What is Canada's cuisine? We have lots of well-known chefs and restaurants. What about our Indigenous cuisine? One of our most celebrated chefs is Bertha Skye. This is an excerpt of her biography at the Hamilton Public Library site:
"Skye was born in northern Saskatchewan where she began to hone her passion for traditional cooking. At the age of 17 she began her culinary career as a cook for the Prince Albert Residential School. At the 1992 World Culinary Olympics, Skye competed on a team of Indigenous chefs that won 11 medals, the most of any team, including the Grand Gold Medal.
For over a decade, Skye has served as an Elder for McMaster University, Sheridan College and Mohawk College, which recently recognized her as a Distinguished Fellow. She has guided students through the sometimes turbulent and delicate experience of post-secondary education, with support, guidance, laughter, friendship and, of course, healthy meals.
She moved to Six Nations of the Grand River more than 50 years ago, after meeting her husband Hubert Skye, and today she is the mother of three daughters and two sons and the grandmother of six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She is also a volunteer board member with the Six Nations Health Foundation.
Throughout her lifetime, Skye has educated, supported and fostered understanding among Indigenous and non-Indigenous colleagues, earning wide respect in all her communities."
At the Culinary Olympics one dish she made was the Three Sisters Soup. Who are the three sisters? Corn, squash and beans. The term “Three Sisters” refers to the three main crops of some North American tribes: maize (corn), squash, and beans. The three plants were planted close together and like close sisters, aided one another in their respective growing processes. There's a recipe that references her in the description HERE.
