Over the course of this season, our guests have helped us understand the history of disruption and provided essential context for why the Indigenous food movement is necessary. In this last episode for season 1, we talk with Anishinaabe farmer and food producer Rosebud Bear Schneider about the joys and challenges of revitalizing cultural foodways in the present day. Rosebud gives us a glimpse into what food sovereignty work looks like in a contemporary, urban context-- how people are practicing place-based foodways in the City of Detroit, the challenges related to this, and what gives her strength to continue this intergenerational work.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Spirit Plate here.

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During the Termination Era (the early 1950s to late 1960s), the U.S. government passed legislation stating that they would no longer recognize Tribal governments as sovereign nations and began incentivizing the relocation of Native peoples to urban centers across the country. Dr. Martin Reinhardt tells us about the Termination Act of 1953 and Indian Relocation Act of 1956, and the devastating effects they had on treaty rights and Indigenous peoples’ foodways. Dr. Reinhardt also talks about how this attempt to suppress Indigenous sovereignty led to a new era of inter-tribal activism. These growing Red Power movements advocated for Tribal self-determination and demanded the restoration of treaty rights. The building activism that occurred during these years led to a new era in policy and the restoration of many treaty rights.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Spirit Plate here.

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During the Indian Reorganization Era, which took place between the late 1920s through the 1930s, the U.S. government began winding down its assimilation policies and made moves to reaffirm Tribal self-governance. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, also known as the Indian New Deal, had three main goals: strengthen Tribal self-governance, reconsolidate tribal lands, and promote economic development. The Indian Reorganization Act did emphasize the need to involve Native peoples when the federal government made policies affecting their communities and it provided some new opportunities for self-governance. However, oversight from the Bureau of Indian Affairs continued a long history of paternalism and left little room for Tribal governance based on cultural values and protocols. Few Native individuals or communities were able to become financially self-sustaining as a result of this “Indian New Deal.” In the present day, many have mixed positions and opinions of how well these goals were achieved/realized.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Spirit Plate here.

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During the Allotment & Assimilation Era (1887-1930) the U.S. government moved to assimilate Native peoples into American society and the economy. One of the most devastating tactics was the Indian Boarding School, which aimed to strip Native children of their culture and train them for manual or domestic labor. Students resisted in many ways: attempting to run away, stealing food, and even setting fire to their schools. Students also formed their own kinship networks.Although the schools changed over time, some remained in operation until the 1980s. Among the many long-term impacts, these institutions disrupted the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and practices related to traditional diets. For some community members today, reconnecting to ancestral foodways helps them reclaim parts of their identity and history.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Spirit Plate here.

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During the Allotment & Assimilation Era (1887-1930) the U.S. government moved to assimilate Native peoples into American society and the economy. Private land ownership was forced onto Indigenous peoples by breaking apart communal lands into family parcels, effectively altering relationships to land and food. In many cases, Native peoples were forced to shift from subsistence lifestyles and traditional forms of trade to growing food as a commodity. This commodity-based approach to food was and continues to be in conflict with traditional relationships, knowledge, and practices related to growing food.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Spirit Plate here.

Find show notes here.

Following removal and relocation of the mid-1800s, Native communities found ways to adapt and preserve their foodways in the face of disruption. Each community’s journey is unique. This episode focused on the story of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. With our guest Becky Webster—Oneida attorney, farmer, and seed keeper—we'll talk about the way they are revitalizing their food traditions through seed saving, cooperative growing, and participating in local barter markets.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Spirit Plate here.

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For many Indigenous people involved in the food sovereingty movement, reconnecting to ancestral foods is extremely powerful. Every time someone learns a new recipe, plants a seed, and feasts together, we are helping to transmit knowledge, technologies, and skills from one generation to the next. In this episode, we'll talk with Shelley Buffalo—Meskwaki seed keeper—about her experience of revitalizing cultural foods, growing practices, and language. We'll also talk about her involvement in the growing seed rematriation movement, which is helping to return heritage seeds to their communities of origin.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Spirit Plate here.

Find show notes here.

In this episode, Rowen White—Mohawk farmer, seed keeper, and organizer—joins us to talk about relationships to land and food, upholding our responsibilities to our kin, and developing a new lexicon to talk about the food system. She shares her practice of cultivating relational, kin-centric foodways and the possibilities opened by this worldview.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about Spirit Plate here.