IndigeNOW! Culinary Festival - Celebrating Indigenous Cuisines From Around the World

The creation of an in-person annual international Indigenous culinary festival/trade show beginning in 2025 which will showcase Indigenous chefs and Indigenous food producers from around the world and promote buying Indigenous and hiring Indigenous in the culinary industry.

• Year 1 – 2021
• Year 2 – 2022
• Year 3 – 2024
  • First Chef: Mhlelusizo Ncube, Zimbabwe

• Zimbabwe Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube – Zoom presentation to Indigenous culinary students at Navajo Technical University, Crownpoint, New Mexico
• Freddie Bitsoie, then-Executive Chef Mitsitam Cafe, National Museum of the American Indian – Zoom presentation to virtual conference “Our Food Our Heritage, Our Future,” Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube – in person visit to New Mexico

About Chef Ncube:

• • Chef
  • Mandela Washington Fellow, University of Nevada at Reno, 2022
  • C.E.O & Founder, an Lead Consultant of Stir-up African Chefs
  • Head Chef& Ambassador of African Food Revolution
  • Food writer, Hope Magazine
  • Events & Networking Coordinator, Young African Leadership Initiative,YALI Southern Africa RLC, Zimbabwe Chapter

Activities in 2022:

• • worked with Native American students at SIPI (Southwest Indian Polytechnic Institute, a tribal college) to create a Zimbabwe corn dish that was served at the reception hosted by SIPI
  • meeting with the Zimbabwean community in NM
  • meeting with Native American chef Lois Ellen Frank
  • meeting with Acoma farmer and Seedkeeper Aaron Lowden
  • meeting with Kenya chef Ahmed Obo at his restaurant, Jambo, in Santa Fe
  • meeting with the directors of institutions in Santa Fe about possible joint projects with Zimbabwean counterparts
  • meeting with educators about possible educational exchanges with Zimbabwean and other international counterparts
  • reception and Zimbabwean cooking demonstration hosted by the Black Leadership Council of NM
  • live interview with the Voice of America Zimbabwe desk

Visiting Indigenous Chefs to speak about Indigenous cuisines in their country and efforts to Indigenize diets and meet with Native American chefs and food producers, and general audiences

First Chef: Mhlelusizo Ncube, Zimbabwe

Images left to right: Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube arrival in Albuquerque, Five course tasting menu for lunch at the home of Chef Lois Ellen Frank, Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube with Chef Lois Ellen Frank

Images left to right: Salad, Green chile chicken tamales, Pan fried ruby trout

Images left to right: Mixed berry crisp, Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube with mixed berry crisp at the home of Chef Lois Ellen Frank

Checking out Isleta Resort and Casino as a possible venue for our ultimate goal, the creation of an in-person annual international Indigenous culinary festival/trade show which will showcase Indigenous chefs and Indigenous food producers from around the world and promote buying Indigenous and hiring Indigenous in the culinary industry

Images left to right: Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube at the Indian Pueblo Kitchen, Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube with Jon Ghahate, Chef Mhlelusizo ready to eat lunch at the Indian Pueblo Kitchen

Images above: Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube is also a stock raiser and enjoyed a day with Isleta Pueblo ranchers

Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube with Lt. Governor Juan Rey Abeyta and Lt. Governor Eugene Jiron of Isleta Pueblo

Images left to right: Dinner at the home of Jill van Nortwick, Chef Mhlelusizo Ncube and Gordon Bronitsky Meeting with Brenda McKenna,, Constituent Services & Field Representative for Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)

Speaking at Santa Fe Community College on “Revolutionizing African Food” amd t0 students for Wellness Friday at Albuquerque’s Native American Community Academy, the only Native American charter school in the Albuquerque Public Schools

Working with students, staff and faculty at A:shiwi College and Career Readiness Center to prepare a Zimbabwe meal

A very special three-day visit to Zuni Pueblo as guests of A:shiwi College and Career Readiness Center and its Executive Director, Hayes Lewis

Images left to right: At the Four Corners Navajo Park, the only place in the United States where 4 states come together—New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado, Visiting Window Rock, Arizona, the capital of the Navajo Nation and seeing the memorial to the Navajo Code Talkers, A view of Shiprock (Tsé Bit’ a’í, Rock With Wings, in Navajo)’

Lunch at Jambo Bobcat Bites Cafe in Santa Fe, with owner/chef/entrepreneur Ahmed Obo

Dinner at Farm and Table restaurant in Albuquerque with owner Cherie Montoya, Thembi Silundika, and partner Danny Lopez

Thanking Victor Limary, Director of Operations for Talin Market for their generous support of Chef Ncube’s tour with a bottle of Zimbabwe’s own Kumusha wine

Meeting with Jim Gay of Casa Rondeña Winery and its very special Animate Center about the possibility of future international Indigenous chefs for special dinners at the Center

The final chapter of a wonderful visit – home to Zimbabwe with the gift of a water bottle from the Navajo Language Program at the University of New Mexico