Firekeepers Restaurant is located off exit 16 on Interstate 81, where South Salina Street ends and becomes Route 11. The restaurant serves a variety of homemade, classic American diner fare, including burgers, meatloaf and pies, as well as a rotating lineup of popular specials throughout the week, such as Friday fish fries and a weekend breakfast buffet.

The restaurant is owned by the Onondaga Nation, but visitors might not realize it from looking at the menu.

If you’re surprised at the lack of “traditional” native foods offered, you’re not alone. Theresa Homer, manager at Firekeepers, said both native and non-native customers expect these things to be available.

“Some of the non-native customers, when they would come in, they were all like, ‘Oh my god, I’m shocked that you guys don’t have more traditional foods on your menu,’” Homer said.

Even native customers, Homer said, will come in and be confused as to why they don’t serve staples such as corn soup.

Gabrielle Hill is Tonawanda Seneca, and has worked at Firekeepers for almost three years. She said that when she first started, she also expected the menu to include Haudenosaunee foods.

“That was one of my first things, wondering whether we sell frybread or anything else along those lines,” Hill said.

Over the years, the restaurant has done various traditional food specials, but found that their largely non-native customer base was unfamiliar and unwilling to try them.

“Once in a great while we’ll run a hot scone and corn soup special, sometimes we’ll do Indian tacos,” Homer said. “And yeah, they sell, but then sometimes they don’t sell. Because a lot of customers that come in, they’re like, ‘Corn soup, what’s that?’”

When Firekeepers was serving corn soup, they would make it the traditional way, cooking and hulling Iroquois white corn over a time and labor-intensive process.

“One of the ladies that used to make the soup before, she used to start it the day before and cook it halfway and then finish it the following day,” Homer said. “It’s not because there’s no interest for it, it’s just because of how long it takes.”

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The restaurant does still make traditional foods, but only on request for different events they’ve catered around Onondaga territory. They’ve catered at the Onondaga Nation School, fire barn and lacrosse arena, serving traditional foods like venison stew.

“It’s nice to get out of the restaurant and actually go and do something in the community,” Homer said.

Regina Jones, a lifelong resident of the Onondaga Nation, has had her children and grandchildren work at Firekeepers. Jones said that she and many others view the restaurant as a positive contribution to the community. Jones said revenue from Firekeepers has been used by the Onondaga Nation to fund initiatives such as caretaking for elders, building homes and a youth summer program.

As big a fan of Firekeepers, Jones said she does wish their menu included more traditional foods. For Jones, she said the answer to accomplishing this goal lies in their connection to the Onondaga Nation.

“What I do think they should do is maybe sell more venison and buffalo,” Jones said. “I mean (the Onondaga Nation) has a herd of buffalo, why aren’t we having that at the diner?”

Because of its location, Firekeepers serves two distinct functions. On one hand, they serve as a highway diner, catering to the travelers and regulars who expect a burger, fries, friendly service and a slice of pie to top it off. But on the other, they also have the ability to support and bring traditional indigenous foods to their community. As the business continues, Homer feels that they are able to accomplish both.

“We’re all proud that we work on the nation,” Homer said. “We’re showing what we can do up here.”

Published on October 7, 2018 at 10:47 pm