Apache Chef Nephi Craig says cooking saved his life

Nephi Craig, a White Mountain Apache chef, explores the intersection of indigenous food traditions, historical trauma, and personal recovery. After struggling with severe addiction and multiple stints in rehab, Craig found stability by reclaiming ancestral culinary practices, such as utilizing indigenous cultivars like tomatoes, acorns, and amaranth. He highlights how colonial food rations, including fry bread, reflect a legacy of systemic oppression that continues to impact indigenous health. Beyond his culinary work, Craig discusses the influence of his father, Vincent Craig, whose humor and art challenged colonial narratives. By integrating his expertise as a nutritional recovery coordinator with his culinary background, he creates vocational programs that foster community healing. The conversation also addresses his path to sobriety, the impact of childhood trauma, and his efforts to preserve and teach traditional Apache foodways to future generations.