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Native American kitchen opens in Wheat Ridge

The owner hopes people will be inspired to make their own Indigenous dishes.

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — A new Native American kitchen is open in Wheat Ridge, sharing Indigenous food with the community, whether it’s food you grew up with or you’re trying it for the first time.

The big opening also included an Indigenous plant sale. The restaurant's owner hopes shoppers will be inspired to use their harvest to create their own Indigenous meals.

Naatsiilid Kitchen owner Narissa Ribera is thrilled to serve her community. The business is officially open inside Wheat Ridge Center for Music and Arts on West 38th Avenue just east of Wadsworth Boulevard.

“The whole purpose of this is to further be getting people to eat Indigenous foods and trying them,” Ribera said. “It’s a traditional food, but that doesn’t mean that they have access to it.”

She said a lot of the ingredients are sourced from Indigenous farmers. Ribera plants Indigenous seeds at her own house too, including the ones sold today.

But it’s about more than growing plants, it’s growing purpose.

“I think it’s important to like reintroduce myself to the land that I live on, and get to know its stories, get to know its plants,” Lake Marquez, a shopper, said. “Just become more related to it.”

Shoppers can choose from ancient watermelon to Navajo wild spinach, and everything in between.

“The people that are here and like help supporting us, kind of means something to our community,” said Jacob Gonzales.

Gonzales joined in to celebrate new friendships with shoppers, dressed with help from one of the vendors.

“Marie Yellowhawk, she helped make my stuff,” Gonzales said.

“He looks great,” Yellowhawk said.  

Credit: Lauren Scafidi

Marie picked up beadwork by watching others. Now she’s helping teach the next generation.

“I try to do it with him so he kind gets the idea, instead of just doing it and giving it to him,” Yellowhawk said.  

Credit: Lauren Scafidi

“We can help a lot of people with our kitchen and that’s what we plan to do,” Ribera said. "So we are not just trying to like run a business. It’s also like a community effort. Like what does the community need, how can the community use this kitchen?”

Click here to find out what days and time Naatsiilid Kitchen will be open, or what other pop-up events they’re hosting.  

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