Shane Chartrand: Cultural Custodian, Chef, Storyteller & Trailblazer in Indigenous Cuisine

By Chevi Rabbit, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter 

(ANNews) – Shane Chartrand is more than a chef; he is a storyteller, cultural ambassador, and trailblazer in Indigenous cuisine. His work spans television, literature, and culinary innovation, connecting tradition with contemporary practice.

Chartrand is a proud member of the Enoch Cree Nation. Born Shane “St. John” Gordon, he was placed in foster care as a young child before being adopted by Belinda (Mi’kmaw-Irish) and Dennis Chartrand (Métis-Cree). Growing up on their acreage in Central Alberta, he learned hunting, fishing, gardening, and land stewardship — early experiences that shaped his culinary philosophy and deep respect for Indigenous food traditions.

Chartrand began working in kitchens at age 14, washing dishes at a truck-stop diner. By 17, he was cooking professionally. He later trained at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), earning Red Seal certification, and went on to work in Edmonton’s top kitchens, including fine-dining hotels and restaurants such as Hotel Macdonald, Sutton Place, and the River Cree Resort & Casino.

In 2019, Chartrand co-authored tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine with Jennifer Cockrall-King. The Cree word tawâw, pronounced “ta-WOW,” means “come in, you’re welcome, there’s room.” The book is part memoir, part cultural history, and part recipe collection, featuring over 75 recipes that fuse traditional ingredients with contemporary techniques. His signature dish, “War Paint,” uses quail legs and wheat berries in pheasant broth, plated with a red-pepper handprint to merge culinary artistry with Indigenous identity.

Chartrand describes progressive Indigenous cuisine as a living, evolving culinary expression: “It’s about honouring ancestral knowledge while allowing Indigenous food to grow in contemporary kitchens.”

Chartrand has appeared on nine television shows and two documentaries, including Top Chef Canada, Iron Chef Canada, Chopped Canada, Fridge Wars, and Wall of Chefs. He was the first Indigenous chef to win gold at the Canadian Gold Medal Plates competition, and he has represented Canadian Indigenous cuisine internationally, including at Cook It Raw gatherings.

On Top Chef, he recalls: “Someone told me I wouldn’t win because they didn’t understand reindeer moss, bear grease, elderberries, or sastatunes. They were right. But winning isn’t always first place — it’s telling a story rooted in truth. Everything I do is tapu — sacred, truthful, and mindful.”

Currently, Chartrand is the curator of Paper Birch by Chartrand at Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, a café and cultural hub blending community, food, and storytelling. He hosts multi-course dinners, teaches Indigenous youth cooking, and advocates for food sovereignty. “We’ve lost our headdresses, our dances, our songs, our voices,” he says. “Food is medicine, and that’s why I represent myself as truly as I can.”

He actively supports charitable initiatives and community outreach, using his platform to elevate Indigenous voices, share knowledge of land and food traditions, and reclaim cultural heritage.

For Chartrand, success is not measured by trophies or accolades but by cultural reclamation, healing, and storytelling. Every dish, every book, every public appearance is a medium for education, cultural pride, and Indigenous visibility. “Media space is currency,” he says, “and we have to tread lightly. There’s responsibility in how we represent Indigenous food, relationships, and history.”

Through his journey — from Alberta acreage to national television, award-winning cookbooks, and a market-based food hub — Shane Chartrand embodies the modern Indigenous chef: an artist, healer, teacher, and storyteller, using food as a bridge between past and present, tradition and innovation.