Native American Cuisine, Foods, and the Way of Life

Chef Freddie Bitsoie (bit-sue-ee) will discuss the cultural progression of foods in the western hemisphere, and how native foods of the western hemisphere have been claimed, misused, appropriated and overlooked for centuries. Chef Bitsoie will discuss how these foods survived through migration, colonization, and cuisine culture. 

Initially pursuing cultural anthropology at the University of New Mexico, a conversation with an archaeology professor led Bitsoie to the culinary arts. He pursued mastery at Le Cordon Bleu in Scottsdale, Arizona, and soon became a distinguished figure on the Food Network and at the Mitsitam Native Foods café, where he served as the Executive Chef within the National Museum of the American Indian. In 2021, he published the cookbook New Native Kitchen: Celebrating Modern Recipes of the American Indian, which showcases the variety of flavor and culinary history, providing modern interpretations of 100 recipes that have long fed this country.

This lecture will be recorded and added to the Available Recordings site only for those with an ISU Net ID for two weeks following the conclusion of the event.