Indigenous Foods Festival: Food, community and artistry 

The third Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute’s Indigenous Foods Festival will be held on Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Wiyot Plaza, located between Cal Poly Humboldt’s Behavioral and Social Sciences building and the Native American Forum. The foods festival celebrates Indigenous food sovereignty by bringing together organizations to host tables featuring food, art, film screenings, demonstrations and workshops.  

Education and conversation through food

Delaney Schroeder-Echavarria is a graduate student and program coordinator for the Ghvtlh-k’vsh shu’-srnelh-‘i (Kelp Guardians) Sea Grant with the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation and the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab (FSL) & Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute.  Schroeder-Echavarria emphasizes the importance of the festival in hosting conversations within a communal space and the educational aspects.

“It’s a celebration of our traditional foods. A majority of the foods that we eat come from the Americas, our traditional and Indigenous foods of the Americas. And a lot of people don’t realize that or recognize that. A lot of people think, ‘oh, tomatoes, Italy,’ but Italians didn’t have tomatoes until colonization,” Schroeder-Echavarria said. “People don’t think about things like that, and I think it’s very important for us as Indigenous peoples and as community members to use that space as a place for connecting with community and also for educating community in a fun and safe environment within Wiyot plaza.” 

The festival creates a space for people to come together and share the work that has been implemented, the community initiatives in place to uplift Indigenous food sovereignty and connections to food and culture. 

Covin Sigala, a senior Native American studies major at CPH and student assistant for the FSL, reflected on last year’s festival.

“The Indigenous Foods Festival is important because it brings a lot of people together, especially our community, our local Native community, onto the college campus. And we get to share what we made with the community,” Sigala said. “And it’s just overall a good time, people get to see each other, eat food, and see how food is processed and cooked.”

Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab– open during festival 

For the first time, the food sovereignty lab (FSL) will be open as part of the festival, marking a significant moment for students, community, and faculty who have worked to make the lab a working space for Indigenous led initiatives. 

“This will be the first year that we actually get to have workshops in here and people get to go see it, so it’s really exciting,” Schroeder-Echavarria said. 

Alongside tabling and food vendors, the lab hosts a chef in residence each year to come visit,  teach FSL staff and hold community workshops. This year’s chosen chef is Crystal Wahpepah, a member of the Kickapoo Nation of Oklahoma and owner of Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland.

Having the lab open during the festival will allow for the in-person transfer of Indigenous knowledge and ways of preparing food to the community.

Reaching beyond 

The overarching goal of the festival is to celebrate the many Indigenous food sovereignty programs local and beyond, to bring these initiatives together and educate people on their work.  

“We’re going to be really just showcasing the beauty of Indigenous people and our connections with food beyond Turtle Island, beyond just Humboldt and I think that students need to know everyone is welcome, come by, check it out, sign up to volunteer if you can, tell other people about it.” 

For more information on the festival and volunteer opportunities, visit: https://www.humboldt.edu/food-sovereignty/indigenous-foods-festival