PCC Community Markets and Native American Tribe Launch “Daybreak Star Three Sisters Salad”

Seattle, WA — PCC Community Markets and the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation (UIATF) have partnered to bring the Daybreak Star Three Sisters Salad to all 17 PCC store locations for the holiday season, connecting shoppers with Indigenous foodways while generating financial support for UIATF.

The salad was conceived and created by Nicole Demmert (Haida and Tlingit), Executive Chef and Director of Operations and Revenue at UIATF. It is inspired by the Indigenous agricultural tradition of the Three Sisters — corn, beans, and squash — which have long been grown together in a mutually supportive system where each plant contributes to the health and growth of the others.

“Through our partnership with PCC Community Markets, we are supporting Indigenous food sovereignty by sharing traditional food knowledge, honoring matriarchal teachings, and fostering connections between food, community, and wellness,” said Chef Demmert. “Together, we are strengthening relationships to traditional foods and cultural knowledge through initiatives like the Three Sisters Salad, which honors generations of Indigenous agricultural teachings and stewardship. This collaboration celebrates the enduring knowledge of Indigenous peoples while creating opportunities for community education, cultural connection, and healthier futures.”

PCC and UIATF have partnered since 2019, beginning with PCC’s community outreach and engagement efforts ahead of its Ballard location opening.

“We are honored to partner with the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation to bring this recipe to PCC stores and find new ways for our shoppers to learn about and support Indigenous foodways,” said Robin Bellina, PCC’s Fresh Program Manager, who worked with Chef Demmert on this project. “This partnership builds on PCC’s longstanding relationship with UIATF and our shared commitment to food access, local food systems, and working with organizations that strengthen our communities.”

The salad launched as a new PCC deli item and is being offered throughout the holiday season.

A recipe comes to life

Last year, PCC shared Chef Demmert’s Three Sisters Salad recipe with members and shoppers in the Thanksgiving edition of Sound Consumer. This year, the recipe is coming to life in PCC stores, creating a new way for PCC shoppers to experience the dish. Sound Consumer also featured Chef Demmert in a story highlighting her rematriation practice that reconnects food with land, culture, and family.

Supporting Native food systems during Thanksgiving

For the third consecutive year, PCC is joining more than 160 food co-ops across the country in a Thanksgiving campaign led by National Co+op Grocers (NCG), of which PCC is a member. As part of the national campaign, NCG will donate five cents to NATIFS for every qualifying Field Day product sold at participating food co-ops nationwide during a portion of the month of November. NATIFS is an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to strengthening Native foodways across the country. NCG anticipates contributing $50,000 this year to support NATIFS’ work.

This annual campaign was inspired by PCC’s 2024 Thanksgiving initiative supporting UIATF. Following PCC’s local effort, NCG launched the national campaign, with participating food co-ops across nearly 40 states collectively raising more than $140,000 for Native-led food systems. What began as a local PCC initiative has grown into an annual nationwide effort, demonstrating the impact that can come from one co-op taking the first step.

About PCC Community Markets

Founded in Seattle in 1953 by 15 local families, PCC Community Markets (PCC) has grown into the largest food co-op in the United States with more than 125,000 active member-owners. A certified organic grocery retailer, PCC’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of people, communities, and the planet through good food, while cultivating vibrant local, organic food systems.

PCC currently operates 17 neighborhood stores across the Puget Sound region, including locations in Bellevue, Bothell, Burien, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond, and Seattle.