PHOENIX -- Since she was 3 years old, Mariah Gladstone says, she has had a passion for food.
After graduating from high school in northwest Montana, she studied environmental engineering at Columbia University in New York. During summers, she returned to her Blackfeet Nation home where she realized how disconnected Indigenous communities were from their traditional food systems.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm鈥減7E6C x 8C25F2E65 4@==686[ x H@F=5 E2<6 G242E:@? 52JD 7C@> >J C62=\H@C=5 ;@3 E@ 8@ E@ 7@@5 D@G6C6:8?EJ 4@?76C6?46D[鈥� D2:5 v=25DE@?6[ H9@ :D q=24<766E 2?5 r96C@<66] 鈥減E @?6 @7 E9@D6 4@?76C6?46D[ x D2:5[ 鈥�$@>6@?6 C62==J ?665D E@ DE2CE 2 4@@<:?8 D9@H 23@FE x?5:86?@FD 7@@5D] x E9:?< x鈥�> ;FDE 8@:?8 E@ 5@ E92E]鈥欌€漦^Am
kAmx?5:8:<:E496? H2D 3@C?] %96 @?=:?6 4@@<:?8 D9@H :D 2 4@>3:?2E:@? @7 4@?E6?E @? *@F%F36 2D H6== 2D C64:A6D D92C65 @? :ED H63D:E6] %96 7@@5D 4@?E2:? }2E:G6 :?8C65:6?ED =:<6 36CC:6D[ 4@C?[ DBF2D9 2?5 H:=5 C:46]k^Am
kAmu@@5 D@G6C6:8?EJ :D 2 4@?46AE 4@:?65 :? `hhe 3J {2 ':2 r2>A6D:?2[ 2 8=@32= >@G6>6?E @7 72C>6CD E92E C64@8?:K6D E96 C:89E @7 A6@A=6 E@ 962=E9J 2?5 4F=EFC2==J 2AAC@AC:2E6 7@@5 AC@5F465 E9C@F89 64@=@8:42==J D@F?5 2?5 DFDE2:?23=6 >6E9@5D]k^Am
kAm~? 96C H63D:E6[ v=25DE@?6 6>A92D:K6D E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 E96 C64:A6D 7@C x?5:86?@FD A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm鈥渪 H2?E E@ 4@??64E A6@A=6 H:E9 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE DFDE2:?23=6 92CG6DE:?8 >6E9@5D[ A=2?E:?8 <?@H=6586[ DFDE2:?23=6 9F?E:?8 2?5[ @7 4@FCD6[ E96 C64:A6D 2?5 E96 7@@5 E92E 2C6 H2JD @7 FD:?8 @FC 2?46DEC2= <?@H=6586 :? @FC >@56C? =:G6D[鈥� D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmv=25DE@?6 DAC625D E9:D <?@H=6586 3J H@C<:?8 H:E9 }2E:G6 72C>6CD 2?5 7:D96C>6? :? E96 9@A6D E92E :E ?@E @?=J C6DE@C6D E96:C 3FD:?6DD6D[ 3FE E96 =2?5 >2?286>6?E 2?5 EC25:E:@?2= 64@=@8:6D]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 32D65 :? |@?E2?2[ x?5:8:<:E496? 92D >256 :ED H2J 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ] v=25DE@?6 :D 2 A@AF=2C DA62<6C H:E9 8C@FAD :? E96 $@FE9H6DE 2?5 E96 vC62E {2<6D C68:@? H9@ 9:C6 96C 7@C 65F42E:@?2= =64EFC6D[ 4@@<:?8 4=2DD6D 2?5 D49@@= C6D:56?4:6D] v=25DE@?6 2=D@ 92D E:6D E@ r2?252[ H96C6 D96 92D 7@C>65 C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 @E96C ?2E:@?D :? E96 q=24<7@@E r@?7656C24J]k^Am
