Bruce Experiences: Indigenize the Plate
Saturday, June 7, 2025, 2–4pm, Gale and Robert H. Lawrence, Jr., and Pamela and Robert Goergen Auditorium
Documentary Film
This film will explore the connection between food sustainability and cultural sustainability for Indigenous communities, a Diné woman (Natalie Benally) travels from New Mexico to the Andes in Peru to connect with a Quechua community who are developing their own solutions to address the same challenges seen in their region.
As extraction, water displacement, and climate change impact food sustainability in indigenous communities, this is having a direct impact on cultural sustainability.
A Diné woman travels from the Navajo Nation to a Quechuan community in Peru that has developed a way to address this challenge in their own region.
Please join us for a panel discussion following the film, featuring representatives from various food advocacy groups.
Ali Ghiorse
Founder, The Foodshed Network
Ali Ghiorse has thirty years of experience working as a social and food justice advocate. A former chef, a bridge builder and network weaver, Ali sees society's most pressing issues through a food systems lens. She dedicated her career to advancing equity and transformation within the food system through her work as co-founder of Savory Thymes in Marin County, California and most recently as founder of The Foodshed Network (TFN), a food justice nonprofit organization based in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Diego Osses
Diego Osses is a strategic leader with over 25 years of international experience in agriculture, business development, and diplomacy. Originally from Chile, his work has spanned Latin America and Asia—including China and Thailand—where he supported sustainable trade, international commerce, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Currently the Executive Director of Green Village Initiative (GVI) in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Diego leads efforts to build equitable and resilient food systems through urban agriculture, youth development, and food justice advocacy. His global perspective and cross-sector experience inform an approach rooted in empowerment, sustainability, and systems change.
Gery Tobias
Advocate for Community Empowerment and Nutritional Well-Being
Gery Tobias is a dedicated professional committed to fostering partnerships within her community to tackle food insecurity and enhance nutritional services aimed at disease prevention. She leads a nutritional program tailored for low- to moderate-income families, with a particular focus on supporting BIPOC populations in Fairfield County.
Ernie Zahn
Film Maker
Ernie has been shooting film and video since his single digit years and went pro at 18. Over the years, his career has evolved to encompass a range of roles in producing/writing/directing, documentary, experimental, and narrative fiction. He specializes in crafting compelling narratives for brands, organizations, and artists across industries like broadcast, tech, cinema, and nonprofits. His independently produced work has been shown on TED, PBS, the Smithsonian, and Academy Award-qualifying festivals. As Co-Founder of the film company, Tse'Nato' Ernie is dedicated towards supporting underrepresented stories and storytellers.
