Christine Lewis: through soulful cooking, this chef is sharing the warmth and joy of her culture

 ​
Christine is Northern Tutchone and was born in Whitehorse, Yukon. She is a mother of 5 boys, Christian,  Sébastien, Brandon, Jaden, and Aaron. At the age of twelve, she moved to Calgary with her mother (who still lives there today with her three grandchildren and son). Her maternal grandmother, Graffee George, is recorded as a missing and murdered Indigenous woman. Her maternal grandfather was a Shaman, and Christine knows that a number of her family members hold special gifts. Christine is a vision dreamer and has dreamed about her own future.

For the past four years, she has delved into cooking and has developed a deep passion for food. Today, she is committed to bringing her love of food to the people of the Yukon. Her food truck name is Bannock Slap Indigenous Soul Food, which comes from a memory of the first time she made bannock with her mother (who gave her the bannock to slap raw). Bannock Slap Indigenous Soul Food features a menu of local, traditional and contemporary flavours. Customers can enjoy a variety of bannock options along with dishes, ice creams and teas featuring seasonal produce.

​Christine has been back in the Yukon for over five years and during this time she has learned a lot about colonization and genocide. Her goal is to move forward with thoughts and prayers and to be the change she wants to see, starting with her business. 

This video is from the Feeding Our Spirits series, which captures the stories of the entrepreneurs in our Local Food cohort. Click here to see more videos.

This video was made by Brian Ladue of Northern Wild Productions