kAm%96D6 4@??64E:@?D 92G6 >@E:G2E65 v=25DE@?6 E@ 4@?E:?F6 96C H@C< H:E9 x?5:8:<:E496?[ 2?5 D96 D2:5 D96鈥橠 8C2E67F= E@ FD6 2 E@@= =:<6 D@4:2= >65:2 :? @C56C E@ C6249 E96 C:89E 2F5:6?46D]k^Am
kAm鈥渪?5:2? r@F?ECJ :D D>2== 2?5 u2463@@< :D 2 5:8:E2= E6=68C2A9[ D@ :E 92D 2 H2J @7 C6249:?8 2 =@E @7 4@>>F?:E:6D G6CJ BF:4<=J H96C6 6G6CJ@?6 D92C6D >J C64:A6D 2?5 FE:=:K6D E96>[鈥� D96 D2:5] 鈥�%96 >@C6 A6@A=6 x D66 FD:?8 E9@D6 C64:A6D[ E96 3:886C 5:776C6?46 :E >2<6D E@ DFAA@CE }2E:G6 AC@5F46CD 2D H6== 2D 962=E9J ?FEC:E:@? :? @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D]鈥漦^Am
kAmp>@?8 E96 C64:A6D @? 96C H63D:E6 2C6 %9C66 $:DE6CD $@FA[ H9:49 FD6D 4@C?[ 362?D 2?5 DBF2D9j A6>>:42?[ 2 >:IEFC6 @7 5CJ 3F772=@ >62E[ 5C:65 4C2?36CC:6D 2?5 3=F636CC:6D 2?5 8C2DD\765 3667 E2==@Hj DF?7=@H6C >2A=6 4@@<:6Dj 2?5 >6DBF:E6 3=F6 4@C?3C625]k^Am
Mariah Gladstone prepares a traditionally inspired Native American meal from her online cooking show, Indigikitchen.聽
Mariah Gladstone via Cronkite News
kAmr@??64E:?8 x?5:86?@FD A6@A=6 H:E9 E96 7@@5 E96J 2E6 367@C6 tFC@A62? 7@@5D H6C6 :?EC@5F465 :?E@ E96:C 5:6ED :D 2 >@G6>6?E 82:?:?8 A@AF=2C:EJ] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 }2E:@?2= x?5:2? r@F?4:= @? p8:?8[ }2E:G6 7@@5D :?4=F565 D665D[ ?FED[ 4@C?[ 362?D[ 49:=6[ DBF2D9[ H:=5 7CF:ED 2?5 8C66?D[ 96C3D[ 7:D9 2?5 82>6]k^Am
kAm!6@A=6 =:<6 v=25DE@?6 42== E96D6 鈥淎C6\4@?E24E 7@@5D[鈥� 2?5 E96J 6>A92D:K6 E96 :>A@CE2?46 7@C x?5:86?@FD A6@A=6 E@ 46=63C2E6 E96:C 7@@5 4F=EFC6 2?5 :>AC@G6 E96:C 962=E9 3J C6EFC?:?8 E@ 2 >@C6 EC25:E:@?2= 5:6E]k^Am
kAm%92E :D 6DA64:2==J :>A@CE2?E 7@C E96 }2G2;@ }2E:@?[ H9:49 E96 &$sp 4=2DD:7:6D 2D 2 鈥�7@@5 56D6CE]鈥� %96C6 2C6 @?=J `c 8C@46CJ DE@C6D 7@C 2 =2?5 >2DD @7 ah[___ DBF2C6 >:=6D[ 7@C4:?8 A6@A=6 E@ EC2G6= 2 =@?8 H2J E@ 3FJ ?FEC:E:@FD 7@@5D]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C }2E:G6 7@@5 2?5 =:76DEJ=6 3=@886C H9@ AC@>@E6D s:?U624FE6j[ @C }2G2;@[ C64:A6D :D p=2?2 *2KK:6] ~? 96C H63D:E6[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^E9672?4J?2G2;@]4@>QmE9672?4J?2G2;@]4@>k^2m[ D96 A@DED C64:A6D 7@C 3=F6 4@C? H277=6D[ DF>24 36CCJ D>@@E9:6D 2?5 3=F6 4@C? @2E>62= 7C@> 96C 4@@<3@@<[ U=5BF@j%96 |@56C? }2G2;@ z:E496?]UC5BF@jk^Am
