UCalgary catering menu shares Indigenous traditions through food – Education News Canada
September 26, 2025
Food is a powerful way to connect people and cultures. At the University of Calgary, Food Services and Aramark are helping make those connections by offering Indigenous dishes, designed in collaboration with Chef Joseph Shawana, as part of the university’s catering menu.
Shawana, an Odawa chef from Wikwemikong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, is a culinary storyteller and educator who uses food as a way to pass on teachings, share history and keep traditions alive. He has dedicated his career to preserving and sharing Indigenous foodways, showing how traditional ingredients and methods carry culture forward while opening opportunities for education and dialogue.
“Food is one of the most powerful storytelling tools we have,” says Shawana. “Each dish carries memory, culture and connection. When I prepare and share Indigenous foods, I’m sharing not only recipes but the Indigenous true history of Canada through a culinary lens.”
