Name: Melissa Garrett
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Education/Background: Graduate, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts
Business Name: Wadulisi’s LLC – Contemporary Indigenous Food
Tribal Affiliation: Cherokee Nation, Quapaw Nation, and Seneca Cayuga Nation
What led to your passion for Indigenous foods?
My passion started at home, watching my family turn humble ingredients into something sacred. Food was never just a meal — it was medicine, memory, and ceremony. As I got older, I saw how many of our people, especially in cities, were disconnected from that. That’s when preserving culture one plate at a time became my purpose. I wanted to create a bridge between tradition and today’s palate — to make Indigenous foods both accessible and exciting again.
Why is it important to make traditional foods accessible for Native people?
Because accessibility is sovereignty. Food is identity, and when our people have the ability to grow, cook, and share traditional meals again, we strengthen every layer of who we are. For too long, urban Native families have been distanced from ancestral foods. My work focuses on bringing those foods — the corn, beans, squash, berries, and bison that sustained us — back into everyday spaces. It’s about reclaiming what was always ours, one meal at a time.
How do you blend tradition with modern tastes?
At Wadulisi’s, we honor ancestral ingredients while giving them new life for modern diners. Our menu features dishes like Three Sisters Soup, Buffalo Indian Tacos, and Wojapi Cheesecake Bites, where traditional flavors meet contemporary techniques. Every dish carries a story, but it also invites curiosity — it makes people want to learn, taste, and remember. The goal is balance: keeping the teachings intact while celebrating creativity and evolution.
What does urban accessibility mean to you?
Many of our people live in cities now, far from their tribal lands. That distance can create cultural hunger as much as physical hunger. Wadulisi’s brings Indigenous food directly to urban spaces — schools, markets, pop-ups, and community gatherings — so that no one feels disconnected from their roots. We want to make tradition part of daily life again, not just something reserved for holidays or special events.
What recognition has your work received?
I’ve been honored to see our story shared across multiple platforms that celebrate Indigenous excellence and entrepreneurship. Wadulisi’s has been featured in Voyage KC (three times), The Lawrence Times, and the Seneca Cayuga Tribal Newspaper. Our work has also been highlighted on KTWU’s Working Capital and Inspired television programs. Being recognized as a Seneca Cayuga-owned business means carrying forward a legacy of strength, resourcefulness, and community.
Closing thoughts
Wadulisi’s LLC and The Hive: The Indigenous Collective walk side by side — one preserving culture through food, the other through education and community. Together, we’re creating spaces where Indigenous identity can thrive in every form: from the plate to the classroom to the garden. Our shared mission is to restore connection, equity, and pride through culture, food, and storytelling.
We’re proud to announce that The Hive’s official website will go live following Indigenous Peoples’ Day, marking the next step in this journey of collaboration and visibility. Every meal, every class, every story we share is a step toward a future where Indigenous food sovereignty and education stand hand in hand.
Wadulisi’s LLC – Preserving culture one plate at a time
📞 (816) 500-0554
✉️ melissa@wadulisis.com
🌐 www.wadulisis.com
🌐 www.thehivetheindigenouscollective.com (launching after Indigenous Peoples’ Day)