Chef Overcomes Personal Troubles to Celebrate his Native American Roots

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Jason Vickers is as Seattle food and culture as you get. Yet, many have never heard of him.

He has cooked at numerous iconic places across the region with chefs such as Kathy Casey, Russell Lowell, Jonathan Hunt, Tom Black, Scott Staples and the late Tamara Murphy. He recently founded Netoncks Metsu, the catering, meal prep and special events business dedicated to cooking with historically local ingredients and First Nation’s traditions.

Vickers, who is a member of the Hassanamisco Band, Nipmuc Nation, is the featured chef at the First Nations at the University of Washington’s “Taking Back the Dinner” festivities at 5 p.m. Nov. 26 UW’s Intellectual House as part of Native American Heritage Month. For more information, email First Nations at the University of Washington, one of the largest campus-based Native American and Alaska Native student organizations in the country.

For Vickers, giving back to the local Native American community takes him full circle. Battling alcoholism, he had previously relied on social services and the kindness of others. It was his ex-boss, Murphy, who had heard through the restaurant grapevine that Vickers was homeless, who gave him a job sanding the floor at Murphy’s Terra Plata’s picturesque rooftop deck, and put him back on his cooking track.

“(Murphy is) the realest person I’ve had the pleasure to have worked with,” Vickers says of his mentor.

By 2023, Vickers had founded Natoncks Metsu, which translates to “Feeding My Cousins,” a catering, private chef and meal prep business based in Seattle.

“I made some lifestyle changes, becoming sober, taking care of my life,” Vickers says. “That also meant leaning into my Native culture. I made a commitment to turn my attention to my food. I started making relationships with farms, farmers and food banks. I experienced this incredible gift in the middle of my career. I was exposed to a whole new set of ingredients and textures. These ingredients come with history and culture. It was like starting all over again.”

Vickers forages many of his ingredients locally and also relies on tribal farmers, fishers and growers. He digs back centuries for menu inspirations, far beyond the currently popular frybread, which originated in tragedy nearly 160 years ago.

The genesis of frybread is grounded in oppressive American history. Forced to relocate from Arizona to New Mexico in 1864 (known as “The Long Walk,”) the Navajo were given flour, processed sugar and lard, the “government cheese” of the time, for the long trip. In a twist of alchemy, the resilient Navajo created what is today referred to as frybread, far from traditional First Nation cuisine.

“Frybread is an example of making do with a not-so-fortunate situation,” Vickers says. “People will become nostalgic about anything. Frybread gets a wink and a nod. It is not romantically referred to as traditional, but it’s struggle food.”

Vickers prefers to serve roasted tribal caught Coho salmon rubbed in a nettle pesto, combining two staples in his culinary repertoire. Nettles also play a supporting role in his juicy preparation of braised chicken. His Lumminade, a nod to the Lummi Nation, is a blend of lemon, mint and rosemary.

Other restaurants and retailers owned by Native Americans who celebrate culture include:

Read More:
https://seattlemag.com/food-drink/chef- ... can-roots/