Denver EATSS 2025 Brings Together Nathaniel Rateliff, Native Cuisine, and the Colorado Symphony to Support Indigenous Students
Photo Courtesy of Denver EATSS
Story By Giles Clasen
Over a weekend in April, Denver-based singer Nathaniel Rateliff performed with the Colorado Symphony to raise funds for Indigenous students through the American Indian College Fund.
Held at Boettcher Concert Hall, the performance, which was part of Denver EATSS 2025, also featured original dishes made with traditional ingredients by Indigenous chefs from across the country.
In an interview with Denver VOICE, Rateliff said it was a no-brainer to partner with the American Indian College Fund.
“It is our duty as artists to bring issues of economic, racial, and social justice to the forefront of conversations,” Rateliff said. “Our culture is set up to create distractions from what is actually happening to our communities. Art, therefore, must exist to bring attention to those who are overlooked and oppressed.”
Ben Jacobs, co-founder of Tocabe: An American Indian Eatery, has participated in Denver EATSS for years. His restaurant is one of the few Native-owned, Native-focused food businesses in the country, and he hopes the event will help participants have a better understanding of Native food.
“One challenge is that many people are just now learning about Native cuisine, and those who are familiar with it may think there’s only one way to approach it,” Jacobs said. “But Native cuisine is vast and regionally diverse. For example, I’m Osage from northeast Oklahoma, but we use ingredients from Maine, Minnesota, and Washington. We’re not tied to one tribe or region—we want all tribal identities to connect.”
Denver EATSS 2025’s goal was to extend the understanding beyond food and Jacobs said he sees the event as a way to share stories and culture.
“When we started, our goal was to share culture, community, and identity through food,” Jacobs said. “Many people recognize ingredients like buffalo, squash, corn, and beans but don’t know their history. These foods have always been here. When we serve them, we reintroduce them in a new way, helping people understand their roots.”
The American Indian College Fund provides scholarships, cultural support, and student services to help Native students succeed in higher education. Its work supports not only education, but Native language programs, tribal colleges, and youth development programs across the country.
Jacobs studied history and American Indian studies in college and said education, both formal and lived experiences, are key to strengthening Native communities. He and his business partner have offered scholarships for years and converted Tocabe’s Greenwood Village location into a fulfillment center to expand access to traditional Native meals.
“Many tribal communities are food deserts,” Jacobs said. “We said, ‘Hey, we can fight convenience by creating convenience.’ The idea is to source from Native producers, prepare the food, and make sure it’s accessible to everyone.”
The new fulfillment center allows Tocabe to distribute “harvest meals” made from traditional ingredients in an assembly-line model that keeps prices affordable.
Jacobs called the approach “seed-to-soul”—a way of thinking about and tracking the food system that includes not just the farmer, but also the truck driver, warehouse worker, and cook. He said food sovereignty is about more than culture.
“It’s not a hobby. Growing food, raising food, and selling food is an economy, and we need to take control of it,” Jacobs said. “Food is survival. If we lose the ability to feed ourselves, we lose freedom.”
That message mirrors themes found in Rateliff’s life and music. He has spoken openly about addiction and recovery and said transparency and honesty are key to making meaningful art.
“In order to accurately reflect how you view the world and its impact on your life, art requires vulnerability and truth,” Rateliff said.
This unique event gives Rateliff a chance to play his soul- and blues-influenced rock with an orchestra. Rateliff, who’s gravely voice, stage presence, and gospel roots make him the perfect candidate to be the patron saint of dive bars, said performing with the Colorado Symphony presented a unique opportunity to grow as a musician.
“I always feel deeply grateful to be able to work with the Colorado Symphony, for it allows me to expand my understanding of music and collaboration. Working with an orchestra brings my music to new places that are not possible with myself or my band.”
Rateliff also said that working with the Colorado Symphony pushed his music into new territory, but the collaboration with Denver EATSS was most exciting because it brought people together with a focus on the Native community.
Jacobs agreed. According to Jacobs, food is a powerful tool for connection and sharing meals can help challenge stereotypes and reshape Native identity.
“Food is a direct connection to culture,” Jacobs said. “Sharing a meal can open people’s eyes to who we really are.”
Proceeds from Denver EATSS 2025 went to the American Indian College Fund.
Read our May issue of the Denver VOICE for expanded coverage.
