Beyond the kitchen: BHS culinary students step into nature to learn about Indigenous foods, plants 

Thanks to the Understand Native Minnesota grant, funded by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and administered by the Minneapolis Foundation, students in the Culinary Pathway at Burnsville High School (BHS) are learning about foods and flavors in local Native American food culture and Indigenous food systems. 

The grant program aims to increase awareness of Native history and culture by supporting teachers who are pursuing training or classroom projects to share accurate narratives and build understanding of the contributions and experiences of Native peoples in Minnesota. 

After adding Native-authored texts to the culinary classroom library and designing lessons for students centered on those texts to learn about Indigenous food ways, BHS culinary teacher Matt Deutsch took students on a guided plant walk at Terrace Oaks Park West in Burnsville to learn about native plants used in Indigenous cooking, as well as plants used for medicinal purposes.

Before embarking on the plant walk, students shared a meal that they prepared the day before in the culinary lab using recipes from the new cookbooks. The menu featured a variety of foods used in Indigenous cooking, including green beans, red chile potato casserole, three sisters salad, fried walleye, halibut cakes, bison meatballs, white bean dip with bannock or fry bread, summer peach crisp, and a highbush cranberry, mint and maple drink. 

Linda Black Elk from the North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS), which was founded by James Beard award winner The Sioux Chef, guided students on the plant walk.

“One of my favorite things to do is to get young people outside enjoying nature, getting in touch with Mother Earth and understanding all the gifts they provide,” said Black Elk.

“It’s so important to get them into nature on plant walks like this because they really get to know the land,” Black Elk said. “Even scientific studies show that when you’re outside there’s a lot less anxiety and depression. But, it also connects them to the land and to their homeland, and just has them looking at the world around them in a different way. Instead of walking through a field of ‘weeds,’ they know they are walking through a field of plant relatives, plants that they can learn the names of and plants that offer a variety of gifts. And I think that helps them look internally and realize that they all have gifts to offer the world, too.”

“We used recipes and ingredients that we haven’t used before, so it was definitely different but a lot of fun. I also love being outside and these experiences are just so fun,” said BHS junior Tevalyn Vilayhong. 

Black Elk added: “Not only did these students learn about the plants, but they also ended up cooking with a lot of traditional North America Indigenous foods. It’s just about increasing their knowledge. I was so impressed and honored that these kids tried a lot of these foods – foods that were new or different for them.” 

“Grants like these make it possible to do more hands-on learning with our students,” said Deutsch. “I love to see them engaged with new learning and working with ingredients that are new to them. Community experts like Linda Black Elk add depth to the learning experience for our students. I know that they gained a deeper understanding of the world around them and learned a great deal about Indigenous food ways.” 

The Culinary Arts Pathway is part of the Business, Management & Entrepreneurship career field, which prepares students to pursue careers in Marketing, Finance, Business, Management & Administration, and Hospitality & Tourism.

Pathways in District 191

From preschool through graduation, District 191’s Pathways model provides all students with age-appropriate experiences through which they explore possibilities, develop the skills and attributes they’ll need to succeed, find their passions and prepare for their futures. 

Being a Pathways district means we:

• Remove barriers and ensure equitable access for all students,
• Center students as decision makers in their learning journeys,
• Promote a future-focused mindset, ensuring students have a plan for meeting their next challenge,
• Engage in partnerships to maximize resources and opportunities, and 
• Provide real-world benefits, including professional certifications and college credits by graduation

Learn more at pathways.isd191.org.