How Food Shapes Who We Become | Mohawk Food Sovereigntist/Entrepreneur Kendal Garlow

What can food tell us about who we are? This month, we visit with Kendal Garlow, a Kanyen'kehà:ka food sovereigntist, entrepreneur, and recent graduate of McMaster University's Master of Indigenous Studies program.

Through a Haudenosaunee lens, Kendal explores the relationships between food, identity, language, health, community, history, and belonging. Her master's research asked a deceptively simple question: How do Haudenosaunee food decisions influence identity, and vice versa?

In this conversation, Kendal shares how Indigenous methodologies shaped her research process, why relationships mattered more than extraction, and what she learned from a significant so-called "failure" in previous academic adventures. Not a spoiler - but she let herself release the program, then came back super strong in her Indigenous Studies masters.

She also discusses a decision that challenges conventional academic expectations: choosing not to publish portions of her research in order to protect the identities and stories of community members, including residential school survivors.

Along the way, we talk about food sovereignty, Indigenous education, community wellbeing, and her work co-founding SproutSync, an Indigenous-led greenhouse technology company working to increase access to fresh food in communities.

In this episode you'll learn: -How Haudenosaunee food systems shape identity, culture, and community wellbeing -How failure can be our greatest teacher -What Indigenous research methodologies look like in practice -Why relationships and responsibility matter in research -How food connects to language, health, memory, and belonging -What food sovereignty means beyond nutrition and agriculture - especially in food deserts such as Six Nations of the Grand River -Why some knowledge is meant to be cared for rather than published -How Indigenous entrepreneurship can support community food security Whether you're interested in Indigenous knowledge, research, food systems, community development, entrepreneurship, or simply understanding the deeper stories carried by the foods we eat, Kendal offers practical insights and powerful reflections rooted in Haudenosaunee ways of knowing. Guest Bio Kendal Garlow is a Kanyen'kehà:ka woman from Six Nations of the Grand River, Wolf Clan, food sovereigntist, entrepreneur, and graduate of McMaster University's Master of Indigenous Studies program. Her work explores the intersections of food, identity, health, culture, and community through a Haudenosaunee perspective. Drawing on her background in psychology, Indigenous Studies, and community-based research, Kendal has focused on understanding how food choices both shape and reflect Indigenous identity. Kendal has also worked with Six Nations Department of Well-Being and food-focused initiatives that connect Indigenous foods with community health. In 2025, she and her husband Thomas Sweeney launched SproutSync, an Indigenous-led greenhouse technology company designed to help communities increase access to affordable, locally grown food.

Links & Resources: Food, Identity, Sovereignty and Health: Kendal Garlow Connects the Dots

Kendal Garlow, SproutSync Ltd., Wins 2025 Pow Wow Pitch

Kendal's Sprout Sync Website

Credits Hosted by Kahstoserakwathe Produced by The Aunties Dandelion Co-Auntie and Treaty Partner: Tamara Louks Editor: Eve Krogman Audio Engineer: Mariana Hutten Czapski #ListenToYourAunties Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.