Food-focused reading list to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day
By Allie Arnell
As some of the earth’s cardinal upcyclers, Indigenous people offer a unique perspective on food and its relationship to the earth. Beyond that, Indigenous cultures feature many plentiful and inventive food traditions worth preserving.
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day by learning about some of these remarkable food histories or by finding new ingredients and recipes to test in your kitchen. From cookbooks to personal narratives, these authors explore several aspects of how food is undeniably interwoven with the experiences of Indigenous people.
8 Books about Indigenous Cooking, Food, and Culture
1. “The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen” by Sean Sherman
-An introduction to modern Indigenous Siouxland cuisine that is quickly becoming an essential title
Learn from author and two-time James Beard award-winning author Sean Sherman about his journey to share Indigenous foods.
2. “A Gathering Basket” by I-Collective
-The 2022 digital cookbook written by Indigenous people for Indigenous people, telling the stories behind their ingredients
3. “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer
-The musings of a Native American botanist as she interweaves her knowledge of science, the natural world, and Indigenous traditions
Head out on a guided nature tour with the New York Times best-selling author Robin Wall Kimmerer.
4. “Native Harvests: American Indian Wild Foods and Recipes” by E. Barrie Kavasch
-A forager’s cult classic guide for a comprehensive understanding of Native American ingredients
The New York Times called her book "the most intelligent and brilliantly researched book on the foods of the American Indians."
5. “Starvation Mode” by Elissa Washuta
-A brief autobiography detailing a young Native American woman’s struggle with eating disorders and body dysmorphia
-A cookbook featuring recipes that merge ancient traditions with modern methods and celebrate the Indigenous heritage of American cuisine
We’ve learned from the many UFA members working with cacao fruit about the potential of chocolate! In his cooking demo, “The Power of Chocolate,” Chef Freddie Bitsoie teaches us how to celebrate the cacao plant, the chocolate that derives from it, and the many forms it takes.
7. “Women on the Breadline” by Meridel Le Sueur
-A non-fiction commentary written in 1932 on the bleak reality for Depression-era Indigenous women
Le Sueur paved the way for female artists to compose combative writings, reconciling the personal and the political, through this and other works.
8. “Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations” by Lois Ellen Frank
-Written by a culinary anthropologist and community health leader focused on documenting Native American foodways
Dr. Frank has documented the diets and lifestyles of Native American tribes from the Southwest for more than 30 years.
Dr. Frank speaks to cooking and eating for a connected world.
Allie Arnell (she/her) is a content creator/snack chef to three. When she’s not chasing toddlers, she’s making a mess in her Memphis kitchen.
