Putting Tribal Sovereignty
in Food Sovereignty
We are excited to announce that the Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Leadership Summit applications are now open! What does this mean for you? This Summit is a chance to connect with other Natives from across the country, create memories, learn more about...
How can Indigenous academics support Indigenous students? In this final episode of Rooted Wisdom, we interview Greg Jones (Shawnee Nation), Director of Native American Student Services; and Marty Matlock (Cherokee Nation), Professor of Ecological Engineering, about...
The Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI) entered 2025 in a moment of significant change across Indian Country. Shifts in federal leadership and policy brought new challenges and opportunities for Tribal Nations and Tribal producers, all while they...
With the generous support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, IFAI developed the Tribal Governance Guide to Food and Agriculture to provide Tribal governments with a one-stop-shop for navigating opportunities as they invest in their food systems. The W.K. Kellogg...
The "Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Strategy Report, released by the White House in September 2025, outlines a comprehensive national initiative aimed at reducing rates of childhood chronic disease in the United States. The report identifies four primary areas of...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are currently considering whether to define “ultra processed foods” (UPFs) and how that definition could be used in food labeling, nutrition programs, and dietary guidelines. The...
What happens when a scholar trades syllabi for soil? In this episode of Rooted Wisdom, we explore the inspiring journey of Dr. Christie Poitra, a former academic who followed her heart (and her roots) into the world of specialty crop farming in the Great Lakes region....
On September 13, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it would hold two Tribal consultations to allow input and comment on the proposed departmental reorganization. The outline of the proposed reorganization was laid out in the July 2025 Secretarial Memorandum...
Deadline to apply is December 5, 2025. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced the opening of its FY2026 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program, offering up to $18 million in funding to support local food systems and agricultural education in schools...
Senate Indian Affairs Co-Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is requesting comments from the public by September 12, 2025, on a discussion draft for “The Native Children’s Commission Implementation Act of 2025.” As noted in Senator Murkowski’s section-by-section breakdown,...