In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the Metropolitan Library System is proud to host Emmy Award-winning Chef Loretta Barrett Oden of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation at the Belle Isle Library Nov. 22, 2-3:30 p.m. 

Chef Oden, Chef and Consultant at Restaurant 39 at the First Americans Museum and author of the acclaimed cookbook “Corn Dance,” will share insights from her lifelong exploration of Indigenous food and the traditions that shape them.  

“Food is our story,” Oden said in an interview. “It speaks to our culture and our diversity and brings us together. It’s our medicine, our love language.” 

At the heart of her presentation is the story of food as connection to land, to culture and to one another. Guests will learn about the importance of the “Three Sisters” (corn, beans, and squash) through a live cooking demonstration of a traditional salad featuring the trio that has sustained Indigenous communities for generations.  

“Those plants have sustained their peoples for centuries through their own harmony and balance with one another,” Oden said about the “Three Sisters” and their importance on Native American history. 

Oden's work celebrates the diversity of Indigenous cuisine, stretching from the Arctic regions of Nunavut to the southern reaches of Tierra del Fuego. Her work “Corn Dance” explores these origins, tracing how each individual ingredient can represent so much more. 

“Every seed, every flavor, even every method of preparation carries generations of knowledge and care,” she said. 

The event also holds personal meaning for Oden, who shared that Belle Isle Library is especially significant to her due to years of browsing the kids’ section with her children when they were little. 

“The Belle Isle Library is near and dear to my heart,” Oden said. “So I’m really excited to be presenting at this event.” 

Through her storytelling and cooking, Oden aims to expand understanding of Native cultures and their culinary traditions, emphasizing their richness and diversity. The event, just one of many honoring Native American heritages this month, is an opportunity to explore Indigenous cuisine and the deep connections between food, history and community.