A woman, Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart, wearing a red sundress walks through a garden holding a basket.

Chef Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart

For this Oglala Lakota chef, food is a way to forge deeper connections with people, traditions and the Earth.

Chef Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart learned an important lesson as a young girl:

"Unci Maka, Grandmother Earth, will provide everything you need. If you ever lose your way, she is there, as long as you are there for her."

That wisdom is now the foundation of Tilsen-Brave Heart's mission to reinvigorate Indigenous food through healthy, locally grown ingredients.

Close up portrait image of a woman looking down out of frame

How Chef Brave Heart is Telling Indigenous Stories Through Food

In our culture, we pray when we forage. We pray when we prepare — for ourselves, and for the people we’re about to [serve]. It’s a spiritual experience.
Chef Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart
A woman, Chef Kimberly Tilsen-Brave Heart, sets a table, with two candles in the foreground.
Close up of hands holding a plate while fresh vegetables are being served.
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