Honouring Tradition, Overcoming Barriers-The story of Ian Gladue and Mitsoh

WARNING: DISCUSSION CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE, DRUG USE AND GRAPHIC, SEVERE INJURY. The following episode contains explicit language and mature themes, including discussions of drug use, violence, and graphic descriptions of a severe injury. Listener discretion is advised. Ian Gladue is a resilient entrepreneur from Alberta who has dedicated his career to revitalizing and bringing Indigenous cuisine mainstream. A proud member of Wabasca First Nation on Treaty 8 Territory, Ian’s journey began with adversity, navigating life on his own from the age of 13. Ian openly shares his story about life on the streets, drug use and an accident that resulted in severe injuries. His life immediately changed after becoming a father and he channeled his childhood passion for cooking. After many tries, he finally got approval for a food cart, which eventually grew into an acclaimed restaurant, Native Delights. Inspired by his mother's time-honored techniques, Ian went on to create Mitsoh, a brand that preserves the original superfoods of the land. Mitsoh means "eat" in Cree. Products include bison pemmican, dry bison meat, and modern meat snacks. By combining cultural preservation with modern scale, Ian brings "elder-approved" traditional protocols to major national retail shelves to feed the modern spirit. You can find Mitsoh products in Canadian stores, and now on Amazon! Ian is working on plans to expand to the United States. Follow Ian on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pansawandrymeat Instagram: @mitsohdotcom Tik Tok: @mitsohdotcom LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-gladue-22089374/ Website: https://www.mitsoh.com/ If you have feedback about this episode, a suggestion for a future guest, or a story of an unexpected journey you'd like to share, please email us at [email protected]. Watch the video version on ou YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UnexpectedPod-Canada We appreciate it if you would subscribe to our YouTube channel! It's free! We are represented by Lemmon Entertainment: https://lemmonent.com/ For sponsorship inquiries e-mail: [email protected] Thank you for listening and remember—sometimes life's greatest journeys are the ones we never planned.