By Ivan Watson

For the Saanich B次元官网网址

From delicious wild salmon to flavourful stinging nettles and nutritious horsetail plants, the lands and seas around Victoria are ripe with ingredients used in traditional Indigenous cooking, notes Camosun anthropology instructor Nicole Kilburn.

Kilburn and her colleagues in the collegeB次元官网网址檚 anthropology, culinary arts and hospitality management departments are partnering with the Songhees Nation on March 23 to host an evening of Indigenous cuisine, culture and cooking for reconciliation with a focus on food sovereignty.

B次元官网网址淲e want people to understand that the locally sourced foods in these traditional territories are really an embodiment of the connection with the land,B次元官网网址� said Kilburn. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l be physically going out to connect with the landscape and forage many of the ingredients that weB次元官网网址檒l serve on peopleB次元官网网址檚 plates.B次元官网网址�

The event B次元官网网址淔ood Sovereignty and ReconciliationB次元官网网址� celebrates Indigenous cuisine and culture and takes place on Friday, March 23, at 6 p.m. in the Songhees Wellness Centre in Esquimalt. It features award-winning Indigenous chef Richard Francis who has achieved national prominence with his work on reconciliation through cooking and his appearance on Top Chef Canada. The format is designed to be both engaging and educational.

B次元官网网址淒uring the evening, guests will enjoy a multi-course meal and move around to themed stations representing different aspects of nature and their connection to food,B次元官网网址� said hospitality management instructor Brad Boisvert, whose integrated event management class students are organizing the event logistics. B次元官网网址淓ach course will represent the themes of the land, the sea and the beach with ingredients such as salmon, clams, venison and locally foraged ingredients.B次元官网网址�

Guests will enjoy wines from Indigenous vineyards in the will work in the kitchen with their Songhees partners to prepare each course. Anthropology students will welcome guests as they arrive and provide an overview of the cultural context behind each course as well as its connection to the land around us.

B次元官网网址淭here are many foods that are traditional and culturally appropriate that are produced with ecologically sound and sustainable methods,B次元官网网址� notes Kilburn. B次元官网网址淲hen we talk about food sovereignty, weB次元官网网址檙e recognizing knowledge and the knowledge keepers who have the power and the right to define their own food systems.B次元官网网址�

The eveningB次元官网网址檚 final course will be prepared by headliner chef Richard Francis, with participants enjoying their meal in front of the main stage while he shares his thoughts about cooking for reconciliation. Songhees dancers and drummers will provide the entertainment.

Hospitality management students Yuuri Daiku and Cecilia Aldea are two of the eventB次元官网网址檚 project leaders. They believe CamosunB次元官网网址檚 focus on hands-on, applied learning is critical for their education.

B次元官网网址淵ou get into the real-world while youB次元官网网址檙e in class and our teachers are people who all have years of experience from being in the industry,B次元官网网址� said Daiku. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 absolutely thrilled about how real the program is and how it creates all these connections with people and partners like the Songhees and the charities that weB次元官网网址檙e working with on other projects.B次元官网网址�

Co-organizer Cecilia Aldea agrees, while praising the opportunity to connect her education with important reconciliation efforts. B次元官网网址淚 believe that it is a responsibility that we all have and itB次元官网网址檚 something that we need to take seriously because we are humans,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淎lso, because it is about how we can understand different ways of doing things and appreciate the ideals of Canada as a diverse nation.B次元官网网址�

Organizers are already looking ahead to next year with plans in the works to make the evening an annual event. B次元官网网址淭his event is unique because our students are able to take what theyB次元官网网址檙e learning and apply it instantly in a practical setting; it brings together three different areas of Camosun College; and it highlights the importance of food in connecting people and cultures and starting the journey of reconciliation together,B次元官网网址� said Boisvert. B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e breaking bread together, youB次元官网网址檙e breaking down barriers.B次元官网网址�

Tickets cost $80 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.ca. All proceeds go towards creating a scholarship fund for the Songhees Nation.