Autumn Table: I-Collective Talk and Collaborative Meal

Saturday, October 12, Forge Project & I-Collective will host a seasonal meal to mark the turn of autumn. Focused on the interdependence of Indigenous foodways and the fall harvest, Brit Reed and Taelor Barton, members of I-Collective, will share reflections on the season and a collaborative meal (served at 3:00pm) with participants at our Outdoor Kitchen. 

The I-Collective stands for four principles: Indigenous, Inspired, Innovative, and Independent. An autonomous group of Indigenous chefs, activists, herbalists, seed, and knowledge keepers, the I-Collective strives to open a dialogue and create a new narrative that highlights not only historical Indigenous contributions, but also promotes our community's resilience and innovations in gastronomy, agriculture, the arts, and society at large. 

Brit Reed (Choctaw Descendant) credits her initial love of cooking and food to her adoptive parents she grew up with. Later, while working in their family's camp kitchen, she began learning from her hunka mom the importance of cooking for The People in a good way and to embrace traditional women's roles. These experiences led her to pursue learning about traditional foods & medicines. Throughout her time at The Evergreen State College earning her BA and MPA with a concentration in Tribal Governance, she focused her studies on tribal food (in)security, food sovereignty, tribal food policy, and the effects of food on the health of our tribal communities. In 2015, she founded Food Sovereignty is Tribal Sovereignty - a native based group with a large membership base that are engaged in all facets of the Indigenous Food Revitalization Movement throughout the Americas and parts of Europe. After earning her MPA in 2016 she attended the Seattle Culinary Academy and graduated in 2018. During this time, she joined the I-Collective, a collective of Indigenous chefs, cooks, knowledge keepers, seed keepers, artists, and activists. From 2018-2023 she worked as the Food Service Provider with the Tulalip Health Clinic's Diabetes Program to teach healthy cooking classes & cook for the community. Additionally she is a digital illustrator, beadwork artist, and Inchunwa team member & podcast producer. You can find more of her work at nitaohoyo.com.

Taelor Barton (Cherokee Nation) studied Culinary Arts at Oklahoma State University and Tulsa Technology Center. She worked as a restaurant chef for 15 years in downtown Tulsa. As a young child, she was inspired to begin her cooking journey by her Cherokee National Treasure grandmother Edith Knight, where she was immersed in Cherokee cultural cooking in the Ozark foothills of Eastern Oklahoma. As an adult, she merged her culture and professional experience to represent her tribal nation in her cooking. Taelor currently is a freelance chef, cooking for various events. She cooks for Cherokee food demonstrations, and writes healthy recipes for programs like Cherokee Nation Food Distribution, and Little Cherokee Seeds, an early childhood language and cultural mentorship program. She is a member of I-Collective, an autonomous group of indigenous chefs/activists/culture bearers, where she contributes her cooking skills, as well as a member of her local CCEF (Cherokee Collective for Ecologies and Foodways) where she connects with her local Cherokees experienced in ethnobotany and other cultural ways of knowing. Recently, she has relocated from the city to the countryside to take care of her elderly grandfather, who lives on allotment land deep in the heart of Cherokee Nation.

This event is open to all ages and families are encouraged to attend. Please wear shoes and clothing you feel comfortable moving and spending an afternoon outdoors in!

Note on Accessibility: The Outdoor Kitchen is accessible via a 3-5 minute downhill walk on moderately uneven grassy paths from the main Forge house, a one minute walk from a gravel driveway (with vehicle access as needed to the seating area), or by Kubota utility vehicle with belted seating for one passenger. Multiple trips can be made as needed. Seating is provided at long wooden tables with benches attached. One is ADA-compliant with an extended length accommodating a wheeled mobility device or chair. Additional seating may be provided with folding tables or chairs as needed. There is a small outhouse near the kitchen but full bathroom facilities on the ground floor of the main house (accessed by three stairs or ADA compliant ramp). The bathroom is not currently ADA accessible and does not have a grab bar. 

Forge is committed to increasing accessibility to our site, including physical accessibility. Please reach out if you have further questions or request(s) for accommodation, please reach out at robbie@forgeproject.com and [email protected]. 

As this is a thoughtfully prepared meal, we ask that guests RSVP with intention and update their RSVP if plans change.