Presented by the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and Edible New Mexico, the Indigenous Foodways Festival is a one-day celebration of the living food cultures, ancestral knowledge, and contemporary creativity of Indigenous peoples across the Southwest.

Hosted in Santa Fe on Museum Hill, the festival brings together tribal communities, chefs, farmers, and cultural leaders for a day of connection centered on food, culture, and community. Programming spans hands-on learning, cooking demonstrations, presentations, and family-friendly activities, offering multiple points of entry for engagement and education.

With an expected audience of 2,000 attendees, the Indigenous Foodways Festival provides vendors, speakers, and sponsors a high-impact platform to share knowledge, showcase work, and engage the public across diverse educational tracks.

For information about the event visit: www.indigenousfoodwaysfestival.com

Indigenous Food Festival 2026 at MIAC

1.   Food Demo and Tasting Chefs Walter Whitewater and Lois Ellen Frank, Ph.D. of Red Mesa Cuisine. Will demo and give a tasting for a

Grilled Nopal Cactus Pad Salsa with Organic Blue Corn Chips

 The Nopal Cactus was a survival food that the Navajo People used during the Long Walk, and Chef Whitewater likes to use this food as a reminder of who we are. It regulates blood sugar and is nutritious and delicious.

2.   Hands-on Traditional Corn Grinding

 Grind New Mexico-grown native corn using traditional grinding stones. With Chefs Walter Whitewater and Lois Ellen Frank, Ph.D., of Red Mesa Cuisine

3.   Foods that Native People Gave to the World: A brief History of Native American Cuisine and the Return to the Indigenous Diet for Health & Wellness

 Presented by Dr. Lois Ellen Frank and Chef Walter Whitewater of Red Mesa Cuisine