Oglala Sioux – Pine Ridge, South Dakota (Cross-Post from the Indigenous Farming Project)

Written by

On June 20, 2014

“I WANT TO SATURATE PINE RIDGE WITH HEALTHY VEGETABLES,” says Steve Hernandez, Oglala Sioux Tribe gardening instructor. “The interest in gardening here is huge, and education is key. Through classes in everything from soil preparation to preserving the harvest, we ensure that our people are increasingly able to do this for themselves.”

For Oglalas, eating fresh, organic produce will mean better health. It’s a declaration of sovereignty, according to Hernandez, a tribal member and a former educator for South Dakota State University’s extension service. And it’s starkly practical as well, he says: “Most of our food is trucked in. If there’s bad weather—common on the Plains—it doesn’t get through.”

Check out the rest at the Indigenous Farming Project’s blog here!

You May Also Like…

Seed Freedom Rally – January 4th!

Join the Foodie Freedom Fighters on Monday, January 4th, as Fighters from across the state of California gather for a Seed Freedom Rally in Sacramento to keep seed sharing from becoming illegal.

Our Workplace Justice Series: the Abolition of the Prison Industrial Complex

Currently, 11 out of 22 of our staff members have been formerly incarcerated, and we believe our work at Planting Justice directly contributes to reducing the level of mass incarceration – we’ve offered employment to 18 different men returning home from prison, with a zero percent recidivism rate. And, despite our efforts, the Prison Industrial Complex still operates as a violent beast that is disproportionately stealing and enslaving people of color from our communities. Hear our take on the Prison Industrial Complex here.

0 Comments