Portrait by John Lok; Restaurant: Instagram: IESpokane
It began as an Indian taco stand at the annual Gathering at the Falls Pow Wow at Riverfront Park in Spokane, Wash. Today that taco stand has grown into two locations of Indigenous Eats, a restaurant co-owned by Yakama Nation member Jenny Slagle. She and her husband and business partner, Andrew, operate the two Spokane eateries, where they offer a menu of “Native American comfort food.”
Their goal is to source supplies and ingredients from Native and tribally owned distributors. “Sourcing Indigenous-owned food suppliers remains one of our biggest challenges in running the restaurants,” explains Slagle. “There’s a wild rice blend we offer as a substitute for fry bread, but we have not been able to find a Native source for this product. Food security — meaning having a variety of Native suppliers for the natural Indigenous food ingredients we want to offer — has been difficult.”
Slagle says that the previous experience she and her husband gained while working in the gaming regulatory industry has proven helpful in terms of licensing, food operations, and the processes involved. However, another challenge in launching their venture was a lack of capital. “Not having access to funding and knowing where to turn for that funding were the first hurdles we needed to clear,” she explains.
After approaching Craft3, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that works with entrepreneurs by offering startup resources, they learned about the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) guarantor program. Craft3 assisted the Slagles with qualifying for the BIA program. They also received a grant from the Empire Health Community Advocacy Fund.
“Mentorship is important, and and being able to establish relationships with those from other sectors, ages, and ethnicities is important for personal growth.”
Slagle was raised on the Yakama Nation Reservation in central Washington, and she and her husband have lived in the Spokane area for the past 24 years, raising their family there. According to Slagle, there are some 24,000 Native people in Spokane County, including members of 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington. Spokane County is home to urban Natives from over 300 various tribes across the U.S. “We knew when we opened Indigenous Eats that we would have a strong base of Native customers who would not only support us but hopefully recommend us to others,” she says.
Slagle sees a correlation between her restaurant and its Native-based offerings and sharing Indigenous culture, past and present. “Today Natives and non-Natives alike can get a strong sense of who we are when they come to our restaurants and see the types of menu items we offer,” she explains. “We want to educate our customers about who modern Natives are, and that starts with food.”
Slagle’s community involvement goes beyond foodways. At one of the restaurant’s locations she hosts a monthly networking event for people interested in entrepreneurship or community empowerment. Like her dedication to operating two restaurants, the fact that everyone is welcome at the event speaks to the satisfaction Slagle gets from serving others. “I enjoy making others happy,” she says. “I’ve always had a servant leadership approach to what I do.”
In addition to owning and operating two Indigenous eateries, Slagle is serving a six-year term on the Spokane Public School Board, the first Native American woman to be elected to the board. “Of the approximately 30,000 students in the district, about 3 percent identify as Native American,” she says. “My priority is improving the learning experience for all students, with added attention to the Native students, who may come from more challenging learning environments given their living situations.”
Slagle says she has always been one to create her own role or be the first Indigenous representative in whatever position she is in. Having mentors from both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, younger and older than herself, has been a major contributor to her success. “Mentorship is important, and being able to establish relationships with those from other sectors, ages, and ethnicities is important for personal growth,” she explains.
Her advice for anyone thinking about opening an Indigenous business? “Look for ways to fill any gaps you see in an industry you are interested in,” says Slagle. “We’re one of a few Native-owned restaurants in Spokane. Look at how to be the first of your type of business or how you can differentiate your business from others in a similar industry. Focus on being innovative.”
— Kimberly Durment Locke
Since time immemorial the people of the Yakama Nation have lived sustainably on their traditional lands on the south central plateau of Washington State. Today the Yakama Reservation comprises 1.3 million acres in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains along the Columbia River and east to the Yakima River.
