Award-Winning Indigenous Chef Teaches Traditional Recipes to Watertown High School Students
Video by Nick Christoforo | Edited by Luke Anderson
Watertown High School culinary arts students received a special lesson in Indigenous cooking from James Beard Award-winning chef Sherry Pocknett on Oct. 9, preparing traditional dishes for the city's Indigenous Peoples Day celebration.
Pocknett, a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, visited the school's new culinary arts classroom to share her experiences as a Native American chef and teach students about Indigenous food traditions.
During the visit, Pocknett discussed how she learned about native plants, medicines and seafood from family members while growing up. She also shared stories about her culinary career, which has included opening restaurants, appearing on cooking shows and earning national recognition.
Working alongside culinary arts teacher Kevin Marston, students prepared Three Sisters Succotash Stew, a traditional dish featuring corn, beans and squash. The three crops have been grown together by Indigenous communities for centuries, with each plant supporting the others.
Students also prepared corn cakes served with cranberry and strawberry chutney, receiving hands-on guidance and cooking tips from Pocknett throughout the day.
The completed dishes were served at Watertown's Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at Hosmer Elementary School on Oct. 11.
The visit was organized through a collaboration between the Pigsgusset Initiative, Watertown High School's culinary arts program and school staff. Funding was provided by the Watertown Human Rights Commission.
The experience was documented by Watertown High School digital media student Nick Christoforo, who captured footage of the culinary lesson. The video was edited by Luke Anderson, highlighting the students' work alongside Pocknett and the traditional dishes they prepared.
