As the planet continues to warm and food production is disrupted, a South Dakota tribal community is trying to re-establish food sovereignty as a core part of its identity. Members of the Sicangu Nation – a band of Lakota people living on the Rosebud Reservation – are addressing food inequities in a variety of ways.A popular harvest market and health and cooking classes are some examples. Cultivating mushrooms and caring for a bison herd also are being carried out. Brandi Charging Eagle is with the non-profit leading these efforts. She says they have to be nimble with the cost and quality of products sold in area grocery stores – owned by non-Natives – continuing to be a barrier. :08 “The Food Sovereignty Initiative is there to teach us how to cook fresh foods, grow your own foods, even if it’s a potted plant in front of your window.”The food inequities they’re confronting can be traced back to the eradication of bison herds by white settlers during the 1800s. Fast forward to today, these leaders are reintroducing culturally significant ingredients and agricultural practices that are likened to “living off of the land” and aren’t connected to large-scale meat and dairy farms that produce greenhouse-gas emissions.Even though their ancestors were known more for their hunting as opposed to growing food, Victoria Contreras – who also works with the initiative – echoes the words of another staff member, noting they’re blending some modern approaches with the gathering traditions from many decades ago. :09 “We’re looking at it as creating a new kind of lifestyle, one that will get us closer back to the earth and eating healthier foods.”Leaders say the main theme is “self-reliance.” They acknowledge they still encounter some skepticism, as many programs that pop up on the reservation tend to be temporary. Challenges that get in the way include growing crops under the harsh weather conditions in South Dakota – conditions that will become even more severe in a changing climate.
