Story by Adrian Brijbassi

Vacay.ca Managing Editor

Shane Chartrand says he害羞草研究所檚 making up for lost time.

The Edmonton-based chef only learned the extent of his Indigenous roots when he was 29 years old. Shortly after finding out about his lineage, Chartrand became determined to know all he could about his culture and use his skills as a chef to celebrate its cuisine.

Now 43, Chartrand is excelling. He represented the Alberta capital at the competition, has written a cookbook, 害羞草研究所淢arrow: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine害羞草研究所� and is launching a new 150-seat restaurant at Edmonton害羞草研究所檚 .

On top of leading a kitchen in his home province, Chartrand also travels around Canada to introduce his cuisine and how it connects to stories of his culture.

On National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, he will be among chefs collaborating on a dinner in the Okanagan Nation, on the traditional territory of the Osoyoos Indian Band.

The 60-seat Elements Dinner 害羞草研究所� so named for the Earth, Air, Fire, and Water that will inspire the feast 害羞草研究所� is set to take place on the patio at winery, which overlooks vineyards and Lake Osoyoos.

Here is an introduction to the chefs who will be participating.

Shane Chartrand

The executive chef at Sage, also at the River Cree Resort, was raised in foster homes and later adopted into a M茅tis family in Alberta. When he learned he was from the Enoch Nation, part of the Plains Cree people, he also gained a new focus for his culinary talents.

害羞草研究所淚t can be deep and dark and cool,害羞草研究所� he says about Indigenous cooking. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 wrapped in spirituality, and when I found out all of that then I thought, 害羞草研究所榃hy can害羞草研究所檛 I celebrate my identity?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

He shifted from Asian and Japanese cuisine to learning about game meats and foraged fruits, herbs, and flowers that are used so often in Indigenous recipes from central Canada.

害羞草研究所淔rom now to the day I expire, I will celebrate and research Indigenous backgrounds, food culture, and food relations with elders,害羞草研究所� Chartrand says.

In the past two years, he has visited nine different tribes, learning and documenting their way of life. From each of them, he retains stories about how their food consumption is impacted by their culture.

For example, he says he was moved by the Haida adoration of chum salmon, which is widely considered an inferior fish product. But, as Chartrand found out, the chum salmon is revered by the people known as the warriors of the Pacific northwest because of the fish害羞草研究所檚 tenacity, which gives it a kinship with B.C.害羞草研究所檚 Haida Nation.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a big, strong fish, it has to battle through some difficult waters, and the belief is that strength will be part of you when you consume it,害羞草研究所� Chartrand says, explaining why an unheralded species has meaning to that specific Indigenous community.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 those kinds of stories that I bring from every nation and what I want to share when I cook. Food and story go hand in hand.害羞草研究所�

Joseph Shawana

At in Toronto, Joseph Shawana spotlights the ingredients and flavours of his heritage.

A member of the Odawa Nation, he was raised on the Wikwemikong Unceded Reserve in Manitoulin, a scenic destination about 550 kilometres northwest of Toronto.

Trained in classic French cuisine, Shawana has blended his skills with recipes and influences from the matriarchs in his family. The name of his 27-seat restaurant means 害羞草研究所済randmother害羞草研究所� in Cree.

The result is a menu that makes a bold, uncompromising statement as it aims to introduce Indigenous food to a wide audience.

害羞草研究所淎 lot of our clientele are from European descent and they害羞草研究所檙e always blown away about the simplicity of what we do and how it害羞草研究所檚 not overcomplicated,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淲e do a venison osso bucco; a braised elk and a pickled elk heart. We have a pemmican dish where we work with traditional recipes and try modernizing it.

He will be cooking in B.C. for the first time when he brings his skills to Osoyoos in June.

Shawana has teamed with Chartrand at similar events and says diners will enjoy a diverse meal.

害羞草研究所淓ach one of us has something to bring to the table,害羞草研究所� he says. 害羞草研究所淪hane害羞草研究所檚 cooking technique and background are completely different than mine. When we collaborate we come up with some amazing menus. That害羞草研究所檚 one of the things to look forward to.害羞草研究所�

Orlin Godfrey

Godfrey, who oversees the menu at NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars, will be the host chef for the Elements feast. As such, he sees part of his role as a champion for the Okanagan害羞草研究所檚 local growing scene.