kAm~? 96C x?DE28C2>[ H9:49 92D ah[___ 7@==@H6CD[ D96 6?4@FC286D @E96CD E@ 6>3C246 E96:C x?5:86?@FD 4F=EFC6 E9C@F89 C64:A6D[ 72D9:@? 2?5 82C56?:?8]k^Am
kAm$96 DE2CE65 96C H63D:E6 :? a_`c H:E9 2 8@2= @7 D9@H:?8 62DJ H2JD E@ 3=6?5 x?5:86?@FD :?8C65:6?ED :?E@ 6G6CJ52J 5:D96D]k^Am
kAm鈥�%96C6鈥橠 2 3:E @7 2CE E@ :E 3642FD6 J@F 42?鈥橢 ;FDE E9C@H E9:?8D :? H:E9@FE <?@H:?8 E96 7@@5 D4:6?46 2C@F?5 :E[ 3FE :E鈥橠 ?@E E@@ 5:77:4F=E[鈥� D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm*2KK:6[ H9@ H2D 3@C? :? }6H |6I:4@[ D2:5 D96 AC6G:@FD=J DE@4<65 FA @? :?8C65:6?ED =:<6 3=F6 4@C? H96? D96 鈥淗6?E 9@>6 E@ }2G2;@ =2?5]鈥� $96 =:G6D :? !9@6?:I ?@H 2?5 7:?5D :E 62D:6C E@ 3FJ :E6>D @?=:?6 3642FD6 @7 E96 8C@H:?8 ?F>36C @7 }2E:G6 D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D E92E @776C =@42= :?8C65:6?ED]k^Am
kAm$:?46 96C 4@@<3@@< H2D AF3=:D965 :? ~4E@36C a_ac[ *2KK:6 92D DE2J65 3FDJ H:E9 4@@<:?8 6G6?ED 2?5 56>@?DEC2E:@?D] 鈥�%92E鈥橠 C62==J >J A2DD:@?[鈥� D96 D2:5] 鈥渪 H2?E A6@A=6 E@ :>A=6>6?E E96D6 C64:A6D :?E@ E96:C 52:=J =:76 D@ E92E H6 42? 4@?E:?F6 @FC EC25:E:@?D]鈥漦^Am
kAmx? $6AE6>36C[ x?5:8:<:E496?鈥橠 v=25DE@?6 H:== 36 DA62<:?8 2E E96 u=28DE277 u6DE:G2= @7 $4:6?46 2E E96 :?G:E2E:@? @7 z6==J $282?6J[ H9@ :D s:?茅[ @C }2G2;@[ 2?5 2 76DE:G2= 3@2C5 >6>36C]k^Am
kAmv=25DE@?6 H:== E2=< 23@FE x?5:86?@FD 64@=@8:42= DE6H2C5D9:A[ E96 4F=EFC2= D:8?:7:42?46 @7 }2E:G6 7@@5D 2?5 3C:58:?8 x?5:86?@FD 2?5 (6DE6C? D4:6?46]k^Am
kAm$282?6J D2:5 D96 7@F?5 v=25DE@?6 E9C@F89 E96 }2E:G6 p>6C:42? u@@5 $@G6C6:8?EJ p==:2?46鈥橠 x?DE28C2> 244@F?E 2?5 36=:6G65 :E H@F=5 36 36?67:4:2= E@ 92G6 2 >6>36C @7 E96 x?5:86?@FD 4@>>F?:EJ H:E9 2 D4:6?46 324<8C@F?5 36 2 762EFC65 DA62<6C 2E E96 `_\52J 76DE:G2=]k^Am
kAm鈥�$:?46 @FC 4@>>F?:EJ :? u=28DE277 92D 2 9:89 }2E:G6 p>6C:42? A@AF=2E:@?[ x ;FDE H2?E E96 =:EE=6 <:5D @FE E96C6 E@ 36 23=6 E@ D66 2 D4:6?E:DE H:E9 2 }2E:G6 324<8C@F?5] p?5 x E9:?< :E鈥橠 2=D@ 4@@= E92E :7 J@F 8@ 7@C 2 568C66 :? E96 $%t| 7:6=5[ J@F 5@?鈥橢 92G6 E@ H@C< 2E 2 3:8 4@CA@C2E:@?] *@F 42? 5@ H92E |2C:29 5:5 H:E9 x?5:8:<:E496? 2?5 DE2CE J@FC @H? AC@;64E[鈥� D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 u=28DE277 u6DE:G2= @7 $4:6?46 368:?D $6AE] `h[ 2?5 v=25DE@?6 H:== 36 E96 7:CDE x?5:86?@FD <6J?@E6 DA62<6C E92E 6G6?:?8]k^Am
