Derek Nicholas, Nutrition Coordinator and Chef at the Division of Indian Work (DIW), was recently honored to be invited as a guest speaker at the Indigenous Youth Empowerment Summit in Botswana in June 2025. Please join us to learn about Derek’s trip, his experiences at the conference, and his work with our local Native community at DIW.

Derek has written several books on Indigenous foods and healing. Copies will be on sale.

Derek Nicholas has been actively involved in various critical aspects of the food system, including food security and sovereignty, language revitalization, seed saving, wild foods, culinary arts, sustainable food and water projects, and youth engagement. He is the founder of Wiisinig LLC, an educational platform dedicated to revitalizing indigenous food systems within tribal communities. He is the author of Through Food We Know Ourselves and Eating with the Seasons, Anishinaabeg, Great Lakes Region. Additionally, Derek serves as the chair of the education and sustainability board for Feeding Mouths Filling Minds. He is DIW’s traditional foods nutrition program coordinator, preparing healthy, culturally appropriate foods for DIW activities. Furthermore, Derek facilitates workshops focused on indigenous foodways.

St. Luke Support for Derek’s Work

St. Luke’s Social Justice team partnered with DIW to cover the costs for Derek’s travel to Botswana. The team appreciated this chance to support Derek’s justice work. However, we continue to face unprecedented threats to our democracy, our immigrants, our trans community, our health care, and more. Please consider donating to St. Luke to support our Social Justice team: bring a donation to Adult Ed on October 19 or simply drop off a check at the St. Luke office. Che Miigwech!! (Many thanks)