Culinary Storyteller and Scientist Mariah Gladstone to Kick Off 2025 Flagstaff Festival of Science
The Flagstaff Festival of Science is proud to welcome Indigenous food educator, scientist, and entrepreneur Mariah Gladstone as this year’s W. L. Gore & Associates keynote speaker. Her presentation, which opens the 10-day celebration of STEM in Northern Arizona, will explore the intersections of ecology, culture, land stewardship, and culinary science—all through the lens of food.
Gladstone is the founder of IndigiKitchen, a nationally recognized platform that combines Indigenous foods, storytelling, and education that inspires both Native and non-Native audiences. Trained as both an engineer and environmental scientist, she weaves her academic background with traditional ecological knowledge, offering a dynamic and accessible approach to science through cooking. Her message is clear: food is not only nourishment, but also a powerful way to connect people with land, community, and science.
Born and raised on the Blackfeet Reservation and the surrounding region in Montana, Gladstone brings a unique perspective rooted in lived experience. Her work combines research with deep community engagement, sharing knowledge in ways that are both practical and transformative. As she explains, “Indigenous cultures have been conducting empirical studies for generations. It’s just time we start recognizing that.”
Her keynote, Indigenous Food Systems Science, will offer stories about traditional foods, land management practices, and how Indigenous science thrives in natural landscapes, including those of Northern Arizona. “I want people to walk out of the auditorium, look at the plants around them, and see food, medicine, and a living scientific relationship,” she says. “This region is so abundant in plant diversity.”
Whether she’s experimenting with sumac-infused lemon squares, teaching about the nutrient transformation of nixtamalized corn, or documenting the dehydration of puffball mushrooms, Gladstone continues to use food as a pathway into broader conversations. “I use food as the vehicle,” she says, “and once people are at the table, we can talk about ecology, nutrition, land management, and cultural resilience.”
Gladstone will highlight stories of traditional planting methods, wild food cultivation, and the scientific knowledge passed through generations. While some may attend for the recipes, her message runs deeper. “Cooking is a form of experimentation,” she says. “I try something, it fails, I try again. That’s science in action. When we bring in ancestral ingredients and land-based knowledge, we’re continuing the scientific legacy of Indigenous communities.”
This blending of cultural preservation and scientific inquiry has made Gladstone a compelling voice across Indian Country and beyond. Through social media, she reaches tens of thousands with seasonal harvests, recipe development, and her community-first approach. Her audience includes both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, many drawn in by her vibrant imagery, and staying for the lessons in history, ecology and nutrition.
“People remember stories,” she explains. “They may not remember a percentage or a statistic, but they’ll remember the story of how a plant was used, or how it grew in a particular place. That’s what sticks. That’s how we make science memorable and meaningful.”
This year’s keynote will also include a unique artistic element: a choreographed performance inspired by Indigenous food systems and culture. Gladstone has worked closely with the choreographer to curate a playlist of Indigenous songs. “I love that this event is blending science, storytelling and art,” she says. “It’s an innovative way to share information and engage new audiences.”
Gladstone’s presentation promises to be a powerful start to this year’s Festival. “I’m excited to connect with people in Flagstaff,” she says. “It’s a region with such rich biodiversity and cultural heritage. I hope the stories I share inspire Native and non-Native audiences to look at their surroundings in a new way and start seeing the land as a living classroom.”
“We are delighted to host Mariah Gladstone for this year’s Festival Keynote,” says Adam Marsh, President of the Board of Directors of Flagstaff Festival of Science. “Her passion and enthusiasm for education, the environment, food, and Indigenous perspectives aligns perfectly with the Festival’s work in our communities.”
Mariah Gladstone will open the 36th annual Flagstaff Festival of Science with the W. L. Gore & Associates Keynote Presentation at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 19, at Northern Arizona University’s Ardrey Memorial Auditorium.
The Festival runs from September 19–28, 2025, offering 10 days of free, family-friendly events for all ages, including science talks, hands-on experiments, nature walks, and stargazing under the renowned dark skies of Northern Arizona.
Admission is free and all are welcome. The Festival also offers the option to livestream the keynote. Visit the website for more details on how to register.
For a full schedule of events and more information, visit scifest.org.
Board member, Adam Marsh, and lead paleontologist at Petrified National Forest, works with a team of scientists to uncover an approximately 300 million-year-old fossil skeleton discovered at Canyonlands National Park in Utah (June 2024)