North Campus sits on a hill on what was the old Ganędagǫ: village. Today, it’s the location of Toni Morrison Hall.

“It’s important to us to bring awareness to that and recognize place,” said Haeñhyanoñhna Joseph Powless, from the Onondaga Nation and a Program Assistant at AIISP and the Akwe:kon program house. “What better way for this to happen than to share the foods that people were eating 8,000 years ago on this land.”

Now in its second year, Ǫgwahǫwéhneha:ˀ gyǫhéhgǫh or Food of the Original People returns to Morrison Dining on Nov. 4. A collaboration between Cornell Dining, the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program (AIISP) and Cornell Botanic Gardens, the event will explore the rich culinary and cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples while bringing the Cornellians together to promote student well-being and a greater sense of community and belonging.  

“Food helps create conversation and allows us to bond and form connections in a different way,” said Paige Peters ’27, who identifies as Saginaw Chippewa. “These events are a really valuable learning experience that highlight the plurality of personhood at Cornell, and it also gives us the opportunity to talk about our indigeneity through a really positive lens.”

Read the full story on the Student and Campus Life website