The Jackpot on the Plate: How Tribal Gaming Cuisine Drives Indigenous Tourism and Cultural Identity
Credit: Chef Crystal Wahpepah (Kickapoo Nation)
In the dynamic world of tribal gaming and hospitality, the spotlight is increasingly turning to the culinary landscape. Casino resorts are moving beyond standard American fare, embracing the rich, authentic flavors and farm-to-table traditions of Native American foodways. This culinary renaissance is not just a trend — it’s a powerful statement of cultural identity, sovereignty, and economic reinvestment.
Indigenous chefs: Honoring tradition, driving innovation
The role of the Indigenous chef is critical in this movement, fusing ancestral ingredients and techniques with modern culinary artistry. While legendary chefs like Freddie Bitsoie (Navajo) and Nephi Craig (White Mountain Apache/Diné) have championed Indigenous cuisine — Bitsoie with his cookbook, New Native Kitchen, and Craig through the Native American Culinary Association — their influence continues to resonate in tribal enterprises.
While their current day-to-day casino kitchen roles may have evolved, their work laid a crucial foundation. For instance, Fire Rock Casino in New Mexico continues to celebrate its Navajo heritage at Cheii’s Restaurant. The menu invites guests to “Discover Navajo” with traditional dishes like Navajo tacos and, significantly, proudly serves source-verified Navajo-grown beef, potatoes, and beans. This commitment demonstrates how a former executive chef’s vision can be permanently woven into the operation.
The search for talented Native chefs continues to yield exciting results:
- Wahpepah’s Kitchen (Oakland, California): Awarded Best Indigenous Culinary Experience of 2025 by the American Indigenous Tourism Association, Wahpepah’s Kitchen of California offers a culinary revolution where Chef Crystal Wahpepah transforms Native American foodways into a modern, delicious dining experience. A member of the Kickapoo Nation, she is a trailblazing chef, a James Beard Award finalist, and the first Indigenous chef to compete on the Food Network’s “Chopped.” Located in Oakland, California, on Ohlone land, Wahpepah’s Kitchen is more than just a restaurant — it’s a movement rooted in food sovereignty and sustainability. Chef Wahpepah meticulously sources ingredients from Indigenous farmers and land stewards, ensuring each dish honors heritage and the planet. From Kickapoo bison chili to cedar-smoked salmon from the Lummi Nation, the menu is a vibrant celebration of diverse Indigenous cultures. A visit to Wahpepah’s Kitchen offers a taste of history and a glimpse into the future of food, celebrating community and a deeper connection to the land.
- Blackfish Wild Salmon Grill & Bar (Tulalip Resort Casino, Tulalip, Washington): This restaurant pays direct homage to the Tulalip Tribes’ traditions. Chef David Buchanan (a long-time chef at the resort) prepares the signature heritage salmon in the traditional tribal way — slow-roasted over alder coals on hand-carved ironwood stakes. This method is a profound cultural practice, not just a cooking technique, confirming that the spirit of Native food is alive and well at this important Pacific Northwest property.
- 39 Restaurant (First Americans Museum, Oklahoma City): A powerful cultural anchor for Indigenous cuisine in Oklahoma, this restaurant honors the 39 First American Nations in the state and celebrates their diverse and distinct culinary traditions. Emmy Award-winning Chef Consultant Loretta Barrett Oden (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) and Executive Chef Benjamin Hutton blend ancestral ingredients with contemporary aesthetics, creating plates that showcase foods that have sustained their people for generations. The restaurant’s mission highlights the ancestral trade routes and sustainable foodways that benefit cultures to this day.
From the Earth to the casino plate: farm-to-table initiatives
Tribal casinos are uniquely positioned to deliver a true farm-to-table experience, thanks to the vast agricultural resources of their nations. This sourcing is a direct economic stimulus and a powerful marketing tool for authenticity.
- Wild Horse Pass (Gila River Indian Community, Arizona): The ultimate expression of tribal farm-to-table dining is found at Kai (meaning “seed” in the Akimel O’othan language) at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass. As Arizona's only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star restaurant, it is a global destination. Chef de Cuisine Drew Anderson crafts a menu that incorporates the essence of the Akimel O’otham and Pee-Posh tribes, featuring ingredients locally farmed from the Gila River Indian Community. They even feature items from the Native Seed/SEARCH Foundation, ensuring ancient lines of Native American seeds are preserved and celebrated on the plate.
