Why Tribal Governments are Talking about Departments of Agriculture

After years of collaborative work to expand opportunities for Tribal agricultural development, the Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF), in partnership with the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI), successfully worked with the members of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) to advance and pass a resolution supporting the establishment and empowerment of Tribal Departments of Agriculture.

“This effort reflects a shared commitment to strengthening Tribal sovereignty through agriculture and ensuring Tribes have the institutional authority and infrastructure necessary to guide, regulate, and grow agricultural economies within their own communities and regions,” said Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, NAAF CEO. “Tribal Departments of Agriculture are a core expression of sovereignty, and NAAF will continue to support this work in the year ahead.” 

According to Stanger-McLaughlin, agriculture is not only central to Native cultures, but to how Tribal Nations govern and operate as economic systems.  

“Bringing those two realities together ensures that agriculture and Tribal sovereignty remain at the center of long-term economic development in pursuit of resilient food systems,” she said. 

Every state in the country operates a department of agriculture, which serves as the centralized authority for agricultural policy, regulation, economic development, and program implementation. Tribal Nations have the same sovereign authority to create and operate their own agricultural departments.   

Establishing and expanding these entities places Tribes on equal footing with states and strengthens self-governance in food systems, land management, climate resilience, and rural economic development. 

“The movement to establish Tribal Departments of Agriculture reflects a national recognition of Tribal leadership in agriculture, food systems, and land stewardship,” said NCAI President and Tribal Chairman of the Pechanga Band of Indians, Mark Macarro. “Essential infrastructure that allows Tribes to govern their agricultural systems, invest in their producers, and plan long term and generationally is paramount. Strengthening these departments ensures Tribes can build the capacity to steward their lands, support their people, and ensure agriculture leads to healthy food on tables, income for producers, and futures for our next generation.” 

 As Tribal Nations consider departments of agriculture, it is important to acknowledge the range of perspectives across Indian Country. Tribal Departments of Agriculture provide a balanced and sovereign pathway for each Nation to move forward at its own pace. They allow Tribes to create systems that reflect their community priorities without forcing a single approach on every Nation.   

“Departments of Agriculture are critical tools for Tribes developing food systems and making investments in agricultural economic development,” said IFAI Executive Director Carly Griffith Hotvedt. “They support the retention of institutional knowledge, the preservation and proliferation of cultural knowledge and practices, advocacy and service delivery not only for tribal agricultural interests, but also for Tribal producers, Tribal entrepreneurs, and anybody who eats. Tribes with Departments of Agriculture also occupy regulatory space which prevents encroachment from external jurisdictions attempting to regulate food systems that don’t belong to them. Tribal sovereignty requires food sovereignty, and Tribal Departments of Agriculture are conduits to accomplish that goal.” 

The passage of this resolution affirms a shared commitment among Tribal Nations to expand agricultural engagement and strengthen Tribal authority in this space. It reflects growing national momentum and honors years of collective advocacy by Native American agricultural organizations working to advance Tribal Departments of Agriculture.  

Central to this momentum has been the leadership of Janie Simms Hipp, co-founder of IFAI, whose decades-long advocacy has championed Tribal self-determination through food and agricultural policy, capacity-building, and governance. 

“Her work has consistently emphasized the importance of well-structured, well-resourced Tribal Departments of Agriculture as critical tools for advancing economic development, protecting natural resources, and enabling Tribes to exercise greater control over agricultural development in ways that reflect their cultural values, legal authority, and long-term community priorities,” Stanger-McLaughlin said. 

Find out more on how NAAF, IFAI, and NCAI support Tribal Departments of Agriculture at www.nativeamericanagriculturefund.org.