Putting Tribal Sovereignty
in Food Sovereignty
The USDA Tribal Advisory Committee’s Sept. 18 Federal Register notice is out. Proceedings start at noon EST, with public comments open from 3-4 p.m. The TAC is also taking nominations for new members through Sept. 22, 2025. Senator Lisa Murkowski’s office is calling...
Welcome back to Rooted Wisdom! In this episode, we dive deep into a fascinating and often overlooked intersection of art, agriculture, and cultural representation. Our guest, Dr. Browning Neddeau, is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and a professor...
Congress is back this week, with government funding likely the focus for legislators in the coming weeks. IFAI has released its analysis of the One Big Beautiful Bill and its impacts on Tribal nations, producers, and citizens. Read IFAI’s summary here. The nomination...
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will have impacts on federal food and nutrition policies for Tribal Nations, producers, and citizens. This law consolidates a wide range of provisions that reshape how food access, agricultural support and nutrition education are funded...
Know anyone who might be a good fit for USDA’s Tribal Advisory Committee? There are four vacant seats. Submit your nomination by Sept. 22, 2025. Check out IFAI's analysis of USDA’s Final Rule on Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers. If you want to learn...
Congress remains in recess through Labor Day. IFAI recently published an analysis of the USDA Final Rule on Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers. Our Rooted Wisdom podcast team interviewed Akiptan’s, Skya Ducheneaux to discuss how Native CDFIs are reshaping...
On July 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced an end to certain uses of the “socially disadvantaged” producer designation. In a final rule published in the Federal Register, the department explained it would “no longer employ the race- and...
In the latest episode of “Rooted Wisdom,” Executive Director of Akiptan, Skya Ducheneaux, joins the podcast to discuss how Community Development Financial Institutions, or CDFIs, are reshaping access to capital in Indian Country. Ducheneaux, a member of the Cheyenne...
The public comment period on USDA’s Reorganization Plan is still open. All stakeholders, including Tribal governments, are encouraged to submit their feedback to reorganization@usda.gov by September 30, 2025. The Department’s reorganization plans were published via...
In a recent feature by Fields of Possibility, Kelli Case (Chickasaw Nation), Senior Staff Attorney at the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI), shared insights on the intersection of Tribal food sovereignty and organic agriculture. “We’re not just talking...