Narissa Ribera, an Indigenous chef and determined food activist, is on a quest to unravel the threads of colonialism from indigenous diets, thereby preserving a rich heritage of native food customs while tackling health issues like obesity and diabetes that run rampant in Native American communities.

The original inhabitants of America enjoyed a wide variety of foods such as fruits, greens, beans, nuts, seeds, corn, and chiles, and in the Andes specifically, more than a thousand species of potatoes, long before Europeans disrupted the ecosystem with their arrival. The indigenous people had engaged in hunting, farming and gathering as traditional ways of life, unfortunately to be oppressed for hundreds of years by the colonists. The US government, after sometime, began providing rations of lard, flour, and sugar which ended up destroying cultural foodways whilst contributing tremendously to diabetes and obesity within the Native American communities.

Journeying from a background of gardening and selling native plants, Ribera, also a member of the Navajo Nation, created Ch’il Indigenous Foods in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, following her venture with a cottage food enterprise. The menu at Ch’il is based on indigenous plant foods, including ingredients sourced from other Indigenous producers as well. Ribera is known to wild harvest an assortment of native plants from Colorado's San Luis Valley – once the home to over a dozen tribes. The traditional Diné diet subjects blue corn meal to nixtamalization through juniper ash (a rich source of calcium), and along side this, prickly pear popcorn and a mix of tepary beans elevated by hatch chile powders are amongst the most popular items.

Joining the culinary journey of Ch’il Indigenous Foods is Nááts'íilid Kitchen, which opened recently in November. The name is derived from Navajo language translating to "rainbow". Ribera envisions this eatery to serve as a platform for locals to experience the richness and mouthwatering variety of indigenous foods. The food served boasts of culinary wonders like yeast rolls with a sweet yet smoky flavor, made with mesquite flour, poblano peppers stuffed with corn and beans, and delectable soup of chestnut combined with sweet cushaw squash.

Drawing attention to the element of veganism in native foods, Ribera says, "We did not have milk or dairy. But when you Google recipes, they suggest milk, although a large proportion of Native Americans are lactose intolerant! Pinyon milk, for instance, was made by my grandmother. People perceive nut milk as a white thing, but it's deeply rooted in indigenous practices." Currently, Nááts'íilid Kitchen opens only on Fridays, but Ribera does plan on organizing frequent pop-ups and catering, with an eye on increasing service shortly. Ribera sees food as a form of activism. "People created rituals, stories, and even songs around our food. It's plentiful and beautiful, but its culture is gradually disappearing. We can reverse that."

Customers can order products like Navajo Blue Corn & Juniper Ash Flour Mix and Prickly Pear Indigenous Popcorn online. Ribera adamantly prefers ingredients sourced from organic, non-GMO, Indigenous farms.