Besides that, the food found in our supermarkets comes from industrial farms across the country and across the border, grown on land that has been altered beyond recognition to allow non-native and genetically engineered plants to grow. It's hard for me to imagine cooking without this system of perpetual bounty.

But one of the sad results of this—something that had never occurred to me before watching this video—is that the food we eat has little connection to the soil we stand on. When we stole this land we did our best to scrape away everything that makes it unique. What we produce isn't considered intrinsically good; it's forever in competition with the "Old World" and often found wanting. Wisconsin Parmesan is a poor imitation of real Parmigiano Reggiano. "California Champagne" is a fraud.

Yet look at these Indigenous chefs and growers who see that this land is perfect as it is, who celebrate it rather than tear it apart, who find inspiration in the cedar that grows down the street. How lucky we are that Sean Sherman is willing to share his vision with us.