A recap of the 2024 Food Sovereignty Summit
The summit began with greetings from the Suquamish Tribe, writing in the summit agenda:
“On behalf of the Suquamish people, it is our pleasure to welcome you to our homelands. The Suquamish people, known as the ‘People of the Clear Salt Water,’ have lived along these shores for millennia, and our connection to this land and sea continues to define who we are. As you walk these lands, you are standing on the ancestral territory of Chief Seattle and the Suquamish people, where our traditions, culture, and ways of life continue to thrive. It is a great honor to have you here as we gather to strengthen our food systems, share knowledge, and work together to ensure that our future generations inherit a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable way of life.”
Local Learnings
Hosting the food summit in the Pacific Northwest created a geographic and timely opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision, a critical ruling of Judge George Boldt on February 12, 1974, in the U.S. v. Washington case that reaffirmed the 1850s tribal treaty rights to fish on traditional lands.
The ruling secured tribal rights to fish where their communities are accustomed to, whether on or off reservation lands, and recognized tribes as co-managers of the fisheries in Washington, entitling them to half the state’s catch. This ruling and subsequent decisions have leveraged the tribe’s treaty-protected rights to traditional foods and to a healthy environment to maintain their cultural food source.
The conference reception on Tuesday featured a viewing of “Fish War,” a documentary on the 1974 ruling. And during a Wednesday luncheon session, attendees revisited the pressures that led to the landmark decision, the significant impact it had on tribal management of fisheries and resources in the state, and the current issues facing tribal fisheries.
Attendees also had the opportunity to engage in Suquamish traditions during Culture Night at Kiana Lodge, hosted by the Suquamish Canoe Family. Attendees and Suquamish community members were invited to enjoy traditional songs, dances, food, and films.
Screenings included “Bring Them Home/Aiskótáhkapiyaaya,” which chronicles a decades-long initiative by members of the Blackfoot Confederacy to bring the buffalo, known as iinnii, back to the Blackfeet Reservation and rewild them. Directors Ivan MacDonald and Ivy MacDonald were in attendance to present the film along with Executive Producer Melissa Grumhaus.
Another film featured was “Covenant of the Salmon People,” an award-winning documentary portrait of the Nimiipuu, currently in north-central Idaho, who continue to adhere to their sacred relationship and obligations to the Chinook Salmon. A final film included “Usugilix Awakun: We Are Working Together, a film that focuses on the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska and the many ways the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska is preserving ancestral traditions and the culture and health of its community.
Reconvening with Synergy
In addition to reviving a tradition, the Food Sovereignty Summit was an opportunity to bring together multiple community partners through First Nations’ programs for Native Agriculture and Food Systems Investments, Stewarding Native Lands, and California Tribal Fund.
Many attendees were grantees of First Nations’ Native Food Economies Project, a two-year initiative focused on food sovereignty and asset-building, supported through the Northwest Area Foundation and Agua Fund, Inc. As part of this project, First Nations provided six grants to Native American community partners within the Northwest Area Fund geographic area, including in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Oregon.
Selected grantees included: Bois Forte Food Sovereignty & Sustainable Agriculture Group, Chippewa Cree of Rocky Boy, Fort Peck Community College, People’s Food Sovereignty Program, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, and Wisdom of the Elders. In the second year of the project, First Nations provided an additional grant to the Suquamish Indian Tribe’s Cultural Center (Port Madison Reservation in Washington state) for their help in planning and hosting events of the 2024 Food Sovereignty Summit.
Building on the momentum they initiated during the 2023 First Nations’ L.E.A.D. Conference in Albuquerque, the Native Food Economies community partners convened multiple times during the Food Summit. These gatherings included sessions specifically designed for grantees of First Nations’ Native Farm to School project and members of the Indigenous Fundraisers Community of Practice.
Educational Highlights
The summit began with a dedicated pre-session of workshops engaging community partners across First Nations’ programs for Native Agriculture and Food Systems Investments, Stewarding Native Lands, and California Tribal Fund. Community partners working to strengthen food systems included participants from First Nations’ projects: Changing Native Food Economies, Local Food Promotion Program for Native Producers, Native Farm to School, Indigenous Food Systems Community of Practice, and Indigenous Breastfeeding, Birth Work, and First Foods. Stewarding Native Lands hosted a Conservation Planning Workshop, which provided the first opportunity to use the recently published conservation curriculum. Further, California Tribal Fund presented workshops designed to create connections among grantees, uplift current California tribal food system grantee stories, and review needs around technical assistance.
During the Food Summit, breakout sessions consisted of three tracks which allowed participants to engage further with related topics.
Camas Track explored land and plants and their functional role in creating a culture of place. Sessions included:
- Nourishing Traditions: The Cultural and Environmental Restoration of Camas Prairies
- Pesticides and Herbicides on Tribal Lands
- Honoring Land Use Rights in Indian Country
- The Healing Power of Plants: Traditional and Contemporary Perspectives
Salmon Track discussed multiple approaches to strengthening food sovereignty and rights to traditional foods and safe foods, healthy ecosystems and safe and nourishing waters. Sessions included:
- Kelp Farming and Clam Bed Gardening Revitalization
- Hunting, Fishing, and Gathering: Protection of Our Subsistence Rights
- Clean Water: Tribal Solutions to a Healthy Community
- Protecting the Environment through Indigenous-Led Stewardship
Buffalo Track highlighted the work of community partners in revitalizing the traditional connection many tribes hold to the buffalo. Sessions included:
- Storytelling for Impact: Sharing Your Food Sovereignty Journey
- Reinvigorating the Traditional Connection Between People and Buffalo
- Buffalo Youth Mentorship: Growing the Next Generation of Buffalo Stewards
- Buffalo Fencing Considerations: What Will Hold?
Experiential Sessions
Another highlight of the summit was a series of experiential sessions designed to enhance learning and celebrate the culture and lifeways of the Suquamish area.
On the Suquamish boat tour, attendees explored the Suquamish homelands by water aboard the Port Madison Enterprises barge. Led by a Suquamish veteran, the tour offered a special perspective on the rich history and culture of the Suquamish people.
The tour of Port Madison Enterprises provided an opportunity to experience Suquamish heritage and cuisine at the Fish Hatchery at Grovers Creek and then journey to the Seafood Plant to see gooey duck and oyster processing, the cockle flow-through tank, and the traditional smokehouse. The tour culminated at the Suquamish Seafood Retail Store and Masi Shop where attendees browsed the fresh and smoked seafood products.
The final event was a hands-on workshop presenting “Native Infusion: Rethink Your Drink,” a teaching toolkit aimed at supporting communities in making healthy choices about beverages. The toolkit integrates Native American cultural teachings with traditional health and nutrition concepts and includes a curriculum, teaching posters, tips for setting up a beverage station, and a cookbook. Attendees learned to harvest and prepare plants that can be used to make delicious drinks, including nettle, rose, dandelion, mint, huckleberry, and fir.
Key Takeaways
The Summit generated excitement and opportunities for First Nations’ Native Agriculture and Food Systems Investments program, building further momentum for projects under Stewarding Native Lands and California Tribal Fund programs.
Community partners came away energized with best practices and relationships that will bolster their own work and foster future collaborations. It was a successful three days and First Nations thanks all who supported and attended the event.
We especially thank Tahoma Peak Solutions for their partnership, and the Suquamish Nation for their generous hospitality.