Acknowledging the Land We Call Home
We respectfully acknowledge that our kitchen operates on Treaty 6 Territory, the traditional lands of the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples who have cared for this land for generations. We honour the histories, cultures, and traditions of the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, and Métis Nations, whose resilience and wisdom continue to guide us.
At DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen, we are deeply committed to reconciliation and fostering meaningful relationships with the Indigenous community. We recognize the shared power of food to bring communities together in respect, understanding, and unity.
We are humbled to serve on these sacred lands and are dedicated to building a future rooted in mutual respect, collaboration, and peace.
A Kitchen Opened in Solidarity
When DON'YA was just beginning, Matthew Potts, a Cree chef in Edmonton, opened the doors of his restaurant kitchen at Cook County Saloon to our Ukrainian newcomers. He gave them a space to cook, to create, and to rebuild — at a time when they had nothing but their skills and their spirit.
Matthew told us something that has stayed with us ever since: that he loved hearing Ukrainian spoken in his kitchen — because his own language had been taken from him. Two peoples. Two histories of displacement and resilience. One kitchen filled with the smell of food and the sound of languages fighting to survive.
That moment of solidarity is woven into everything DON'YA is. Our story of resilience could not have been told without Matthew and Cook County's generousity.
Read the CBC Story →
The Kokum Scarf & Medallion
During a visit to Jasper, Laurisa, an Indigenous woman, approached our team — moved by what she described as our genuine, heartfelt approach to reconciliation. Not just the reading of words, but the living of them.
Laurisa gifted us a kokum scarf and medallion — a deeply meaningful gesture. She told us it would give our team strength.
We carry that gift with humility and gratitude. It reminds us that reconciliation is not a checkbox — it is a relationship, built slowly, with honesty and care.
"Food has always been how people come together. We believe that sharing a meal across cultures is one of the most powerful acts of peace there is."
— DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen
Food as a Message of Peace
Every perogy we make carries a story. Every meal we share is an act of connection. Thank you for being part of ours.