Mariaelena Huambachano’s book Recovering Our Ancestral Foodways: Indigenous Traditions as a Recipe for Living Well (2024) provides a comprehensive ethnographic study of the philosophies of well-being, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and sustainable food systems of the Māori and Quechua peoples.
Based on more than ten years of immersive fieldwork in Peru and Aotearoa New Zealand, the book unveils the stories, theories, and practices that demonstrate the intimate connection between the Māori and Quechua peoples. It emphasizes the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge into sustainable food systems and presents an Indigenous food sovereignty framework called the Chakana/Māhutonga. Additionally, the book introduces the Khipu Model, a research methodology for studying Indigenous knowledge systems. “Recovering Our Ancestral Foodways” celebrates Indigenous food sovereignty and the critical role of Indigenous peoples in preserving biodiversity, food systems, and innovation for the well-being of humanity.
A native Peruvian Indigenous scholar, Dr. Mariaelena Huambachano, is Assistant Professor at Syracuse University helping to build the Global Indigenous Cultures and Environmental Justice Department and Center. Dr. Huambachano is an advocate for Indigenous peoples’ rights and is passionate about repositioning Indigenous knowledge and philosophies of well-being at the heart of food security and nutrition. She is involved in this work through her role in higher education and in UN systems such as IPBES, UNESCO, and HLPE-FSN. Her research and teaching are rooted in an interdisciplinary approach to Indigenous Studies, Environmental Studies, and Sustainable Development. These areas encompass food and climate justice, environmental governance, agroecology, public policy, community-driven development, traditional ecological knowledge, and decolonizing methodologies.
