Crystal Wahpepah
Chef Crystal Wahpepah is a Kickapoo chef, author, and founder of Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland. She uplifts Indigenous foodways through storytelling and food sovereignty. A James Beard finalist featured on Food Network and CBS, she is currently Chef-in-Residence at Cal Poly Humboldt Rou Dalagarr Food Sovereignty Lab and Thirty Nine Restaurant at the First Americans Museum. Her cookbook Feather and a Fork celebrates Native ingredients, resilience, and cultural connection.
Book Signings
Meet the Authors: Pyet DeSpain, Crystal Wahpepah, Dr. Ronda Brulotte, and Lois Ellen Frank, Ph.D./Walter Whitewater.
Indigenous Kitchens, Regional Voices - $25
Five leading chefs from across the country share how their work is rooted in place while navigating the realities of running restaurants and food businesses. From sourcing ingredients and honoring ancestral knowledge to building sustainable models and educating diners, each chef brings a distinct perspective shaped by their region and lived experience. Together, Elena Terry, Crystal Wahpepah, Alexa Numkena-Anderson, Johnny Ortiz-Concha, and Tina Archuleta explore how Indigenous foodways continue to evolve—shaped by land, culture, and community—while redefining what Indigenous cuisine looks like today. This moderated conversation with Andi Murphy will be recorded for the Toasted Sister podcast, giving audiences an opportunity to join a broader conversation on Indigenous food, identity, and the future of the industry.
A Feather and a Fork Cooking Demonstration with Crystal Wahpepah - $25
Crystal Wahpepah presents a recipe from A Feather and a Fork: a refreshing Indigenous iced tea paired with a vibrant berry compote. This offering celebrates seasonal harvests, natural sweetness, and ancestral foodways, highlighting the connection between land, memory, and nourishment through simple, elegant preparations rooted in tradition.