Alaska Traditional Kitchen
The alaska traditional kitchen
The Alaska Traditional Kitchen (AKTK) is a project that originated within the National
Resource Center for Alaska Native Elders (NRC-ANE) with the purpose of promoting traditional
foods, stories, and Alaska Native ways of knowing. The kitchen's main goal is to provide
a space where people can learn about and share traditional foods and the stories behind
them, as well as the knowledge and wisdom of Alaska Native elders.
To ensure that the project is grounded in Alaska Native culture, it was essential
that an Alaska Native chef be a part of this vision, and Chef Flora Deacon was chosen
as the culinary and traditional foods expert. Flora is a skilled chef and a respected
member of the Alaska Native community, and she provides valuable insight and instruction
on traditional food preparation, as well as personal stories about each traditional
food.
In 2024, the University of Alaska Anchorage's Dietetics and Nutrition department took
over the project, recognizing its importance in promoting traditional foods, health,
and wellness throughout Alaska Native communities. Assistant Professor Melissa Chlupach
was appointed as the project manager for the kitchen. Melissa is a registered dietitian
with a passion for Alaska Native traditional foods, nutrition, and health, and she
is dedicated to bringing people together to share and learn from each other. Her primary
goal is to promote traditional foods and their health benefits while preserving the
cultural heritage of Alaska Native communities.
Melissa Chlupach
As a non-Indigenous person who grew up in Alaska on Native land, Melissa's work is
part of a personal commitment to reconciliation. She strives to work in partnership with Indigenous peoples to improve health through access to traditional
and Indigenous foods.
She attended the University of Idaho and worked as a Regional Healthcare Dietitian
at NANA Management Services for 12 years, where she supported food service contracts
in Alaska and Arizona. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor in UAA's Dietetics
and Nutrition department and also serves on the Alaska Food Policy Council board.
Melissa teaches a variety of courses, including Alaska Native Nutrition and Nutrition
Through the Life Cycle.
Her most significant project is the traditional foods initiative in Alaska, where
she collaborates with organizations such as the Alaska Native Medical Center and the
San Carlos Apache Healthcare Corporation to implement traditional food programs.
Flora Deacon
Flora is an Athabascan chef from Grayling, Alaska. Her late father, Wilson Deacon,
was from Holikachuk, and her mother, Edna, was from Shageluk. Flora attended elementary
school in Shageluk and Grayling before graduating from Chemawa Indian High School
in Salem, Oregon. After working in accounting for some time, Flora decided to pursue
her passion for cooking and earned an Associate in Occupational Studies from the New
England Culinary School in Montpelier, Vermont.
Flora's interest in food as medicine led her to earn a certificate from the UAF Troth
Yeddha’ Nutrition project in 2010. She later collaborated with Sarah McConnell to
create an associate interdisciplinary degree in rural nutrition through UAF in 2013,
which she completed in December 2018. Flora's current goal is to establish contacts
and build relationships to promote traditional and local food through classes and
recipe demonstrations.
Contact Us
Email: uaa_aktradkitchen@alaska.edu
Location
UAA Alaska Traditional Kitchen
Professional Studies Building
2533 Providence Drive, PSB 146
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Mailing Address
UAA Alaska Traditional Kitchen
3211 Providence Drive, PSB 146
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
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