Native Tribes Defending the Cultural Context for Food

My mental focus lately has gone towards ways that we can foster more well-being in our world, even though there are forces working both for and against that.

I was really happy to come across this Yes! article on how Native American tribes are formally establishing alternative methods for establishing food protections by creating their own laws governing food production that include a cultural context.

And what an incredible point of view their laws have!

From the article:

“What are the stories that go along with this tree? What’s the story we tell that says when squash came to the people or corn came to the people? What are the songs that go with those things?” says Butler. “That’s what we incorporate here: Our garden is a platform to perpetuate our culture.”

Declining Protections at the Federal Level

Were you aware that the US just eliminated the rule that said that "free range" organic chicken had to be let outdoors at least once in their lifetime in order to bear that label in grocery stores?

Seems like a pretty low bar to me, but obviously too high for this anti-life administration.

Unfortunate for all of us, but thankfully the reservations have the option of setting their own food laws. And the way the treaties between their sovereign nations and the US apply, their laws hold just as much standing on their land as do Federal ones. The catch is that if they don't comply with US federal law, they have to keep any food produced on their reservations only.

Differences of Tradition

Notably, this isn't just a question of higher food handling standards among the tribes than the US as a whole. It also swings what many might call the opposite direction.

For example, there is a requirement in the US that commercially produced food be prepared in certified kitchens. This is to increase food safety.

The problem is that some traditional ways of preparing food preclude being able to use such a kitchen. Not only is it often not an option to adopt the new methods for preparing a given food, but often it is not desired because the methods are integrated into overall cultural traditions which they wish to preserve.

You may notice that there is a scarcity of specific examples of these traditional methods in this post. There is also in the article that prompted my writing on this. That's because the knowledge itself must be protected.

"Intellectual property is another priority. Many tribes have specific, traditional uses for seeds, crops, and livestock, and, without laws to protect a tribe’s unique use of a particular plant or animal, a corporation could trademark and commercialize that product—anything from Wojapi, a Lakota dessert made from berries, to Piki, a traditional Hopi bread made from cornmeal."

Seems like they've learned a thing or two from all the deception they've faced over the centuries!

My Thoughts

I personally would like to have the option of eating traditional foods. If there has been a method of preparing a given food that has proven safe for thousands of years, I'm willing to put just as much faith into that as I would put into the USDA. But I can understand that some people might not.

The path the tribes are taking right now is to at least document their own laws and spread those among the various tribes. This provides options. At least those on the reservations can eat in a way in keeping with their traditions.

But economically the tribes must continue to pursue recognition for their methods by the US federal government so that they can sell off reservation, where most of the money is. They can't help their tribes out of poverty if all they can do is recirculate subsistence level income among themselves.

As the article sums it up:

"With food and culture so intimately intertwined and vital to the survival of Salt River, the tribe has some big ideas to consider when it comes to the future of agriculture: Will it be commercial or traditional? What constitutes organic? How will the few remaining heirloom crops be protected from GMO contamination? Will Pima and Maricopa crops be sold, and, if so, how will they be kept safe for consumers? Salt River has yet to decide on those issues, and Butler says adopting a comprehensive food code would start the process of strengthening the tribe’s future: Native people growing native foods, protected and guided by native laws."

What Do You Think?

Would you like to have access to traditionally prepared foods, or do you only feel safe eating foods prepared according to USDA codes?

All images from the yes article and by Tristan Ahtone

Resteems always appreciated!