Native Agriculture: Food Sovereignty, Food Systems, and Financing (Information Session)
Ojibwe Women harvesting Wild Rice in Minnesota. Photo credit: Eden Foods/Midwest Living Magazine
“The Native American food and agriculture sector is the single most underappreciated resource for sustainable, rural and regional economic development in our Nation”
-Reimagining Food Economics by the Native American Agriculture Fund
This session featured a panel of experts who work for tribal and Native organizations that operate food sovereignty programs or are actively developing Native food systems in collaboration with Native producers, restaurateurs, schools, and providers of food assistance programs and/or who provide grants, loans, financing and technical assistance in support of these activities.
Subject Matter Expert (SMEs):
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Session Summary
Native Agriculture Overview
Native Agriculture Overview
In the clip below, Kevin Klingbeil introduces Native agriculture. ‘Native agriculture’ encompasses the efforts of tribes and Native communities to affirm and strengthen their food systems and sovereignty through the growth, preparation, distribution and consumption of traditional foods. For the purposes of this session, 'Native agriculture' also includes the development and financing of agricultural businesses run by Native producers and Native-owned businesses operated in urban settings that seek to bring traditional Native foods to a more diverse audience through an array of business formats and distribution networks.
Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to produce and access healthy food in an ecologically friendly and culturally sustainable way. Food sovereignty is unique to Indigenous peoples as they have maintained cultural and spiritual connectedness and practices with the land and ecosystem and, as a result, are specifically affected by policies that impact agriculture, natural conservation, food security, and nutrition.
Indigenous communities are specifically affected by policies that impact food sovereignty due to high food insecurity and historic barriers.
Kevin provides an overview of Native Agriculture and highlights the regional group Native Grown and Gathered
Resource Group Highlight
Resource Group Highlight
Tahoma Peak Solutions - Native Grown and Gathered
Tahoma Peak Solutions - Native Grown and Gathered
Native Grown & Gathered is a grassroots initiative focused on supporting Indigenous food systems across the Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions. The initative believes in the power of community-driven solutions to enhance food sovereignty and ensure access to nutritious, traditional foods
Project and Resource Highlights
Project and Resource Highlights
Akiptan CDFI
Akiptan CDFI
In the clip to the right, Justine Kougl discusses how Akiptan is supporting tribal and Native small businesses.
Justine discusses Akiptan’s role and impact in Native agriculture and highlights resources from the Native CDFI.
Akiptan is a unique Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) because they solely fund agriculture related activities. To date, Akiptan has given out $30 million in financial offers.
Akiptan specializes in relationship building; they implement a one-on-one approach throughout the entire financing application progress. The team offers technical assistance such as help for small Native agricultural businesses for small Native agricultural businesses creating business plans.
Eligibility includes any project in Native agriculture/food systems from production to retail. Akiptan loves wild ideas and if the team cannot help on a project, they can help connect you to others who possibly can.
Akiptan provides youth financing and internship programs; the team incorporates the 7-generation mindset. The Youth Financing includes loans worth $5,000, $7,500, and $10,000.
Akiptan is a part of a the Mountain | Plains Regional CDFI Coalition (Mountain | Plains) that came together to strengthen Native CDFIS by growing staffing, loan vehicles, and peer-to-peer information. This coalition helps remove silos within Indigenous economic development.
“We know we are stronger together...together we can move mountains”
North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS)
North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS)
Sean Sherman discusses North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) and Owmani in the clip to the left.
Sean discusses NATIFS impact and strategic planning within Native Agriculture
Owamni is a part of the NATIFS nonprofit organization. The restaurant benefits Native agriculture and economic development as it creates jobs, invests in Indigenous food production, increases access to Native foods, and normalizes and markets Indigenous food to non-Native consumers.
Owmani food focuses on Indigenous ingredients and sources from Native producers. The team buys ingredients like wild rice, corn, honey, native fish, bison, etc.
NATIFS is focusing on normalizing and increasing access to Native foods and dishes across North America.
NATIFS runs the Indigenous Food Lab which is a Native food market space that makes it more accessible to buy Indigenous food products and uplifts Native producers and chefs.
