Apr. 20, 2016
Students, staff and community members gathered at Lord Shaughnessy High School to launch the REDx Talks Video series while learning more about indigenous culture through an exploration of the culinary arts.
Traditional drumming resounded through the halls of the Career and Technology Centre as the REDx Talks event began with a traditional acknowledgement of the land. Members of the community, including a number of students from the CTC, rose to the occasion and discussed their experiences as FNMI individuals, and the connection their individual and shared history has on their continued growth and experience in the 21st Century. REDx Talks is the first ever International Indigenous speaker series. Through storytelling, the team endeavours to build a knowledge bundle of the Indigenous stories of every territory visited, to be transferred to future generations from every part of the globe.
The team from REDx Talks worked closely with the Culinary staff and students at the Career and Technology Centre to present an Indigenous Tasting Menu, created by REDx Talks Edmonton "Art is the Medicine" speaker Chef Shane Chartrand. Chef Shane Chartrand (Enoch-Cree chef from TV shows Chopped and Cook It Raw, the executive chef of Sage Restaurant in Edmonton, and proponent of Indigenous cuisine being embraced as Canadian cuisine) and Robert Grandjambe (traditional hunter and trapper living a traditional life from the Fort Chipewyan area; host of workshops and dogsled tours of the area) worked together to establish the tasting menu, based on the game meat Robert was able to successful hunt in the traditional manner. Chef Shane and Robert have both presented workshops of all sorts across Western Canada on Indigenous food preparation: From blessing the hunt, to using every part of the animal, to traditional preparation of wild game and other indigenous and inspired dishes. Culinary students were treated to the expertise of these two members of the community, and used their skills and knowledge to prepare and produce a sampling of eight different dishes.
In addition to the culinary event, the evening included the launching of REDx Video series, and announcements of upcoming partnerships, including increased educational relationships with Mount Royal University. In attendance were current and past REDx Talks members, including Cowboy Smithx, Dr. Leroy Littlebear, Chris Hsiung, Alanna One Spot, Dr. Liam Haggarty, Nicole Robertson and Arielle Curtis (a student at the CTC who performed at ‘Making Treaty 7” as well as the Inaugural REDx Talks).
For more information about future REDx Talk events, please visit the website: www.redxtalks.org.
