Indigenizing Food Systems

What does indigenizing our food systems look like in practice?

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How are environmental justice issues connected to food systems?

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What can we learn about healthier and more sustainable food values and practice from Indigenous communities and their traditional environmental knowledge?

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What values and narratives are connected to Indigenous communities food practices?

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How have Indigenous communities practices been colonized and marginalized and how are they being revitalized and restored today?

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Through an interdisciplinary and community engaged approach, this Lab will investigate what it means to indigenize our food systems and will grapple with issues and questions regarding food sovereignty and Indigenous health. Through multiple fields and mediums (historical, cultural, scientific and creative) students will engage in different ways of thinking about food and experiment with embodying the concept of “food is medicine.” Our Lab will focus on learning about the complex and sophisticated Indigenous food systems of North America, with a focus on native nations in the Southwest, California, and Midwest, including histories of dispossession and contemporary efforts at revitalization and food justice.

Collaborations

• Collaborators TBA

Indigenizing Food Systems in the News

At the Humanities Lab, we strive to ensure our Labs are relevant and current. Here are some recent articles about indigenous agriculture and food sovereignty in today’s news!

There’s a movement to Revitalize Indigenous Cuisines and Knowledge – Here’s Why That Matters

A New Cookbook by Indigenous People, for Indigenous People

Can Indigenous subsistence rights still be protected in Alaska?