Based on the recommendations of the 2022-2023 Food & Culinary (F&C) Grant Selection Committee, the following 24 Individuals and Organizations have received grants totaling $105,000.
F&C Grants were awarded in two categories to individuals and organizations across Turtle Island.
Capacity Building Grants were provided to support the development of food sovereignty programming that provides community education and/or access to culturally relevant foods.
Healing Meals Grants were provided to support Indigenous community organizers to develop and host their vision of a healing meal that incorporates their communities unique ingredients and traditions.
Food & Culinary Capacity Building Grantees 2022-2023
Kessi Watters Kimball – Mi’kmaq Listuguj First Nations
In the Wabanaki homelands of what is now called Maine
Purchasing a Featherman Pro equipment to train youth apprentices in the art of bird harvesting, and further share the harvest with the community.
Eastern Woodlands Rematriation
Northeast
Strengthening and fortifying Indigenous foodways in the Northeast through learning exchanges, mutual aid, apprenticing, and resource sharing.
Fond du Lac Tribal College
Cloquet, MI
Piloting a learning project based at Gookonaanig Endaawaad (Grandma’s House), which is a language nest for families with young children aged 0-5 years. In partnership with local Elders, this project will provide education for the families and staff of Grandma’s House to identify,harvest, prepare, and preserve select local foods.
Native Women’s Collective
Goudi’ni, Wiyot Homelands (Arcata, California)
This project, led by collective member Marlene Dusek, will provide community food boxes to Wiyot peoples in the Northern California region. The ‘Food Boxes for the Wiyot Community’ project supports local Indigenous youth to gather, process, and prepare traditional Native American foods into meal boxes to give to the community.
Lozen Orozco – Purépecha/Nahua
Lake Elsinore, CA
Spirit Plate is a project taking place In Lake Elsinore, CA that is led by a group of Indigenous women and homeschooling youth. Funding will provide access to healthy Indigenous-based traditional food. The project’s activities will range from building an adobe outdoor kitchen to growing and processing corn and will be completed alongside youth and community members.
Next Evolution Coffee Shop
Shurz, NV
Supporting food sovereignty efforts in the community of Walker River Paiute Tribe through continued educational opportunities.
I-Collective
National
Website Instagram Facebook A Gathering Basket
Rooted in the cultivation of Indigenous food sovereignty and elevating and preserving Indigenous narratives, I-Collective has been producing a digital, multimedia cookbook and community journal ( ‘A Gathering Basket’) to assist in strengthening the connection of our people to their food. These funds will support the development of a physical publication, representative of and expanding upon the body of work produced and shared by community members for ‘A Gathering Basket’.
POC Fungi Community, a sponsored project of Yaquis of Southern California
Kumeyaay land – San Diego, CA
Providing access to fungi related education, medicine, food and community building opportunities.
Texas Tribal Buffalo Project
Lipan Apache Band of Texas – Waleder, TX
Addressing food insecurity and access among Indigenous communities in South Central Texas through agricultural education.
Sewa Yuli – Yoeme/Purépecha
San Diego, CA
Producing a documentary on Indigenous food sovereignty from across both sides of the so-called border. Featuring voices from Indigenous farmers, seedkeepers, medicine people, midwives, foragers, and professors.
Kathryn Thompson – Navajo
Casa Blanca, NM
Introducing beekeeping to increase biodiversity of an Indigenous food forest project. The project utilizes traditional ecological knowledge to increase food security and demonstrate solutions to climate change.
Waspfriend Farm
Poplar, MT
Constructing a greenhouse to support local community gardens, further seedkeeping and Indigenous plant growing activities, and encourage continued community engagement.
Birds N Things Farm
Ashland, WI
Building a processing shed that will include equipment to support community Wild Rice processing.
Food & Culinary Healing Meals Grantees 2022-2023
Next Evolution Coffee Shop
Shurz, NV
Creating a video project for the Walker River Paiute Tribe Boys and Girls Club to share the story and value of harvesting, cleaning, and storing our first foods. The video will provide traditional knowledge and education while promoting nutrition and food that highlights Indigenous ingredients will be served.
Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO)
Columbus, OH
Funds will be used to host annual community feasts that bring the community together, acknowledge past struggles, and celebrate the present Native Community in Ohio. Through togetherness, traditional foods, and culture this project will prioritize the holistic healing of the NAICCO community – mind, body, and spirit.
I-Collective
National
Website Instagram Facebook A Gathering Basket
Hosting an educational dinner featuring dishes found in the I-Collective Publication ‘A Gathering Basket’. The dishes and ingredients represented in the dinner will come from Indigenous communities from what is now known as the Americas. The I-Collective will use prepared dishes to take a deeper dive into the stories of the foods themselves as well as the issues surrounding these foods in Indigenous communities in the Americas.
Texas Tribal Buffalo Project
Lipan Apache Band of Texas – Waleder, TX
Many people are unaware that there are still several Native Nations in existence across the state of Texas. Our resilient, vibrant communities have such strength and knowledge to share with one another and our allies as we continue to move forward in building healthier, thriving communities. To celebrate and bring awareness to the rich culture and traditions of the people who initially occupied the land we walk, TTBP aims to provide a free, culturally relevant meal to the community, by providing a feast in celebration of Indigenous People’s Day 2023.
Waspfriend Farm
Poplar, MT
Funds will be used to share a fresh boxed meal that utilizes Indigenous ingredients. Boxes will be available for pick-up so that Elders and community members can enjoy their meal wherever they choose.
Amy_Consulting – Community advocacy firm, focusing on Indigenous family preservation and cultural support for Native American and Alaskan Native participants.
Anchorage, AK
Purple Heart Talking Circle will be a gathering of houseless and /or at-risk Alaskan Native or American Indian adults and families to prepare and eat traditional foods potlatch style and participate in a talking circle to share life skills to build resiliency and assist with stabilizing participants cultural and emotional well being as they navigate moving forward from houselessness.
Folk
Detroit, MI
The project will offer a Harvest Basket that will be filled with provisions made entirely by and traditionally inspired by Indigenous people and land. Harvest basket will provide a whole meal experience and will include learning tools such source profiles, recipes for basket provisions, and suggestions for further use.
IREKUARHIKUA
Los Angeles, CA
A group of individuals will be selected to form a cohort through an application process. The cohort will collectively come together to learn about all details related to maize (different types), the process of nixtamalization (step by step), grinding, preserving maize, and preparation of dishes using nixtamalized masa.
Ziibimijwang
Carp Lake, MI
Hosting four community meals per year, according to traditional foraging, hunting, seasonal harvesting, and spiritual practices. Meals and gatherings will be facilitated by prioritizing a decolonized approach, accessing traditional knowledge keepers, and rematriating our community with our land base.
Ajo Center for Sustainable Agricluture
Ajo, AZ
Preparing and distributing at least 100 traditional food boxes for O’odham Elders in at least three O’odham districts, and sourcing supplies directly from O’odham farmers. Boxes will include a traditional and modern recipe plus food descriptions.
Daniella James – San Carlos Apache
San Carlos, AZ
Hosting a hands-on Healing Meal for San Carlos Apache Middle School, to share knowledge of San Carlos Apache tribal foods, national tribal foods, and nutrition of historical foods.
