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The takeover was sparked when philosophy and biology double major I. Moonlight '25 considered ways NAIS could gain more visibility within the campus community.

“Sometimes it’s hard to share what you do as an empowerment group because a lot of it is about supporting and protecting your community,” Moonlight shared. “I wanted to think through what we could do to make us more visible and be a force of empowerment and education for others on campus.”

NAIS has previously organized solidarity events, such as encouraging people to wear orange shirts on September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, to raise awareness for the history of residential schools the government forced Native Americans into. For Indigenous People's Day, Moonlight and peers Blossom Armstrong '25 and Jacki Alvarez '27 wanted to focus on something that every person has in common: food.

“There are so many indigenous foods that people have no understanding of where they’re from.”

“We were talking about what is impactful and meaningful in helping people come together and learn, and we know how instrumental food is to culture and identity,” Moonlight said. 

The students reached out to Parkhurst, the College’s catering partner, and the event was set in motion. Parkhurst Chef Nick Saporano worked directly with NAIS to craft a menu that showcased indigenous ingredients and foods.

“There are so many indigenous foods that people have no understanding of where they’re from. Tomatoes, potatoes, corn, blueberries, huckleberries, squash, and so much more,” Moonlight explained. “A lot of the menu started with the foods I personally know as someone from the Southwest: three sisters’ soup, pozole, fry bread and corn bread. I realized I needed to make sure I was incorporating foods in a way that represented the wide range of indigenous communities.”

The students and Saporano began research in earnest. Saporano drafted a menu, which NAIS was able to provide feedback on. Parkhurst and NAIS fine-tuned the menu together, and the Caf was able to offer a wide variety of indigenous foods across the Caf, including bison and salmon.

Accompanying the food were QR codes that linked to relevant web pages and resources where Caf visitors could learn more about the food while they ate.

“My favorite part was watching people come together over the food,” Moonlight said. “I loved listening to people talk about how good everything was. That excitement over something new gets people thinking about the ingredients and why we’re eating them today.”