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."
The Traditions: Indigenous Storytelling Through Food menu reflects authentic preparation methods and highlights locally sourced ingredients. Examples include bison stew, bannock, Three Sisters salad and berry-based desserts, dishes rooted in Indigenous traditions.
Shawana worked with the Aramark culinary team to ensure the recipes balance authenticity with practicality for large-group catering, while maintaining their cultural significance.
The Traditions menu creates opportunities across campus and the community for anyone ordering catering to experience Indigenous culinary traditions firsthand.
From left, Chef Ian Shapira, Paul Maniaci and Joseph Shawana
Favour Nwagu, Aramark Canada Ltd.
For Magdalena Goss, director of UCalgary Accommodations and Events, Food Services, the menu is both practical and meaningful. "Food has always been a universal connector. We're grateful for the work Aramark and Chef Shawana put into creating Traditions. We're excited to be able to share it with our community, and we hope that many get the chance to try it."
Shawana emphasizes that sharing these dishes goes beyond flavour. "When people come together to share a meal, they open their hearts to listen," he says. "That's when real understanding and healing can begin."
Through this collaboration, Food Services and Aramark are helping create opportunities for the campus community to experience Indigenous culture through food.
