North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems

Indigenous Food LabWe launched the Indigenous Food Lab in Minneapolis, MN, located in the Midtown Global Market on historic Lake Street, which now includes a professional Indigenous kitchen, demonstration and training studio, Spirit Kitchen for testing concepts, and a retail market. This first Indigenous Food Lab Market opened June 1, 2023, amplifying the offerings of over 50 Indigenous purveyors. We aim to not only increase access of Indigenous foods to Native people, but also increase markets for Native farmers/ranchers/harvesters and improve local economies for Native communities. Based on the demand we're experiencing for these products, it's clear that there has long been a void in the market, as interest in these Indigenous-produced goods is extremely high. https://www.usda.gov/tribalrelations/usda-programs-and-services/usda-indigenous-food-sovereignty-initiative NATIFS Outreach and PartnershipsNATIFS is working with partners on the ground who have requested our help to expand these food hubs regionally across the country, featuring the plants, animals and Native traditions unique to each area, building a regenerative, permaculture landscape that better withstands the effects of climate change, and reducing food miles traveled to feed communities. This re-imagined Indigenous food system nourishes people and the planet while providing economic opportunity for tribal communities. Our outreach work involves helping Native people and tribal communities develop, implement, and maintain Indigenous food entities, which could be as small as developing a product for market or designing a small catering operation utilizing products grown by Native farmers, or as large as a full-scale restaurant, depending on the means and resources of the individuals and the community. We worked on a project with a local Indigenous group, assisting them with preserving Indigenous baby food in jars to be distributed to community members. They grew the ingredients and developed 5 different flavor profiles. Over 4,000 units were produced in the Indigenous Food Lab kitchen, under supervision by our in-house food scientist. With each project, we're gaining valuable knowledge that will help inform future Indigenous food sovereignty programs.NATIFS ProgrammingWe are working in partnership with the USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative; our piece is on creating recipes and cooking videos utilizing ingredients found in the USDA's Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) commodity food support program, combined with Indigenous and foraged foods to make healthy, delicious meals. We also manage the contributions of the foragers who make the info videos on identifying and sustainably harvesting these indigenous plants.We traveled to Indigenous gatherings and conferences across the country to network, meet with collaborators, and assist groups with their food sovereignty initiatives, including the Reservation Economic Summit (RES23) put on by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED); the Great Lakes Indigenous Farming Conference hosted by the White Earth Land Recovery Project; and we hosted Indigenous Peoples' Day at the Minnesota State Fair in August 2022.