Indigenous Resources for Culinary Programs

Untamed Gourmet brings the original purveyors of the local food movement - Canada's Aboriginal people together with some of Canada's finest gourmet chefs. It takes the culinary arts out of the kitchen and back to the source. We watch a meal evolve – from inspiration, to collection, to preparation – all in a different landscape where the ingredients are found or grown.

Perry Omeasoo, on his personal journey towards better health, demonstrates modified versions of traditional Indigenous games and skill training. Along the way he also whips up tasty dishes inspired by the origins of these games.

Hosts Kris and Sarain get a taste of the many different aspects of Food Sovereignty. They visit Food Justice Advocate, Adrianne Lickers Xavier, at Six Nations Farmers Market where she manages the “Our Sustenance” program. Consultant and Traditional Teacher Bob Goulais talks about Sacred Law and how that applies to responsible fishing. In addition, Sarain and Kris experience Indigenous Cuisine prepared by Chef Joseph Shawana of KūKum Kitchen in Toronto.

Chef Shane Chartrand has been featured on Chopped Canada and Cook It Raw, and is an award-winning Chef of Indigenous inspired menus, which respect and celebrate his Enoch Cree Nation roots. An advocate for modern Indigenous culinary art, Chartrand travels the country teaching Aboriginal communities cooking skills. In this discussion, learn more about Indigenous culture through an exploration of the culinary arts.

An indigenous chef embarks on a ambitious project to reclaim ancient food ways on the Apache reservation.

SEED: THE UNTOLD STORY follows passionate seed-keepers protecting our 12,000 year-old food legacy. These farmers, scientists, lawyers and indigenous people are fighting a David and Goliath battle to defend the future of our food.

EL CACAO exposes the dark side of chocolate production in Latin America by examining the economics of Fair Trade from the point of view of the indigenous farmers as they attempt to sustain their community through the growth, harvest, and trade of cacao beans in the global market. This 20-minute documentary film highlights the life of an indigenous Ngäbe farmer in Panama and his unconditional devotion to this so-called “superfood.” The film threads together the themes of neoliberal ideology, human rights, and the economics of the chocolate industry. While the demand for chocolate in developed nations continues to raise, the farmers in developing countries, like Panama, are rarely awarded the economic incentive promised to them.

The film utilizes cinema vérité techniques with candid interviews. Most of the film hinges on intimate shots in personal working and living space within a small Ngäbe community in the Bocas del Toro region of Panama.