the movement to revise the American, Canadian, and Mexican imagination and present a more truthful history. 

Duck Breast | Juniper Rosemary Lebna | Pickled Strawberries smoked with Sweetgrass | Duck fat popcorn

Roasted Delicata Squash | White Bean Puree | Cranberry Mostarda

Emory Oak Acorn Cake | Oven Roasted Strawberry Compote | Wild Rice Macaron | Fried Sage **Note: Emory Oak Acorn flour supplied by Twila Cassadore

The I-Collective’s first project was a multi-day restaurant pop-up in New York City in November 2017 that featured traditional foods from around “Ndn” country. They used this platform during the pop-ups and in the media to discuss the myth of thanksgiving, solidarity with Palestinian and undocumented communities, and issues that our tribal communities face. Since that time, the collective has continued to organize pop-ups, and also continued to cater Indigenous events and speak out in the media. They have also ensured that we are working in our own communities to increase access to healthy and traditional foods. 

The work is guided by Indigenous values that prioritize balance and reciprocity for all living things.

From member, Brit Reed: We’re looking forward to contributing to Indigenous Goddess Gang’s Food Medicine platform. We recognize our collective is a part of the ever growing Indigenous Food Revitalization Movement. We are thankful for all of our friends, mentors, and folks who inspire us. From time to time we will be asking these folks to also share their insight, knowledge, and skills here in this magazine. We look forward to celebrating a new Indigenous framework: collective promotion of a healthy food system that values people, traditional knowledge, and the planet over profit.

Learn more at https://www.icollectiveinc.org

Boiled Cornbread

a recipe from the i-collective, by liz charlebois

 

Start a large pot of water to boil.

Mix equal parts of:

Corn meal

Corn flour

Crushed nuts of your choice (optional)

Crushed berries of your choice

Water

Knead until fully mixed. The mixture should stick together and be sticky. Add more water or corn flour to achieve desired consistency. Roll dough into balls about the size of your hand. 

When the water is boiling, place the dough ball into the water. You may boil more than one ball at a time.  Boil until the dough starts to rise, approximately 5-10 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and place on a plate until cool. Slice and enjoy.

I-Collective Members

Liz Charlebois

Liz Charlebois is an Abenaki educator, artist, and leader. She was Chair of the New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs from 2013-2016, and is an accomplished basket maker, bead worker, dancer, and farmer. Liz's focus is growing and preserving northeastern indigenous crops. She has established a seed library dedicated to those seeds. Liz uses the food she grows in many indigenous dishes, both traditional and contemporary. She is a member of the younger generation of Abenaki people who are working to preserve and revitalize the culture, history, and identity of our original inhabitants.

Brit Reed

Brit Reed (Choctaw) credits her initial love of cooking and food to her parents. While working in their family's camp kitchen, she began learning from her aunt the importance of cooking for The People in a good way and to embrace traditional women's roles. These experiences led her to pursue learning about traditional foods & medicines. Throughout her time at The Evergreen State College earning her BA and MPA with a concentration in Tribal Governance, she focused her studies on tribal food (in)security, food sovereignty, tribal food policy, and the effects of food on the health of our tribal communities. In 2015, she founded Food Sovereignty is Tribal Sovereignty - a native based group with a large membership base that are engaged in all facets of the Indigenous Food Revitalization Movement throughout the Americas and parts of Europe. After earning her MPA in 2016 she attended the Seattle Culinary Academy and graduated in 2018. At this time she is working with the Tulalip Health Clinic's Diabetes Program to teach healthy cooking classes to the community. Additionally she is a Sovereign Bodied Institute fellow and the Yehaw Covid-19 Project curator. Check out her Instagram @nitaohoyo. Follow Britt on Picuki!

Quentin Glabus, CHEF

Quentin Glabus graduated from the Culinary Arts program at N.A.I. T. (Northern Alberta Institute of Technology) in 2000 and embarked on his first international job at Walt Disney World. His cooking has taken him around the world, where he has held the position of Executive Chef to the Ambassador at the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, Japan (2008-2009) and Beijing, China (2012-2013). He was also the Canadian Guest Chef representative to the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, Taiwan (2011-2012).

Quentin spent three years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2014-2017) where he represented Canadian First Nations cuisine with the Consulate General of Canada. He headed the Canadian Olympic culinary team as Supervising Head Chef. In March 2017, Quentin worked with the Canadian High Commission to Singapore, assisting with celebrating Canada's 150th Anniversary, and traveling through Southeast Asia including Manila, Singapore, and Vientiane showcasing First Nations cuisine. Quentin also took part in the World Gourmet Summit 2017 in Singapore as the Canadian Master Chef representing First Nations cuisine.

Quentin has grown to develop his own unique take on food, offering cuisine inspired not only from his roots and his travels, but combined with flavors of the region he is in. He currently resides with his wife and son in New York City and looks forward to continuing his growth in the culinary industry, especially the advancement of the foods of his People.

Check out his work online on Instagram, @chefquentinglabus, or his Facebook page Chef Quentin Glabus, Private Dinners or on Wordpress, www.quentinglabus.wordpress.com.

Hillel Echo-Hawk

Hillel Echo-Hawk (Pawnee and Athabaskan) was born and raised in the interior of Alaska, around the Athabaskan village of Mentasta-home to the matriarchal chief and subsistence rights activist, Katie John. Watching John and other Indigenous Peoples fight for food sovereignty, as well as seeing her mother strive to make healthy, home-cooked meals for her and her six siblings has given Hillel a unique and important perspective on diet and wellness.

Hillel has a passion for local, ethically sourced and sustainable foods, all through an Indigenous lens and perspective. Echo-Hawk is dedicated to the food sovereignty of Native peoples and is committed to empowering all Indigenous Peoples by increasing knowledge of an access to traditional diets and foods. Hillel believes that food should feed not only the body, but the spirit and midshipmen's of the community. Her unique positioning and experience as an Indigenous person is making Chef Echo-Hawk a bright and rising voice in the culinary landscape.

​After receiving her Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts from Seattle Central College, Echo-Hawk has been working as a chef in some of Seattle's most innovated and popular restaurants for several years. She has also worked as a private chef, catering various events form the local Native non-profits and Native community events with pre-colonial, Indigenous meals. Hillel is a sister, aunt, daughter, and active member of her community.

Diana Bird

Diana Violet Bird (Cree/nehiyawak First Nations originally from Montreal Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada) is an Indigenous Food Activist, Caterer and has worked in the Social Work field for over 18 years. She is the author of the Indigenous cookbook, From The Birds: A First Nations Cook Book. She is the owner of Bird’s Kitchen Catering Company and is gaining popularity with her Indigenous Food infused cuisine. She opened up the Tea Room Restaurant in the summer of 2018 where she served a variety of foods infused with Indigenous Foods. She graduated with a Psychology Degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 2012 and has an Indigenous Social Work Degree from the First Nations University of Canada.

Diana’s roots are growing up on a farm living off the land, raising chickens, hunting and fishing and tended 2 large gardens in Christopher Lake, Saskatchewan where her parents own 80 acres. Diana offers cooking classes, canning sessions and incorporates her knowledge into her work plans as a Holistic Wellness Facilitator. Diana worked on a Health Eating on a Budget program in her practicum along with sharing her knowledge of Indigenous knowledge of foods and some plants.

Diana is a proud mother to her 7-year-old Gabrielle. They enjoy cooking, fishing, going on hunting trips, picking fiddleheads, berries and mushrooms, medicines, canning, gardening and coming up with new recipes.

Kristina Stanley

Kristina Stanley (Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa) attended Northland College where she studied Ecopsychology – with a focus on Horticulture Therapy. Her studies focused around food ecosystems, food access, and how an individual’s relationship with food and the natural environment affects both physical and mental health. Finding disparities between chefs and event organizers, she continued her studies, completing the Meeting and Event Management Program at Madison College.

Kristina has worked in the food service industry for over 20 years, working as a line cook, pastry chef, catering director, and other various management roles. She is a business owner, and works as an independent contractor planning events and conferences, and also shares her knowledge and experience as an Adjunct Instructor in the Hospitality Program at Fox Valley Technical College. She has also worked as a chef and marketing assistant with the Intertribal Agriculture Council, teaches community cooking classes, volunteered for many years with school garden and chef in the classroom programs and, and has assisted in planning various food sovereignty focused summits, conferences, and pop-up events.

Kristina is the owner and head chef of Abaaso Foods, which services the Fox Valley and Madison, WI areas. Utilizing Kristina’s unique viewpoint and experience, Abaaso is a plant-focused catering, wholesale, and events company featuring indigenous ingredients, and tribally sourced products.

Iaonhawinon

Iaonhawinon (Kaienkehaka/Mohawk) is a dedicated hard working chef-in-training from Akwesanse, Ontario, Canada. She learned meat cutting skills right out of high school and moved to Toronto to attend George Brown College for her certification in culinary management and is currently honing her skills in upscale Toronto restaurants featuring Mexican, Asian and fusion Cuisine. She also honours the traditional food of the Mohawk people by cooking traditional family dishes. Iaonhawinon enjoyed sharing her knowledge with community members by recently teaching groups of adult students in the Akwesasne Culture Restoration program, high school graduates preparing to leave home and younger students at the Akwesasne Freedom School. Iaonhawinon's love of sharing healthy, clean and delicious food is the seed that has grown into her passion. Visit her Facebook.

Twila Cassadore

Twila has been working with San Carlos Apache, White Mountain Apache, and Yavapi peoples for the past 25 years, conducting interviews with elders to bring information back into the community to address health and social problems. Twila described the importance of foods like grass seeds and acorn seeds to the diets of Apaches before people were moved onto reservations and became reliant on rations, and later, commodities.

Tashia Hart

Tashia Hart (Red Lake Anishinaabe) grew up in the wilds of Minnesota. She loves animals, writing, drawing, plants and cooking. She is the author of “Gidjie and the Wolves” (Intermediaries, volume 1) and "Girl Unreserved" (Broken Wings and Things, volume 1). Her forthcoming wild rice cookbook in partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society Press is set to be released in the fall of 2021. She writes essays and recipes about wild foods for various organizations, tribal programs, and is an avid beader with 30 years of experience. She believes Indigenous people should control how their stories and likenesses are portrayed, and so has recently started the independent publishing company (Not) Too Far Removed Press. The mission of the press is to uplift fellow Indigenous authors and artists. She is Red Lake Anishinaabe.