Happy Women's History Month! Join us as we share in conversation with Pyet DeSpain (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation & Mexican American), a recent winner of the first season of Gordan Ramsay's new TV show Next Level Chef!

The NUIFC congratulates Pyet and shares her words today with gratitude. Pyet is from the Osage Nation rez where she was raised by her grandmother. Later she moved to Kansas City with her family and she now lives and works in Los Angeles.

Check out Pyet's website to stay connected to what is coming next! Pyet has an Indigenous fusion pop-up restaurant called Shkodé (which translates to fire in the Potawatomi language) in Los Angeles. Starting on April 1, you can pre-order food from the pop-up that will be on April 16 and April 17.

Women's History Month Q&A with Pyet!

The NUIFC: What is the role of our Native women in leadership and representation?Pyet:

There needs to be more of an emphasis on celebrating women and their knowledge and medicine and what they’re teaching us. For me as a chef, I want to make sure that I emphasize that in my work, the role of women and empowering women. Every single person that I’ve hired to work for me is a woman of color. So I’m making sure that within my own business, my own power, I’m giving the opportunity to strengthen skill sets, learn from me, and I learn from them. I just want to make sure people understand the importance of women and the power we hold. Without us, there is no humanity and we should be celebrated.

The NUIFC: Can you talk a bit about how the Native women in your life lift you up? What does it mean for Native women to dictate their own perimeters of what is possible?

Pyet: Indigenous women – we’re mothers, we’re cousins, we’re sisters, we’re aunties, we play these very powerful roles within our families and within society. It’s so important that we are showing up in our strength with unwavering fearlessness and also doing it with grace. Living in your true authentic self is giving other women that lead of passage. There’s so many phenomenal, amazing, uplifting women within our Indigenous community – we have those people who are willing to be aunties, and our elders are willing to teach us to have respect for ourselves and be very grounded. It’s just so important that we show up for each other in every way we possibly can, while in the process still taking care of ourselves.

The NUIFC: What does it mean to you to be representing Native women in food and cooking culture?

Pyet: I am incredibly grateful and proud to represent anybody, let alone Native women and people of color. I have really tried to do my best to best serve my community. I recently went and did volunteer work with my tribe and did a cooking demo with the Boys and Girls Club on the reservation. The facilitators made sure they knew “she’s Prairie band, just like you” and making sure they understood that I am one of them. As I was cooking and showing them how to make wojapi, there was this picture taken that really captured the moment with these two little girls whose arms were stretched so high and their hands were up, like “pick me, pick me”. They wanted to ask me questions and it really hugged my heart to know that the goal I set out to do in representing little girls like that, little girls like myself, was realized. I was able to do that on a Gordan Ramsay show where all these little girls across the nation, all these Native girls across the nation, all these Mexican girls across the nation, can look at me and be like “wow, she did it – I can do it too."

The NUIFC: In addition to the new pop-up restaurant, what is next for you? What is most important to you right now in this moment?

Pyet: My main focus right now is putting together a celebration of nations tour. I’ll visit reservations across the U.S, connecting with community, listening to what their concerns are, learning from the youth and elders. We will be working on tending or building community gardens. Some reservations already have community gardens, so I’ll be helping expand or tend to those gardens with them, or planting seeds and providing natural and organic food resources for a fresh harvest every season. By doing this tour, it is the opportunity for me to learn how I can use my career to propel our culture forward in this industry. I believe in this so hard. It’s been quite a journey for me and I’m just so grateful. I’m glad I have this opportunity and this platform to get this message out because it doesn’t just benefit me, it benefits so many people.

The NUIFC: On the show, each contestant was chosen by one of the three mentors to be on their team. You were chosen by chef Nyesha Arrington. In keeping with the theme of the impact of women, what did it mean to you to be part of Chef Nyesha’s team and specifically to have a woman of color as your mentor?

Pyet: I was in the process of thinking about who I hoped to be my mentor and of course I was thinking Gordan Ramsay because he’s the G.O.A.T and I had so much to learn from him. Even though he does come off as rough, tough, and intimidating, he’s actually a really kind person. He cares so much. So initially I was thinking maybe I wanted Gordan Ramsay, but then I was doing more research on Nyesha and what she stands for and I decided I really wanted her team. So I walked into the competition knowing I would create flavors that she will recognize and appreciate. That first dish I made was geared towards Nyesha’s palette. I found out the other judges wanted me too, but I was so glad Nyesha chose me. Just to work with her and feel her strength and her presence in the kitchen. She would truly see me. When she saw me making the wojapi dish, she saw the excitement and it was this moment of energy exchange. I knew I was doing the right thing at the right time and I knew it would be something so magical because of her energy and feedback. She helped me build confidence from that point on, and she would say “You need to show up as Pyet. Don’t come in here trying to make some food that isn’t you.” She was encouraging me to cook just as myself. I really loved that about her. I’m truly grateful I had her as my mentor. She’s a powerhouse. She really helped keep me strong and I feel that it’s only that type of medicine that can come from a woman to another woman.

The NUIFC: We all have different medicines. What are some of your medicines?

Pyet: For me, the ocean. Whether it’s me going for a run, walk, watching the sunset, or just being in the fresh air or hearing the ocean waves, definitely ocean is my medicine. Also incense, or lighting sage in my home and just smelling fragrances that calm me. Also, comedy. A good belly laugh lifting up your spirit and your soul, forgetting about the stresses of the world and just laughing is one of my healing medicines also.

NUIFC Newsletter // Celebrating The Impact of Urban Native Women