- Tohono O’odham Nation’s Desert Diamond Casinos (Arizona): The presence of the Tohono O’odham Nation’s own farm suggests a prime opportunity. Sourcing fresh, tribal-grown ingredients for farm-to-table specials would be a natural and high-impact move for their dining operations.
- Yakama Nation’s Legends Casino Hotel: Similarly, the Yakama Nation Farms is a well-established operation providing sustainable, high-quality produce with over a century of experience. Leveraging this significant asset to supply restaurants at Legends Casino Hotel would create a compelling, authentic dining narrative and strengthen the nation’s internal economy.
By featuring Indigenous chefs, implementing robust farm-to-table sourcing, and welcoming Indigenous-owned vendors, tribal casinos are defining a new standard of hospitality. They are turning the casino floor into a stage for cultural pride, offering guests a taste of the land and the legacy of the nation itself — a true “new buffalo” for the modern age.
This article was written by AIT and published in the 2026 Winter issue of the Tribal Gaming and Hospitality magazine.
visitors as part of the tribe’s cultural tourism plan. While visitors already know the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort and the annual international powwow, the tribe believes cultural tourism can be further showcased through its citizens’ artwork and a new tribal heritage complex.
Tulalip Resort Casino in Washington is a shining example of how a tribe can seamlessly integrate tribal art into its resort. This luxury destination is also a living gallery, honoring and preserving the rich cultural heritage of the art from its members and neighboring tribes. From the moment guests arrive, they are welcomed by a striking waterfall and a series of landscaped ponds featuring monumental sculptures — an orca whale breaching from the water and a bronze Tulalip spear fisherman—showing their connections to land, sea and ancestral traditions.
The four diamond Talking Stick Resort, owned and operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, is an iconic Scottsdale, AZ getaway. The luxury high-rise casino is so popular with spring break and spring training travelers, it might be easy to miss the resort’s cultural elements at first glance. But Talking Stick Resort is one part of the 12-stop, self-guided Salt River Art Trail. Throughout the resort are priceless pieces of Native American art, with much of it concentrated in the on-site Cultural Center, located in the resort lobby. The resort collection is recognized as the largest Native American art collection outside of a museum. The Salt River Art Trail also includes art exploration at 11 other sites, including the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Roadhouse Cinemas and other area hotels.
the menu is a celebration of the Alaskan wilderness. The reinvention of traditional Alaskan dishes with a modern twist is a pleasant surprise, while the chefs highlight the purity and richness of the ingredients.
g is done sustainably and responsibly.
ies. Visitors can get a more accurate and respectful depiction of the complexities of Native identities and narratives, even in a fictional story. A good book written by a Native voice informs thoughtful tourists and reminds them that Native storytelling is still a vibrant part of living culture.
We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation) published by Charlesbridge Press, 2021. The title says it all for this award-winning book.
-Fry-Bread Food Truck. There are so many variations and flavors and new choices added too. Find them on 
Grandma Genevieve, who we called Grandma Jennie, had the best cheeks in town. Her high cheekbones gave way to the soft, smooth flesh of her cheeks. As she smiled (which was always), her cheeks would raise her glasses up, making her countenance all the happier. My little sister wrote a poem about her cheeks one time, referring to them as apples. Many of her grandchildren inherited those signature squishy cheeks. Thank you Grandma. That’s not the only thing she passed down though. She left us a legacy of love that can best be displayed by the sharing of meals and traditions that will live on as long as we, her children and grandchildren, continue to carry them.
A Tlingit woman, coming from a matrilineal society, my Grandma was matriarch to her large family. With nine children and dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren, she lovingly tended to anyone who made the time to visit her. In my eyes, Grandma possessed the art of turning nothing into something. She could multiply the little she had by sharing. On any given Saturday that meant dipping into her crock of sourdough starter to make her famous, plate-sized sourdough pancakes and hosting one grandkid at a time at her tiny table. News traveled fast at the mention of her coveted potato donuts and family appeared out of the woodworks to her door to enjoy them hot and fresh. The love she poured into feeding her family was just one extension of Grandma’s sweet and tender heart.
words were taken from her. Her customs, ceremonies, and rituals that she knew, all taken from her. She was left with nothing.
We encourage our artists, galleries, museums, and food artists to keep making what they make. They are working on great authentic Native-made gifts and products you can explore effortlessly. At AIANTA we love sharing talented artists and their work with you.
