Extra Thanksgiving, hold the appropriation: how an Indigenous chef and prof take the harvest-time holiday

Edmonton chef Scott Iserhoff hasn't always felt conflicted about Thanksgiving. Like many Canadian families, Thanksgiving growing up in his household meant gathering together, and an excuse to cook a turkey and mashed potatoes. 

"As the years went by, you become more aware of history," Iserhoff said.

It became more and more difficult for him to ignore the colonial undertones of the holiday — the stories of the first pilgrims who were greeted by Indigenous people with dinner and help to survive but also the stories of the celebration of the ensuing slaughter of Indigenous peoples and taking of land, he said. 

"But also, I think now is the time to take that back," Iserhoff said.

Iserhoff is founder of Pei Pei Chei Ow, an Edmonton-based culinary business offering guests the opportunity to learn more about contemporary Indigenous food while also tasting bannock, stews and other dishes.

"Everything that's included in Thanksgiving, it's all Indigenous food," Iserhoff said. "You got the squash, you got the tubers, the potatoes, the mashed potatoes, the turkey, the corn … they were here before settlers came, and that was a food source of ours."  

Giving thanks and celebrating the harvest time, the end of summer and moving into winter, are also part of Indigenous cultures — but Indigenous contributions to Thanksgiving traditions today are largely ignored, Iserhoff said.