First Nations Development Institute

This week, we're highlighting another article from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development as part of our continuous highlight of First Nations' Tribal Food Systems Research Fellows. Fellow Stafford Rotehrakwas Maracle joins Jennifer Tewathahá:kwa Maracle and Stephen C. Lougheed in describing the harms of co-producing knowledge with Indigenous collaborators without first seek-ing to understand the foundations of Indigenous knowledge itself, and its deep roots in environmen-tal sustainability. The authors contend that Indigenous knowledge must be treated as a distinct framework to inform conservation and stewardship of biodiversity and nature. They also assert that building rela-tionships with local Indigenous nations will help actualize sustainable practices that are rooted in millennia of empirical data. ?? Read the article: https://bit.ly/3DAGp6u

This month, Sayo Costantino (Kanaka Maoli) of Mālama Loko ea Foundation took the opportunity while on the mainland to reconnect with Joshua Toddy (Navajo Nation) of Hozho Voices of Healing Center. Both are members of Cohort 6 of First Nations’ Native Fundraisers Community of Practice, a project that provides training and support for Native nonprofit professionals in building capacity for their organizations. Sayo shares that being in the NFCoP has been a profound experience, and that many of her fellow participants have stayed in touch. A.J. Garcia (Jicarilla Apache and Nahua), First Nations’ program officer for Native Arts, Language, and Knowledge, said these ongoing relationships illustrate the very essence of the NFCoP. “It’s not just a workshop or a one-time training. It’s a lasting community, where participants can continue to go to one another for support in creating long-term effective change for the communities they serve.” Learn more about our Native Fundraisers Community of Practice: https://bit.ly/3ZODRqr

Join us in Boulder, Colorado this Thursday, March 13 for a free screening of "GATHER" followed by an exclusive Q&A! Space is limited and filling up fast. Register now! https://bit.ly/43lqpzs

In recent weeks, First Nations has received and responded to many inquiries from concerned community partners and supporters about the current political climate in the U.S. and actions taken by the new administration. In this new blog post, First Nations’ President & CEO Mike Roberts speaks to these conversations and how First Nations is moving forward with courage and conviction in supporting Native communities and upholding Tribal Sovereignty. ?? Read more: https://bit.ly/3D7SFLD

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian will display two gowns worn by Oscar-nominated actor Lily Gladstone at a special installation called “Making a Statement.” The display is open now and runs through March 2026. According to the museum’s news release, the gowns were worn by Gladstone the evening of March 10, 2024, to the 96th Academy Awards and the Vanity Fair Oscars party. Gladstone was the first Native American nominated for best actress for her work in the film Killers of the Flower Moon. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4i2pXuL Photo courtesy of Gucci, Joe Big Mountain of Ironhorse Quillwork, and Lily?Gladstone. Photo credit Doug Peters/PA Images via Getty Images.

Join First Nations on March 13, 2025, for a screening of our James Beard Award-Winning documentary “GATHER,” showcasing the growing Native American food sovereignty movement. The screening will take place at the Canyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library in Boulder, Colorado, and will be followed by an exclusive Q&A session with cast member Clayton Harvey. ?? This is a free event, but space is limited. Register: https://bit.ly/43lqpzs

First Nations is honored to share this video by Alaska Native Birthworkers Community, the only community-based, Indigenous-led birth work organization offering free, direct services to Native birthing families and Native birth workers in Alaska. The video features their three-sisters approach to ensuring that Native birthing families who have to leave their communities to give birth have a place to find care, support, and cultural connection throughout the sacred birthing process. Watch the video: https://bit.ly/3QuDzTk Alaska Native Birthworkers Community is a community partner through First Nations’ Indigenous Breastfeeding, Birth Work and First Foods project. Support the organization directly: https://bit.ly/41qxFJk

In a press release last month, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced the signing of the first-ever data agreement between the DOH and Tulalip Tribe. The agreement promotes Tribal Data Sovereignty, which refers to the inherent right for tribes, as public health authorities, to have access to data to best serve their communities. According to the release, the agreement means that Tulalip Tribe will have greater access to and ownership of their public health data, including how it is collected, stored, and used in DOH datasets. ?? Read the release: https://bit.ly/3F0JfSk

This week, we're sharing the latest article from Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development as part of our continuous highlight of First Nations' Tribal Food Systems Research Fellows. In "Food Access Interventions in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities: A Scoping Review", fellow Dayna Carroll (pictured here) joins Lynn Mad Plume and Dr. Nicole Redvers in highlighting the importance of leveraging strengths in American Indian and Alaska Native communities to enhance food access, including through culturally aligned programs and traditional foods. Researchers share how further collaboration between AI/AN communities and researchers may lead to the development of more informed multilevel interventions that further integrate Indigenous methodological and culturally based approaches. ?? Access the article: https://bit.ly/3ENsni4

Eater reports that Native chef Alexa Numkena-Anderson (Yakama, Hopi, Cree, and Skokomish) and her husband recently opened Javelina, the first Indigenous restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Chef Alexa draws on her upbringing on the Yakama Reservation to create Native American comfort foods like fry bread, NDN tacos, bison chili, and Hopi corn tamales. At night, the restaurant transforms into In??sha, a multi-course dinner concept that uses ingredients native to “Turtle Island.” ?? Read the full story: https://bit.ly/42Zqau1 ?? OR watch this video: https://bit.ly/3Qn8HUR