SAN DIEGO—Far from home on the Navajo reservation, four culinary arts students made their largest cooking debut for hundreds of hungry strangers at the five-star US Grant hotel.
The beginning students traveled 730 miles from Crownpoint, N.M., to downtown San Diego to share their culinary skills at Sunday's Celebration of Native Culture, which kicked off the National Indian Gaming Association's 17th annual meeting and trade show.
"I've worked for the biggest restaurant in New Mexico, but this is pretty big for me," said Travis Freeland, 23, one of the four students chosen from Navajo Technical College to participate in a "mini internship" during the four-day convention.
The students helped prepare a number of dishes at the event, including sweet corn polenta, king crab legs and poached shrimp with red chili cocktail sauce, and herb roasted buffalo ribeye.
"This is my first time working at a big hotel like this," Freeland said.
Freeland and the other students — Dewanye Rintale, Lena Natan and Karla Howard — arrived with instructor Joseph Chapa on Friday and worked with the hotel chefs preparing meals for the event.
Like his colleagues, Rintale, 27, from Window Rock, Ariz., has enjoyed and practiced the art of cooking since he was a young adult.
"I like to cook all kinds of food," Rintale said. "That's what made me pick culinary arts."
Rintale said his culinary skills don't stop at cooking and his real desire is to bake. He hopes to work on a cruise line once he gains more experience in the field, he said.
While only four students were chosen to participate in the mini-internship, about 50 more students are enrolled in Navajo Technical College's six-year-old culinary arts program in Crownpoint, N.M. The college just launched a two-year culinary arts program and is looking to start a certified program.
Chapa, a baking instructor at Navajo Technical College, said it is one of three or four chef schools in New Mexico — and in those programs, Native Americans have shown a great interest in the field.
"I think a lot of it has to do with watching the chef shows on TV and people getting interested in cooking, and saying, 'Well, our food is delicious, too,' and trying to interject to main-America." Chapa said. "I've been teaching for 10 years, and it is uncommon."
Howard, 19, from Twin Lakes, N.M., said she's gained a lot from the hands-on experience provided.
"What I've learned here is experience in the kitchen. You have to be committed to what you're doing," Howard said. "You have to really work hard and know what you're doing, and being responsible for everyone and just have fun."
Janelle Atcitty, trade show coordinator, said the opportunity not only helps Native students obtain experience but also helps open their eyes to different career fields.
"They got hands-on experience working individually with the chefs," Atcitty said. "I hope they see that there's a true career field for them out there in this area, and that it's a well-paid career. It's something that they can actually work in a tribally owned facility."
Atcitty said that with a growing interest from Native Americans in hotel management and restaurants, there will be a strong interest for Native Americans to hold top positions in each career field.
"We can say, 'Hey, this is an Indian restaurant, owned by Indians, cooked by Indians and it's Indian food,' " Atcitty said.