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.

In 2021 and 2022, we began laying the foundation for these annual events. In 2024, we continue to move forward. Click the links below to jump to any year:

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

• 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

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

Second Chef: Santos Canel, Guatemala

Images Left to Right: November 16 – Chef Santos Canel arrives in Albuquerque and relaxes at my home, Chef Canel at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for a delicious lunch at the Indian Pueblo Kitchen with Jon Ghahate and enjoying Pueblo Indian dances with a dance group from Jemez Pueblo–and a photograph with the dancers

Images Left to Right: November 17 – Introduction to New Mexican cuisine – lunch at Sadie’s (where else?), Mexican ice cream at La Michoacana de Paquime – a tamarindo ice pop for Chef Canel, cajeta ice cream for me and shopping at El Mezquite market for supplies for his cultural demonstrations at United World College in Las Vegas, NM, as International Indigenous Chef in Residence

Images Left to Right: November 18 – Chef Santos Canel with Victor Limary, Director of Operations of Talin Market and a loyal supporter of international Indigenous chefs, a tour of the Culinary Program at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque with (l-r) Chef Andrea Schulte, Department Chair, Chef Santos Canel, and Benjamin Jeremiah, Culinary and Beverage Lab Specialist, culinary student work in spun sugar, Chef Canel enjoying coffee chicken at Fan Tang, Chef Canel speaking at the University of New Mexico under the auspices of the Latin American and Iberian Institute–Maya Cuisine: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Images Left to Right: November 19 – Arrival at United World College in Las Vegas NM. Beautiful, and the chandeliers in the dining room are by Dale Chihuly

Images Left to Right: November 20 – Sightseeing in Las Vegas, NM, The Plaza Hotel, Temple Montefiore, the first synagogue in New Mexico, Inside the historic El Fidel Hotel, Maite Salazar of United World College and Chef Santos Canel in the historic El Fidel Hotel, Edith Darin and Chef Santos Canel in the historic El Fidel Hotel, Sharing Guatemalan culinary traditions with students at United World College

Images Left to Right: November 22 – Chef Santos Canel at the Tamaya Wellness Center on his last afternoon in New Mexico