MetroFamily Magazine March April 2024

Inspirational First Americans Meet internationally renowned Indigenous food Chef Loretta Oden

BY ERIN PAGE . PHOTOS PROVIDED.

A member of Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Oden didn’t grow up traditionally Native in all respects, but she says the undercurrent of her heritage was embedded in her psyche, through cooking, gardening and foraging practices as well as attending powwows. Oden also notes that she grew up in two different worlds, with her mom’s family being Potawatomi and her white dad’s mother being a Mayflower descendant. The two families didn’t often mix, but both sides sought to protect her from racism against Indigenous people. It wasn’t until Oden was an adult, having raised two sons of her own, that she left Oklahoma to travel and experience cuisines around the world, with an eye for Indigenous foods. Those experiences led Oden and eldest son, Clay, to open the Corn Dance Café in Santa Fe, N.M., in 1993, the popularity of which would propel her fame as a Native chef. She has been featured on numerous national television shows and publications and she hosted Emmy Award–winning PBS series Seasoned With Spirit: A Native Cook’s Journey . Grandchildren drew Oden back to

Loretta Oden’s first memory of cooking was standing on a chair at the kitchen table with an apron tied under her arms, using a rolling pin to crush saltine crackers between pieces of wax paper. She was making the filling for salmon

croquettes. Surrounded by her mother, aunties, grandmas and great- grandmas, Oden’s childhood kitchen in Shawnee, Okla., holds infinite fond memories. “The kitchen was where we gathered; it was a joyous place full of laughing and singing,” recalls Oden, now 81. Another happy childhood spot was her mother’s garden. Oden says her mom could make anything grow, from tomatoes and strawberries to corn, beans and squash, known as the Three Sisters in many Indigenous cultures. “My mom had a garden for all her life, and now I’ve had a garden for most of my life because there’s a special feeling of getting your hands and feet in the warm earth and watching something grow,” said Oden.

Oklahoma, where she now serves as chef consultant for Thirty Nine Restaurant at First Americans Museum and oversees Chef Loretta’s Garden. The garden is supported by Shape Your Future, a program of TSET, and is open to the public for free. It’s also where children attend FAMcamps to learn about gardening. (Don’t miss QR codes throughout the garden where guests can access Chef Loretta’s recipes!) Oden recently released her book Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine featuring

recipes that combine her Oklahoma upbringing and Native heritage. We caught up with Oden to learn more about how she’s using her experiences to inspire the next generation — and having a lot of fun along the way. What inspired you to focus your career on First American cuisine? My life changed when I left Oklahoma and started traveling and exploring new places. I started meeting other Native women and seeing how different [their] food was — and not just the food but the customs and song and dance — just as diverse as the people. I have eaten really great food all over the world, but it dawned on me that while you can go to any city and find Mongolian barbecue, French food and every other kind of food, you don’t see many references to First American food.