Deep Routes: An AfroIndigenous Culinary Curriculum

Deep Routes  is an Afro-Indigenous Culinary Curriculum that aims to uplift Black and Indigenous peoples' contributions to culinary and agricultural technologies. The development of this curriculum is being led by Black and Indigenous farmers, cooks, and educators who want to make in-depth learning resources that center Afro-Indigenous stories more easily accessible to educators, learners, and anyone interested in deepening their relationship to and understanding of Black and Indigenous foodways. MORE about the project HERE .

UPDATE (5/1/2021)
We are still pushing towards our goal of raising $25,000 to support the work of the collaborators (educators/cooks/farmers who you can meet here ), artists, and other folks behind the scenes of the Deep Routes project. We're still fine-tuning the website/online platform that will house the curriculum materials, and aiming to launch mid-June 2021. Either way we're really excited to share these materials with you, and appreciate any and all donation amounts to support our work.  Follow our work on instagram.


UPDATE (3/1/2021)
While we still have a goal of raising $75,000 for this project this year (and our original goal was to raise it by Feb, 27th, 2021), right now our immediate MINIMUM goal is $25,000 by March/April 2021. You can help us reach that goal with a donation today or sharing (via email or social media).


What Deep Routes is about:

The name Deep Routes is an ode to tracing the routes and roots of Black and Indigenous foods, plants, and animals that have shaped our foodways (e.g. oral and written food wisdom, agriculture technologies, culinary techniques, etc.) while also looking ahead to how those foodways continue to evolve in the hands of Black and Indigenous peoples.

Our Vision
We envision a transformative learning experience that weaves the stories of plants, animals, and land alongside the experiences of Black and Indigenous people into a collective web of shared knowledge that affirms the lives of students and educators of color in educational institutions as well as in community-based spaces.

Our Mission
Our mission is to realign the culinary learning experience with a collaborative and culturally-affirming mode of sharing knowledge. We aim to do this by highlighting Black and Indigenous foodways through easily accessible, adaptable, and in-depth learning materials that can be used by educators of all levels. 

Our Values:
- Uplifting Afro-Indigenous foodways and wisdom
- Collaborative sharing of knowledge
- Accessible learning resources

Learn more about the project and leadership here .

You can also learn more backstory about Deep Routes from collaborator Maya Marie in her CoFED fellowship reflection video below: 


Your donation will go towards:
- Supporting BIPOC farm and food educators. Funds will go directly to food and farm educators who are developing the curriculum through research, writing, editing, compilation, and formatting. It will also support us in getting access to resources such as books, journal access, and other research materials.

- Supporting BIPOC Artists and Illustrators. All artwork throughout the curriculum will be commissioned from Black and/or Indigenous people of color.

- Covering the cost of contracting a website developer to create a user friendly, and engaging website for educators and students to access the curriculum materials. 

- Recipe testing materials for the recipes (old and new) to be adapted for the curriculum. (e.g. ingredients, equipment, etc.).