Photo by McMaster Engineering communications
When James LeMoine became one of the inaugural recipients of the Indigenous and Black Engineering/Technology (IBET) Momentum Fellowships in 2021, it marked a turning point. The fellowship — currently available to PhD students in engineering and computer science at 16 Canadian universities — not only offers significant financial support and opportunities to meet other Indigenous engineering students, it can also be a wake-up call for the institution.
After not meeting any other Indigenous STEM colleagues during six years at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, LeMoine was introduced to a community of peers across Canada through the IBET fellowship. “That scholarship got me recognized at Mac (McMaster), and because there were so few applicants, it showed that the lack of Indigenous students in engineering is a Canada-wide issue,” says LeMoine. “That’s when our school wanted to try to change that, and I talked with faculty about starting an AISES chapter.”
As founding president of the group, LeMoine attended AISES in Canada National Gatherings in the last two years and made many connections with other PhD students from across the continent. “It’s been inspiring, making me want to make our chapter strong and inspire more youth to join science and engineering,” he says. “Now there’s support and community here so they won’t feel as separated on this journey.”
Growing up in the Hamilton area, LeMoine had always wanted to attend McMaster and stay close to family. With family members at both the nearby Six Nations of the Grand River and Mississaugas of the Credit Reserves, he had many Indigenous friends in elementary and high school.
“Everything I’ve designed always has that Indigenous lens just because that’s who I am.”
LeMoine’s grandmother had avoided residential school because she was more fair skinned than her siblings but was warned never to speak her language or tell anyone she was Indigenous. However, his mother and aunts worked hard to reclaim their culture, teaching him as they learned themselves. “My aunt would give (a workers union) group a smudge and show me how to light the sage and fan it with a feather,” LeMoine recalls. “I was probably seven years old. One day, I did the smudging for the group in her absence. They were very impressed and gave me my own smudge kit to continue those teachings for different groups.”
Making good friends in his first weeks of university helped tremendously with managing the heavier post-secondary workload. When LeMoine realized he wasn’t likely to meet many Indigenous students in engineering, he chose elective courses in Indigenous studies and language. “I could teach my aunts things I’d learned from the Anishinaabe professor and elders who came to campus,” explains LeMoine. “It went from my aunts teaching me everything to helping them a little. Now it feels like our whole family is working together to rebuild our knowledge of the culture.”
LeMoine was drawn to engineering because it combines aspects of science, math, and art, but he became most fascinated by the courses involving energy. His research has focused on electrohydrodynamics, exploring how improving heat transfer can create more efficient systems that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “A lot of ways we create energy have poor impacts on Indigenous communities, so to learn about sustainability methods is adding our voice that needs to be heard,” LeMoine asserts. “Everything I’ve designed always has that Indigenous lens just because that’s who I am.”
Volunteering with different organizations has helped expand his perspective of Indigenous issues and transform his public speaking skills. He was particularly proud to win an award for best student presentation at a conference for presenting his master’s research, knowing how hard he had worked to improve.
Working as a representative for off-campus students provided experience to advocate for Indigenous students as the AISES chapter founding president. He continues to volunteer off campus with the Hamilton Regional Indian Center and on campus with the Indigenous education councils to help create more Indigenous-focused learning. “It’s really rewarding to help Indigenous youth whichever way I can,” says LeMoine. “Education is so powerful in shaping someone’s life. It’s important that more Indigenous folks go through the STEM field so what’s best for our people is always being upheld.”
— Patrick Quinn
Part of the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) Nation, the Mississaugas of the Credit take the name “Mississaugas “from the word in their language for “river of many mouths,” describing the multiple streams of their traditional lands in southern Ontario, and the name “Credit” from the Credit River, a favorite camping ground.