NATIFS also has a production kitchen that produces masa and tamales and distributes to local restaurants.
NATIFS is planning to expand with a barbecue restaurant at a cheaper price point.
It is also expanding by investing into large format foods for schools, hospitals, etc.
NATIFS’ team is happy to train people who want to enter Native agriculture, share their open-source resources, and continue to expand demand for Indigenous food producers.
Questions and Answers
How did you start working to advance and support Native food systems?
Sean worked in the restaurant industry since he was a teenager, and he continued his chef career after school where he noticed that there was a lack of Indigenous food and dishes in the culinary world. He researched Indigenous peoples’ food system and created his first book, The Sioux Chef. Over the past ten years, he has continued expanding various projects with no sign of stopping.
Who are your Native product producers?
Siċaŋġu Food Sovereignty Initiative
Siċaŋġu Food Sovereignty Initiative
Matte Wilson discussed the Siċaŋġu Food Sovereignty Initiative in the clip to the right.
Matte highlights Sicangu Co.’s impact on their local community and how their org is uplifting tribal sovereignty.
The Siċaŋġu Food Sovereignty Initiative is a community-based effort to Indigenize the Siċaŋġu food system and build wicozani (the good way of life) for the Siċaŋġu people—now, and for future generations. It is managed by the Sicangu Community Development Corporation (Sicangu CDC).
The initiative started as a one-acre teaching farm and grew to focus more on production. The farm is increasing capacity by expanding to a 7-acre farm.
The initiative is starting a seed nursey to support the local native-seed supply in and around the reservation as there are no Native seed producers in the area.
The Siċaŋġu Food Sovereignty Initiative received a USDA grant for their food box program. The initiative is looking to expand and distribute bison to the community.
The initiative offers apprenticeship programs. It has a 6-to-8-month program that provides technical assistance on financial literacy and farm planning design and gives $5,000 in seed money.
The initiative focuses on food sovereignty on the tribal nation (oyate) level and is trying to incorporate Indigenous food into contemporary culture.
Questions and Answers
How did the Siċaŋġu Food Sovereignty Initiative start and grow?
Originally, projects were started under Rosebud Economic Development Corportation (REDCO). The former CEO of REDCO brought the team out to where the initiative is now and shared his dream of creating a garden and housing for the community. Currently, north of the Food Initiative’s garden, the Keya Wakpaka development is in the early stages of building housing units. To expand beyond solely economic development, in 2019 the Sicangu CDC was created. This allowed for diverse types of funding streams for Sicangu Co. initiatives. Today, there are three organizations, including Sicangu CDC, under the Sicangu Co. umbrella that all work towards the collective goals of the tribal Nation.
Group Q&A and Discussion
Group Q&A and Discussion
In the clip to the left, the three speakers answer questions and discuss relevant topics in Native agriculture.
The three SMEs answer questions about Native agriculture, opportunities, and their projects.
The speakers were asked how collaboration between the three organizations would impact Native agriculture.
Sean mentioned that Indigenous restaurants stimulate local economies, distribute Native foods across the nation, and create jobs in reservations and impacts Indigenous communities such as Rosebud Reservation and the Siċaŋġu Food Sovereignty Initiative. Akiptan could fund these initiatives and create strong partnerships within this sector. Furthermore, Sean mentioned how restaurants owned by Indigenous peoples can tap into the tourism economy by basing their restaurant in large cities and on or near tourist areas such as national parks.
The speakers were asked about known youth opportunities in agriculture.
Matte shared that the Siċaŋġu Initiative has a six-week summer program to get youth excited about local food production, indigenous foods. What they learned is that people and youth needed more exposer to different areas within the ecosystem within their community. They launched their Seven Gen program for high school and college students. In this program, this week has different focuses such as food sovereignty, Indigenous education, and Indigenous health.
Justine shared that Akiptan has a the Native Youth Mahhkhichnyanpi Business Plan Contest. This contest has a total of $10,000 in contest prizes. The contest aims to help students who are interested in the Native agriculture industry to develop or build on their agriculture business plan. Technical assistance will be provided to build the business plan. The contest requires a submission of two parts: 1) Written business plan 2) Recorded video business plan pitch.
