Homecoming Bison Feast at the Powwow 🦬 | SPIRIT PLATE

After three years in the making, I’m proud to finally share Spirit Plate! A first-of-its-kind Indigenous cooking and travel show where I journey across Tribal Nations to honor our people, our stories, and the foods that connect us.

And in the premiere episode of Spirit Plate, I travel back to my homeland, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, for an emotional homecoming. I reconnect with family, feed the sacred bison, and prepare a bison stew for our tribe’s annual powwow feast. This isn’t just another recipe; it’s a prayer, a story, and a reminder of where I come from.

My love language is the gift of food. I was really looking forward to connecting with the community again, spending quality time with my family, and seeing all the familiar faces that I usually see throughout the year. This is my one big opportunity to feed the community, and it fills my spirit every time.

On every episode of Spirit Plate, I learn something new about other tribes, but I also learn a lot about myself. There are so many moments of reflection that come with each visit. During this one, I was reminded of how strong our community is and how important it is to feel like you’re part of something bigger. I find that strength in my roots, in my family, and in my community. They’re always there to help guide me back in the right direction.

For me, the prayer and the meaning behind this visit were about community and reflection, using both to stay grounded.

Cooking alongside my family, surrounded by laughter and the smell of bison stew simmering, reminded me why I do what I do. Food is more than nourishment; it’s medicine, memory, and ceremony. As we served the stew to hundreds of dancers and guests, I saw how food can bring people together across generations and tribes.

Spirit Plate is more than a food show; it’s a journey through identity, culture, and resilience. Every episode explores Indigenous foodways as living stories, where each ingredient carries ancestral memory and meaning. I’m honored that this journey begins right where mine did, at home.

🦬 Watch the full episode on PBS Food: Spirit Plate | Homecoming Bison Feast