American Indian College Fund to Host Denver Indigenous Food Event June 14 Featuring Four Indigenous Celebrity Chefs to Benefit Native American College Students

Denver, Colo., May 31, 2023– Can you imagine a world without chocolate, blueberries, or guacamole? Neither can we. Yet the foods we take for granted were unknown outside the western hemisphere before 1492—because they are native to the western hemisphere.

Indigenous foods have added delicious and nutritious dimensions to cuisine for nearly six centuries—yet previously if you had wanted to try high-end indigenous cuisine prepared by Native chefs in Denver, it could be difficult to find.

On June14, the American Indian College Fund will introduce guests to Indigenous cuisine at its Denver EATSS (Epicurean Award to Support Scholars) event from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora, CO 80010. Attendees will also learn about how food sovereignty can help ensure the survival of nutritious food sources during climate change. Tocabe will be catering the event.

The following Indigenous celebrity chefs will serve up their favorite creations to guests:

• • Chef Andrea Murdoch (Andean Native; Caracas, Venezuela) is the owner of Four Directions Cuisine, using food to trace her own culture while educating the public about the expansive world of Indigenous food systems.
  • Chef Bradley Dry (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) has been a chef for 12 years, cooking traditional Cherokee dishes. He specializes in traveling to prepare food for special events and people, including Powwows, Folklorama, and the cast and crew of Reservation Dogs.
  • Chef Claire Westcott (Ute & Diné) was born and raised in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and spent the last decade honing her craft in some of Denver’s great dining establishments including Comal, Safta, and the former Acorn. Claire specializes in wood-fired cooking and celebrates her Afro-Indigenous heritage through food.
  • Chef Crystal Wahpepah (Kickapoo Nation of Oklahoma) is the owner and executive chef of Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, CA, the first Native woman-owned restaurant in northern California. She has cooked for the White House Hunger Conference with the James Beard Foundation as well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Members of the press, please contact Dina Horwedel at dhorwedel@collegefund.org or 303-430-5350. To purchase tickets please visit https://standwith.collegefund.org/denver-eatss/.

About the American Indian College Fund—The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 33 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $14.45 million in scholarships and other direct student support to American Indian students in 2021-22. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $284 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of academic and support programs at the nation’s 35 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators and is one of the nation’s top 100 charities named to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

Journalists—The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.

Chef Andrea Murdoch (Andean Native; Caracas, Venezuela) is the owner of Four Directions Cuisine, using food to trace her own culture while educating the public about the expansive world of Indigenous food systems.

Chef Bradley Dry (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) has been a chef for 12 years, cooking traditional Cherokee dishes. He specializes in traveling to prepare food for special events and people, including Powwows, Folklorama, and the cast and crew of Reservation Dogs.

Chef Claire Westcott (Ute & Diné) was born and raised in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and spent the last decade honing her craft in some of Denver’s great dining establishments including Comal, Safta, and the former Acorn. Claire specializes in wood-fired cooking and celebrates her Afro-Indigenous heritage through food.

Chef Crystal Wahpepah (Kickapoo Nation of Oklahoma) is the owner and executive chef of Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, CA, the first Native woman-owned restaurant in northern California. She has cooked for the White House Hunger Conference with the James Beard Foundation as well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.