Other Key Players in Native Agriculture
Other Key Players in Native Agriculture
Growers/Producers, Processors/Distributors, and Consumers
Growers and Producers
Food producers such as farmers and ranchers play a vital role in Native agriculture by preserving traditional practices, cultivating Indigenous crops, and supporting the sustainability of food systems which strengthens cultural heritage and community resilience. The expanded agricultural capacity and support of food self-sufficiency
Examples: Iroquois White Corn Project, DX Beef and The DX Ranch, Winyan Toka Win Garden and Leading Lady Farmers Market, Ndée Bikíyaa (The People’s Farm), and White Earth Agricultural Sustainability Program.
Processors and Distributors
Food processors and distributors transform and deliver Indigenous food products to markets, ensuring that traditional foods reach broader communities while supporting economic development and maintaining food sovereignty. They offer business opportunities and are a vital link in the chain from producers to consumers.
Examples: Get Fresh Program, Nawapo, Séka Hills, Passamaquoddy Wild Blueberry Co., and Sweet Grass Trading Co.
Consumers and Restaurants
Consumers and restaurants contribute to native agriculture by supporting Indigenous food systems, promoting traditional ingredients, and fostering demand for sustainably sourced, culturally significant products, helping to preserve native foodways, boost economies and generate broader interest and demand for Native foods.
Examples: Tribal/Indigenous community members may receive food from their community- run farms and gardens, or in urban settings by dining at Wahpepah's Kitchen, Tocabe, Off the Rez Cafe and food truck, and Sly Fox Den Too.
Funding Sources and Supporting Entities
Federal Agencies
Federal agencies fund and provide technical assistance to small businesses and tribes operating Native agriculture projects by offering grants, loans, and capacity-building programs that support infrastructure development, sustainable farming practices, and market access. Agencies also deliver guidance and resources to enhance the economic and environmental resilience of indigenous food systems.
Example: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is one of the largest federal funders for Native agricultural and food sovereignty projects.
The Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative promotes traditional food ways, Indian Country food and agriculture markets, and Indigenous health by partnering with tribal-serving organizations on projects to reimagine federal food and agriculture programs from an Indigenous perspective
Other agencies that support Native agriculture are the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs)
Native CDFIs support Native agriculture by providing tailored financial services, such as loans and grants, to indigenous farmers and ranchers while offering technical assistance and business development support to promote sustainable growth, food sovereignty, and economic empowerment within Native communities.
National Native CDFIs (e.g., Native American Bank, Oweesta, NACDC Financial)
Regional Native CDFIs (e.g., The Northwest Native Lending Network (NNLN), Northern Shores Community Development, Inc. (NSCD))
Tribe-based CDFIs (e.g., Mvskoke Fund CDFI, Lakota Funds, Wind River Development Fund (WRDF), Seneca Nation of Indians Economic Development Company (SNIEDC))
Nonprofits
Nonprofits support Native agriculture by advocating for policy changes, providing grants and resources, and offering educational programs that promote sustainable farming practices, preserve traditional knowledge, and strengthen food sovereignty within Indigenous communities.
Closing Thoughts
Closing Thoughts
Connect and Ask Questions
There are resources available, including the above subject matter experts (SMEs), who can help tribes and their programs get involved in small- and large-scale projects.
Questions, with answers from the Resource Group and fellow participants, will continue to be posted in the Knowledge Bank on the CoP website. If you have questions that you want answered, please ask in the LinkedIn group or share it with the administrators.
Resources and Upcoming Events
Resources and Upcoming Events
Current USDA Funding and Resources:
Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program (Open Year Round)
Rural Development Grants for Rural and Native Alaskan Villages (Open)
Zero cost Conservation Technical Assistance for farmers, ranchers, and producers
National Institute of Food and Agriculture Tribal Programs funds education at tribal colleges
Connect with Tedd Buelow to learn more about USDA Rural Development programs.
Connect with Justine Kougl for financing from Akiptan.
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