BC's First Indigenous Red Seal Chef on the Crisis No One Talks About | Chief Andrew George.
What does it mean when food isn't just fuel — it's governance, identity, and survival?
In this episode, Rachel sits down with Chief Andrew George — Hereditary Wing Chief of the Wet'suwet'en Bear Clan, BC's first Indigenous Red Seal certified chef, Apprentice Advisor at SkilledTradesBC, and Director at Dan's Legacy Foundation — for a conversation that will change how you see food, culture, and reconciliation in Canada.
Chief Andrew takes us from growing up off-reserve in the Bulkley Valley, following salmon cycles, and cooking over an open fire in the mountains — all the way to representing Indigenous cuisine at the 1992 World Culinary Olympics, Expo 86, the 2010 Winter Olympics, and the FIFA World Cup. His mother's salmon bannock, first created at Expo 86, is making a comeback on the world stage.
But this episode goes far deeper than food. Chief Andrew unpacks how Indigenous food systems weren't simply lost — they were deliberately destroyed. From fishing rocks blown up in the Hagelget Canyon to buffalo wiped out on the prairies, he connects this history directly to why Indigenous households in BC today experience food insecurity at 2 to 6 times the rate of non-Indigenous households.
From Dan's Legacy Foundation's trauma-informed culinary training in New Westminster, to Tea Creek's food sovereignty model in Northern BC — Chief Andrew shows us what real reconciliation looks like: not in a corporate boardroom, but sitting around a fire with a cup of tea.
This episode is essential listening for anyone who cares about food justice, Indigenous rights, and the future of our communities.
ABOUT DAN'S LEGACY FOUNDATION
Dan's Legacy provides no-cost trauma-informed counselling and wrap-around support programs for at-risk youth, including culinary job-skills training through Dan's Diner in New Westminster.
🔗 Website: https://danslegacy.com [https://danslegacy.com/]
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danslegacybc/ [https://www.instagram.com/danslegacybc/]
👍 Facebook: https://facebook.com/danslegacy [https://facebook.com/danslegacy]
🐦 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/DansLegacyBC [https://twitter.com/DansLegacyBC]
0:00 Introduction & land acknowledgement
2:23 Chief Andrew's journey into professional cooking
3:15 Growing up off reserve in the Bulkley Valley
4:33 The Salmon People: Wet'suwet'en identity & traditions
6:34 The Feast Hall & Potlatch: Food as governance
7:26 The Grease Trails: A kinship economy
9:43 How cooking found him: An open fire in the mountains
16:33 His grandfather & reconciliation
19:32 Indigenous cuisine on the world stage: Culinary Olympics, Expo 86, FIFA
20:28 The deliberate decimation of Indigenous food systems
22:14 The food insecurity crisis: 2–6× higher for Indigenous households
31:08 Culinary Diplomacy Tour & the DC Central Kitchen model
34:13 Dan's Legacy Foundation: Therapy, cooking & changing lives
36:09 Tea Creek: Food sovereignty & trades training
38:02 Burn the boardroom table: Reconciliation around the fire
39:08 The elder's tea wisdom
56:47 Treat people how you want to be treated
57:41 Food as shared culture: Pow Wows, Potlatches & giving
58:57 Where to find Indigenous food in Greater Vancouver
1:01:00 Closing: Salmon Bannock from Expo 86 to the FIFA World Cup.
