Revitalizing Indigenous food systems directly revitalizes Indigenous cultures and in turn ensures that our food system remains strong and resilient for generations to come. With modern food systems showing their fragility it’s time that the world woke up to the power, the beauty, and the flavors of Indigenous Foods, says Salish storyteller and chef Jared Qwustenuxun Williams. Our elders teach us that our food is why we are strong, but it is up to us to bring our food out from the shadows and back into the light where it belongs, for the benefit of everyone. Jared Qwustenuxun Williams is a passionate traditional foods chef who spent much of his youth with his late grandmother, immersed in Salish culture. After Qwustenuxun graduated from culinary arts, he spent a decade working in restaurants across Vancouver Island before deciding to move back home to Quw’utsun to take the role of Elder’s Kitchen Manager at Cowichan Tribes. After more than decade of cooking for his elders, Qwustenuxun now works as an indigenous foods educator, writer, and consultant.
Most recently, Jared won a Canadian Online Publishing Award for best multicultural story, was nominated for the 2022 BC Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Award, and helped FNHA complete their first smoked salmon project proving that Salish smoked salmon is a safe and effective technique for food preservation. When he is not working on furthering Salish food sovereignty, Qwustenuxun spends his time with his young sons sailing and camping around the Salish Sea. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx