Podcast Episode 224: Re-Indigenizing Our Plates – Ancestral Wild Food Knowledge & Modern Cooking with Mariah Gladstone
Food is more than just sustenance—it’s culture, history, and a pathway to self-sufficiency. In this episode of The Wild Fish and Game Podcast, we sit down with Mariah Gladstone, founder of Indigikitchen, to discuss the powerful intersection of ancestral foodways, environmental sustainability, and reclaiming Indigenous food traditions. We dive deep into the modern movement of re-indigenizing our diets, how food can serve as resistance and cultural preservation, and practical ways to incorporate Indigenous ingredients into everyday cooking.
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Meet Mariah Gladstone: Champion of Indigenous Food Revival
Mariah Gladstone is a chef, entrepreneur, and food sovereignty advocate from the Blackfeet and Cherokee Nations. She founded Indigikitchen, an online platform dedicated to teaching Indigenous cooking using pre-contact ingredients that were part of Native diets before European colonization. Through her work, she shares recipes and the cultural and historical significance of Indigenous foods.
Raised in Northwestern Montana, Mariah grew up with a deep connection to food—foraging, gardening, and embracing the seasonal bounty of the land. However, her journey took an unexpected turn when she went to engineering school in New York City. Feeling disconnected from the foods of her homeland, she began cooking to reconnect with her roots. What started as a passion project became a full-fledged mission to help Indigenous communities reclaim their food traditions.
“I realized that everyone was interested in restoring this Indigenous knowledge. We often say our traditional food systems have been lost, but they weren’t lost—they were intentionally taken away. So we have to make it accessible again.” – Mariah Gladstone
Explore Indigikitchen: www.indigikitchen.com
Mountains to Oceans — Kids’ Recipes from Native Land
Key Takeaways from the Episode
Food as Resistance & Cultural Preservation
One of the central themes of this episode is how food was historically used as a tool of control against Indigenous communities—and how reclaiming those foodways today is an act of resistance.
Mariah explains how colonial governments in the U.S. and Canada restricted access to traditional hunting, fishing, and agricultural lands, forcing Native people to rely on government rations. These rations, often consisting of canned meats, processed sugar, and white flour, led to significant health disparities, including high rates of diabetes and heart disease in Indigenous communities.
“There’s a quote often attributed to Winona LaDuke: ‘How can we call ourselves sovereign if we can’t feed ourselves?’ The ability to nourish our bodies from the land is directly tied to our political sovereignty.” – Mariah Gladstone
Re-indigenizing our diets isn’t just about cooking traditional recipes—it’s about restoring Indigenous food systems, protecting the land, and ensuring future generations have access to nutritious, culturally significant foods.
Making Indigenous Ingredients Accessible
Mariah emphasizes that incorporating Indigenous ingredients doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. One of the biggest barriers to people trying Indigenous foods is the misconception that they require rare or hard-to-find ingredients. In reality, many Indigenous foods are readily available—you just have to know where to look.
Some simple ingredient swaps she recommends:
- Replace beef with venison or bison – They’re leaner, richer in nutrients, and widely available.
- Substitute processed sugars with maple syrup or berries – Many Indigenous diets relied on natural sweeteners from the land.
- Use wild-foraged greens like dandelion or nettles instead of store-bought spinach.
- Switch to natural fats like rendered tallow instead of industrial seed oils.
“You don’t have to overhaul your entire diet overnight. Start with one swap—like using wild game instead of store-bought meat—and build from there.” – Mariah Gladstone
The Importance of Food Knowledge for Future Generations
Teaching the next generation about traditional foods is crucial to keeping Indigenous foodways alive. Mariah recently wrote a kids’ cookbook, Mountains to Oceans: Kids’ Recipes from Native Land, to make Indigenous cooking fun and accessible for families.
“Cooking is more than just sustenance—it’s connection to our ancestors, our families, and our environment. The more we teach kids to cook with intention, the more we ensure these traditions survive.” – Mariah Gladstone
Justin also shares how his 12-year-old daughter is starting to cook more independently and how approachable, simple recipes make a big difference in helping kids feel comfortable in the kitchen.
How to Start Re-Indigenizing Your Plate
Whether you’re Indigenous or not, anyone can benefit from learning to cook with local, wild, and sustainable ingredients. Here are a few ways to start:
- Try urban foraging – Even in cities, edible plants like wild onions, dandelions, and berries exist.
- Experiment with pine needle tea – Many conifers (pine, spruce, fir) make a delicious, vitamin C-rich tea.
- Source wild game or fish – If you don’t hunt or fish, connect with local hunters or check Native-owned meat suppliers.
- Grow your food – Even a small backyard or windowsill herb garden can help you reconnect with your food.
“The first step is just paying attention. When you start noticing the food growing around you, you realize the land is offering us nourishment all the time.” – Mariah Gladstone
Listen & Join the Movement
This episode is a powerful reminder that food is more than just fuel—it’s history, culture, and a means of reclaiming self-sufficiency. Whether you’re interested in foraging, hunting, or just swapping out processed ingredients for something more natural, re-indigenizing your plate is a step toward a healthier and more sustainable future.
Ready to learn more? Listen to the full episode now and dive into Indigenous food sovereignty, wild ingredients, and sustainable cooking.