Crystal Wahpepah

Chef-Owner, Wahpepah’s Kitchen | Oakland, CA

Crystal Wahpepah is a member of the Kickapoo Nation of Oklahoma and the owner and executive chef of Wahpepah’s Kitchen in Oakland, CA. Crystal understands the deep and powerful role that food plays in our lives and uses it as a bridge to connect others with Native issues that are important to her and Wahpepah’s Kitchen. Her work acknowledges the Indigenous inhabitants of the land upon which we currently live, in an effort to reclaim Native food ways. Through this connection, Crystal educates others on the health benefits of Indigenous foods through the knowledge that has been passed to her. Crystal has been inducted into the Native American Almanac, appeared on the Food Network show “Chopped,” and was a finalist for the 2022 Emerging Chef award from the James Beard Foundation. The first Native woman to own a restaurant in Northern California, Crystal has cooked for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and was recently named a member of the American Culinary Corps through the U.S. Department of State. @wahpepahskitchen (Instagram)