Native American Food Sovereignty, Explained

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Today, many Native Americans live in food apartheid and insecurity.

But it wasn't always this way. Once, their lands were abundant with nutritious food sources—corn, bison, potatoes, squash, and more.

So… what happened?

Forced relocation meant that entire Indigenous food systems were ripped away. This triggered a public health crisis and forced a dependence on government rations that just can’t compare.

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[TomTasker]

to an Irish-American whose family came to the americas because of the potato "famine" the term food apartheid is really perfect and should be more widely used.

[isabellaspangher]

I really appreciate Indigenous people preserving their history and showing off their cuisines. In Oakland CA, there is a restaurant called Wahpehpah’s kitchen that highlights Native American cuisine to share and teach about the food systems of Indigenous people. The food there is really tasty too.

[LaineyBug]

That 'Ecocide' of the now critically endangered River Cane (which was bamboo!) was one of the reasons for dust bowls, habitat loss for keystone predators like red woves and panthers (especially Florida panthers, a critically endangered subspecies of mountain lion) major flooding and soil erosion. There were so many things about Turtle Island that made it a literal paradise and the Colonists just decimated it then raized what was left, burned it, salted it and deficated all over it to mark it as theirs.

[kimnenninger]

I am not Native American but I have used their knowledge of farming to grow my food.
I live in Southern Arizona in the foot hills. We do not have enough water to mindlessly irrigate our gardens nor do we want to use pesticides and herbicides.
We practice "regenerative farming" as the indigenous people who lived on this land before we got here did. It is a great and natural was to fertilize, mulch, and conservative water.
It was very hard at first but now that I have developed my land it is very efficient.
I hope that we can all learn from each other so we can stop using toxic waste to grow our food.

[vincepelmeni]

oh my god that’s so cruel. thank u for the information.
I am Slavic and from now on whenever I will make Ukrainian Vareniki with potato filling I will be more aware of the native American heritage of this crop. i can not imagine my slavic cuisine with out foods that originally have been cultivated by indigenous people

[AshatHome]

As an indigenous woman reconnecting with my culture (food is actually what helped me feel more connected to my ancestors), I'm so glad I found these videos 🪶🧡✊🏾

[destroybananas]

That bison photo absolutely broke my heart, it is so disgusting

[renerincon]

Thanks for bringing up Native American agriculture. When people think of Native Americans they just imagine nomadic warriors, however I tell people that most native Americans were foremost farmers and that through their agricultural science developed the most important food crops that we have today. The three sisters or the “ Milpa” as it’s called in Mexico is one of the most successful farming techniques developed by man. Years ago I read an article on how one doctor that treated American Indians was shocked because of poor health of his native American patients. He traced the problem to the poor diet of processed goverment foodstuffs. He had his patients eat a diet that was more like their ancestral diet and his patients showed a dramatic improvement.

[LillibitOfHere]

I have so much admiration for Native American agricultural practices. We’ve shot ourselves in the foot by trying to turn the Americas into Europe instead of learning.

[curiousworld]

When I was still able to garden, I always used the 'three sisters' method, with the corn, beans, and squash. It was not only a way of producing good food, it also saved space for other vegetables and fruits. That said, what we Western Europeans did to Native Peoples (and continue to do) is beyond criminal.

[twitchy_bird]

My maternal grandmother was cherokee, and my paternal grandmother was Sioux. They taught me so much about my Native heritage and I couldn't imagine life without the knowledge and traditions they passed down.

[flaminghead]

Great video!
I am Ukrainian, and for all of us Ecocide hits close to home. It's really eye-opening, to see that colonizors are always the same - taking away not only land, but the connection with that land alltogether. Bolsheviks took our grain, fruit and berry cultures from us, to stop nationals from growing our own food, causing the desappearance af that cultures, with no way to restore them, so it's really heartwarming to see your culture slowly regaining your own crops and technicks. Best wishes for you

[Reichukey]

American Resiliency on youtube just awarded Amber Lightfeather their June Community Resilience Award for her work with wild rice (manoomin) restoration! Highly recommend their channel and understanding how indigenous lifeways are helpful to our ecosystems and being connected to the land we inhabit with all other beings! Thank you for your work in helping us all learn!!

[ToniAllen]

I grew up on them commods too, lol! I know I'm in the minority here, but that cheese is nasty. My mom still tries to pawn blocks off on me when I go visit, haha. I'll take all that ground bison, though. ᏩᏙ for sharing Indigenous culture and history with the world.

[quiestinliteris]

My family are subsistence hunters of British and Central European ancestry, and I was mortified to learn recently that it's easier for us to access wild game in our area than it is for Indigenous communities. That HAS to change. Hell, Texas periodically does culls to curb the whitetail population, which likes to get out of control every few years. My dad was once invited to participate in a HELICOPTER HUNT for destructive feral hogs - he refused because all of the animals were to be left to rot where they fell.

I know the problem is much deeper and more complex than "just let people hunt, " but that aspect of it sure is needless.

[PrestonSmithsMusic]

Will there be an episode on how the TransCanada rail destroyed the plainlands natives? I think people should know about that, and residential schools.

[lorekeepermeerah]

Mvskoke cultural historian here and thank you for making stuff like this! A lot of people seem to have conveniently forgotten or not been taught about what they did to the bison, and to us. If we forget the past, it’s doomed to repeat.

[PotteryLife]

Do a Co-Op with PBS-Terra Hungry Planet and go on a reservation and show us how a transition back to traditional food sources is happening. Thank you.

[artosbear]

The control of food has taken away the ability of people to self-govern.

[goblinwizard]

“not a commodity or a fad.”
that.
as a non-Native i think about this. whether my interest, and how i do or don’t exercise it.
is going to help or hurt.
i think buying Native made cookbooks is probably good, but when it comes to things like sourcing ingredients it becomes trickier.
on one hand my interest could help Native farmers sell more of their produce but on the other hand it cann tax their ability to produce enough - which can mean Native people themselves again loose acess to the produce & etc.
there’s also likely a lot of other ways my attention positively and negatively affects systems Native folks are currently trying to (re)create that i’m not even aware of.