As part of its continuing conversation about exile, displacement, and diaspora, C.H. Booth Library will present an engaging event titled “Food Sovereignty in North America: A Cooking Demonstration by Rachel Beth Sayet (Mohegan Tribe).”

The event is part of the library’s Stories of Exile Program series, dedicated to sharing unique narratives and experiences.

It has been scheduled for Saturday, January 27, at 1 pm, in the Gathering Room of the library, 25 Main Street.

Rachel Beth Sayet, Akitusut (She Who Reads) is a distinguished member of the Mohegan nation. Raised with a profound connection to the spirits of her ancestors, Sayet has immersed herself in the traditional stories and teachings of her people. Her upbringing involved active participation in tribal events, fostering a deep appreciation for her cultural heritage.

She has always been passionate about and proud of her Mohegan heritage and identity, and avidly studies and learns about other cultures, indigenous and beyond. History has always been her favorite subject.

Sayet’s other main passion throughout her life has been food. As a child, she grew up cooking with her grandmother and mother. Her grandmother Phyllis is a Russian American Jew who has always been ahead of the curve when it came to food. In the 1980s she taught Chinese cooking classes. Phyllis inspired Rachel to always try different foods and learn to cook cultural cuisines.

Sayet earned a BS in restaurant management from Cornell University. In her time at Cornell, she worked in kitchens, ran events for industry representatives, and was a personal chef. She was also a teaching assistant for the class Introduction to Wines.

During her senior year at Cornell, Sayet was able to take an American Indian Studies course with Mohawk professor Audra Simpson. This course was eye-opening to her, and it was then that she was inspired to teach about Native culture and history.

Sayet then went to graduate school at Harvard University for anthropology and museum studies and earned her masters degree in 2012. While at Harvard, Sayet worked at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology for three years and had the opportunity of being a curator for the exhibit “Digging Veritas: The Archaeology and History of the Harvard Indian College and 17th Century Life.”

Her thesis, “Moshups Continuance: Sovereignty and the Literature of the Land of the Aquinnah Wampanoag Nation,” won the award for best thesis in the behavioral sciences at Harvard Extension School.

She has never stopped working with food, however.

In 2013 Sayet wrote a paper entitled “A Celebration of Land and Sea: Modern Indigenous Cuisine in New England,” which she then presented at many conferences. This led her to start working on ground efforts at her own community and revitalizing traditional foods.

Drawing on her extensive training at Cornell and Harvard, as well as her passions for history, food, and culture, Sayet now dedicates herself to educating others. She engages audiences of all ages through guest lectures, presentations, and cooking demonstrations across New England.

For the program in Newtown, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about traditional indigenous meals and drinks as Sayet guides them through the preparation process. The hands-on approach will not only offer insight into the culinary traditions of the Mohegan Tribe, it will also foster a deeper understanding of the importance of food sovereignty.

This event is open to the public, and individuals of all backgrounds are encouraged to join the enlightening and interactive experience. For more information, contact Tom Nolan at 203-426-4533 or tnolan@chboothlibrary.org; registration is available at chboothlibrary.org.