This month we hosted local Chef and Artist Ramon Shiloh (Mvskoke/Cherokee/Filipino/Black) and Chef Caitlyn Tuttle (Celiac + Allergy-Friendly Recipe Developer) for a food demonstration and mini talk as part of our Community Tours Series. Guests enjoyed a storytelling through food experience as Ramon took them on a journey of six beautiful dishes featuring First Nations Foods and teachings about foraging local seasonal ingredients, food sovereignty, and Indigenous food knowledge. Ramon shared about his own food journey and led a cooking demonstration of smoked sockeye salmon patties with Chippewa wild rice and salmon roe. He was assisted by Chef Caitlyn Tuttle whose culinary focus is on food accessibility.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Ramon is an award-winning author, illustrator, activist for Native youth, and multicultural chef. He was raised in Palo Alto, California amongst the Indigenous activist community of the bay area that was born from the Occupation of Alcatraz in 1970. His mother, June Legrand ‘Sukuybtet’ was a radio broadcaster, storyteller, educator, and social activist that surrounded him with Native perspectives and spirituality. Her gifts of guidance and education provided a foundation of connection that Ramon continues in his teachings today. His core values are focused on building healthy and empowering relationships which reflect our foodway systems and the need to share our Indigenous food knowledge in this ever-changing world.
We’re grateful to Ramon and Caitlyn for creating such a special evening for us and feeding everyone so much beautiful and delicious food. Stay tuned for upcoming Community Tours, which are free and open to the public each month, and feature fun opportunities to meet with our staff and connect with our community of Native artists and culture bearers.
Our work centers the belief that American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian artists and culture bearers are leading powerful conversations through creative expression, bringing valuable perspective to contemporary life, and inspiring healing across cultural divides. We are excited to expand access to these perspectives through increasing visibility of Native creativity at our new home – the Center for Native Arts and Cultures.
THE MENU
Wrapping Ceremony
Summer vegetables wrapped in corn husk, wild mint puree
Homelands Collection
Summer vegetable stuffed flour cones with savory huckleberry sauce
Three Sisters Canoe Harvest
Charred chiles, white bean, squash, sweet corn, topped with lime juice, chili oil
Steamed Corn Masa Cakes
Sweet creamed corn, berries, huckleberry sauce, fennel pollen, toasted hazelnuts
Hawaiian Banana Lumpia
Banana wrapped egg roll served with caramelized pineapple compote, macadamia nuts
COOKING DEMONSTRATION
Smoked Salmon and Wild Rice Bites
Fried smoked sockeye salmon patties with Chippewa wild rice, roe