害羞草研究所淲hat I害羞草研究所檓 hoping to do is to express what the Okanagan can do, because it is in between a lot of things. We害羞草研究所檙e not on the coast and we害羞草研究所檙e not in the Alberta prairies, we害羞草研究所檙e kind of in the middle of those two places. And in the south, with our climate being so hot, we tend to see a lot of young leaves early,害羞草研究所� Godfrey says.

A Vancouver transplant, Godfrey has been amazed by the quality and variety of produce he comes across every day in the desert-like climate of the South Okanagan. The relationships he has built with farmers offers him deeper understanding of the area害羞草研究所檚 possibilities.

害羞草研究所淎s with any chef that is reliant on their area or the culture that害羞草研究所檚 behind the area, you have to talk to the people who are actually out in the field, who know what害羞草研究所檚 growing and what害羞草研究所檚 growing well,害羞草研究所� he adds.

Godfrey also has the distinction of working at a winery, which has 害羞草研究所渆xponentially increased害羞草研究所� his understanding of food-and-wine pairing wines.

害羞草研究所淗aving a winemaker on hand to explain the flavours and how their wine works with a specific terroir is something I haven害羞草研究所檛 been around before. Having that expertise about the land and what we grow is something I appreciate for sure,害羞草研究所� says Godfrey, who will be joined at the Elements dinner by NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars winemaker Justin Hall.

Although not a member of an Indigenous nation, Godfrey knows the power and emotional impact that collaborations such as the one planned for June 21 can have on guests. He害羞草研究所檚 excited to team with Chartrand and Shawana, and keen to showcase his region害羞草研究所檚 ingredients.

害羞草研究所淓verything is just getting going,害羞草研究所� he says of the spring growing season in Oliver and Osoyoos. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e seeing a lot of fresh lettuces, herbs, arugula, asparagus popping up, and within the next month there害羞草研究所檚 going to be a lot more.害羞草研究所�

Justin Hall (winemaker)

Hall, a member of the Osoyoos Indian Band, will not only oversee the wine pairings for the five-course Elements Dinner,. but will also share stories about the history of NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars, which was named the 2016 Canadian Winery of the Year by Intervin.

Hall害羞草研究所檚 path to becoming one of the few Indigenous winemakers in North America began more than 15 years ago when the leadership of the OIB encouraged him to take up the trade.

He did so with gusto, studying in New Zealand and working alongside fellow winemaker Randy Picton to develop his talents at NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars, which is a partnership between the OIB and .

害羞草研究所淥ne of the things I learned early on is that winemaking isn害羞草研究所檛 about a recipe. This is about consistency. It害羞草研究所檚 about educating yourself year after year, knowing your land and your vines so well that you know what wine you害羞草研究所檙e going to get even before you harvest your grapes,害羞草研究所� Hall says. 害羞草研究所淲hen people suggest that winemaking is like art, I think where that害羞草研究所檚 true is artists see the whole picture before they start. I see wine that way now. I see the end result before I begin the process.害羞草研究所�

Those results have produced national sensations that will be among the many wines poured on National Indigenous Peoples Day.

The Elements event will take place in cooperation with , the luxury resort that is part of the Hyatt Unbound Collection of properties and is next door to the NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars patio.

MORE ABOUT THE ELEMENTS DINNER

Date: June 21, 2018, 6:30-11 p.m.

Location: NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars patio, 1400 Rancher Creek Road, Osoyoos, B.C. (see map below)

Tickets: The five-course dinner includes wine pairings and costs $155 per person. .

MORE ABOUT SPIRIT RIDGE, UNBOUND COLLECTION BY HYATT

Location: 1200 Rancher Creek Road, Osoyoos, B.C. (see map below)

Website:

Telephone: 250-495-5445

Room rates: A search on the property害羞草研究所檚 booking engine returned a nightly rate of $256 for a June weekend.

MORE VACAY.CA

害羞草研究所� One of Canada害羞草研究所檚 leading wineries, NK害羞草研究所橫ip Cellars is building on the reputation it has built for producing award-winning wines and providing outstanding tasting experiences.

害羞草研究所� Immigrants from India, farmers devoted to sustainability, and Indigenous community members have turned the grape-growing regions of Oliver and Osoyoos into global success stories.

害羞草研究所� The grape-growing land of the South Okanagan resides in the traditional territory of the Osoyoos Indian Band, which is a community of about 540 members.