Photo by Mike Kowalski
Traditionally, members of the Karuk Tribe consumed about 450 pounds of salmon per person, per year. Brook Thompson may not have the privilege to eat that much because of environmental neglect and dams built on the Klamath River, but salmon is significant to her culturally, having grown up as a fisherwoman. The importance of salmon and fresh water to her people has always resonated with her. As a result, Thompson is intent on ensuring that both the salmon and fresh water sources are always protected. Now she is well on her way to accomplishing that, having completed her first year as a PhD student in environmental studies with an emphasis on coastal science and public policy at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Growing up, Thompson split her time between the Yurok Reservation in Klamath, Calif., with her dad’s side of the family, and Portland, Ore., with her mom’s side of the family. While some may have found the differences between the two homes jarring, Thompson embraced them. “I got to experience both ends of the spectrum,” explains Thompson. “The first was a place where everyone looked like me and I was surrounded by culture and fishing, the other a place where no one looked like me, but I was surrounded by more after-school programs and events.”
The opportunity to learn from both sides of her family has been invaluable to Thompson. Her Yurok grandfather instilled a love for her culture and language that Thompson still cherishes today. From her mother’s parents, both of whom have advanced degrees, Thompson came to understand the importance of a formal education and received the support to pursue her own academic dreams. “I’m not sure if I would have had the same dedication to school if it wasn’t for having close people in my own life who are so well-educated,” says Thompson.
“One of my biggest recommendations is to take at least one class outside your field of study. You will meet people you would never usually be around, and it might help expand your worldview.”
Following in her grandparents’ academic footsteps proved more challenging than Thompson anticipated. With no one familiar enough with the college application process to help her, Thompson muddled through on her own. “There seem to be so many unwritten rules and tactics for getting into college,” says Thompson, who gives the example of filing the all-important FAFSA form, which is free at studentaid .gov. “I didn’t know what FAFSA stood for. I googled where to fill out the FAFSA and clicked on a website that seemed legitimate,” explains Thompson. “At the end it asked me to pay $80. I did, and it was gone. Eighty dollars was a big deal to me.”
Thompson learned her lesson and has been fortunate to have all her schooling paid for through scholarships. But even with such financial support, she has struggled in other areas. “The university system, despite its major leaps and bounds since my grandparents’ time, was not made for a Native American, biracial, Queer, learning disabled woman,” notes Thompson. While pursuing her BS and MS in civil engineering at Portland State University, she was often the only Native student in her classes.
To find individuals she could connect with, Thompson took classes outside engineering, in areas like entrepreneurship, law, Indigenous studies, and art. In those classes she not only learned skills that have helped her in her engineering career, but also found a sense of community where she is not the only Native. “One of my biggest recommendations is to take at least one class outside your field of study,” Thompson says. “You will meet people you would never usually be around, and it might help expand your worldview.”
Thompson also found support through AISES. When she learned that Portland State University no longer had an active AISES chapter, she helped rebuild the group with the help of another student, Chris Rempel, and support from Tim Anderson, department chair of the engineering and technology management department. The rejuvenated chapter created another space for her to connect with like-minded students who understand the struggles of being Indigenous and in STEM. “They have been there to support me through all my trials and tribulations as a college student,” says Thompson. “I would not be who I am today without AISES.”
Now, after nine years and six different universities, Thompson has completed the first year of her PhD program and is excited to continue working as a civil/restoration engineer in engineering management. Eventually, Thompson would like to join the California Water Resources Board and the Yurok Tribal Council. “I can think of no greater honor than serving my community and using these resources I’m learning about to benefit the future of my tribe,” explains Thompson.
Although it has not been easy, Thompson has learned to appreciate all she has accomplished so far. Through learning how to forgive herself, be persistent, and have empathy for others, Thompson is succeeding in academia and beyond. She hopes to inspire others to follow their dreams, regardless of how long it may take or how lonely it may feel. “Sometimes the biggest challenge for your own dreams is your own fear of failure and perception of yourself,” says Thompson. “Learn from those failures.”
— Alexa Panza
Today the Yurok Tribe is the largest in California, with more than 6,500 enrolled members. The Yurok people strive to live sustainably on their ancestral lands, which stretch along the Klamath River and the Pacific Redwood Coast of northwestern California.