New Mexico
Check out the New Mexico page for the full story of the New Mexico portion of the Reconnecting the Tribal Trade Routes Roadtrip.
Blue Corn at Joe Jaramillo’s Native Naturals Farm, Iselta Pueblo
Navajo, White Mountain/San Carlos Apache, and Tohono O’dham are up next at the beginning of February before we head through California on the way to the ANTI meeting and additional stops in the Pacific Northwest. Please (dan at indianaglink.com) if you would like to try scheduling a visit.
The route through Oklahoma was brief but successful, and new connections were made. We’re hoping to make another trip back at some point.
Louisiana > Oklahoma > (through Texas) > New Mexico
We’re very excited about adding Beidre chocolates to the inventory. While Beidre doesn’t involve agricultural production (at least not yet since we did discuss the possibility of using Tribally-produced pecans), it is a great example of how Tribal food industry can promote economic development and create local jobs.
Finding New Suppliers
The first leg of the “Reconnecting the Tribal Trade Routes Roadtrip” kicked off in mid-December with product pick-ups and left for Louisiana in early January. This overall effort is crossing the country on an effort to build awareness of unique Tribal food products and build new connections among Indian Nations, as well as providing direct technical support along the way. Check the page to learn more about this initial leg of the trip.
Minnesota to Louisiana via Wisconsin
It’s impossible to leave Louisiana without the deep impression of how friendly and welcoming the people and communities are to visitors like ourselves. In the face of such challenges, these communities continue to thrive and work toward a prosperous future.
Captain and His Boat
The Intertribal Agriculture Council is hosting a maple syrup production workshop on January 10-11th on the Fond du Lac reservation. Contact dan@indianaglink to register…it’s free.
The Mobile Farmers Market van is working to build awareness of unique Tribal food products through a “Reconnecting the Tribal Trade Routes Roadtrip” from January through March. In addition to selling and featuring various items, are looking to purchase products along the way, so please get in touch (dan@indianaglink.com) if you are interested in having your products featured as part of this effort.
We are also using this trip as an outreach opportunity to spread awareness of USDA and other assistance programs, as well as providing technical support. We’ll also be telling the story of Tribal producers and Native communities along the way, so please check back to learn more.
Roadtrip Map
One of our main goals in making traditional, healthy, and fresh foods more available in our native communities. Part of success in that effort is building more interest in eating and buying those foods when they are available, and cooking for the community is one of the ways to build that interest.
We recently cooked a pot of corn soup for the Nett Lake community on the Bois Forte reservation in northern Minnesota. While we weren’t able to reach as many wild ricers as we hoped due to bad weather that kept them off the lake that day, we did draw in several elders and youth. It was the first time many of the youth tasted hominy corn, and it also led the elders to start sharing stories about how they used to eat hominy corn but hadn’t seen it in years.
Nett Lake Elders and Youth
Lac du Flambeau Powwow
White Earth Powwow
White Earth Powwow
Indian Health Center in Milwaukee
Pokagon
Farmers Market at Saginaw Chippewa
Oneida Farmers Market
Bad River
Bois Forte
The Mobile Farmers Market spent the week of June 17th traveling through Michigan. The trip was mainly intended to prepare for events later in the summer, but we also hosted a couple market events.
Waishkey Bay Farm at Bay Mills
Odawa (aka Bells) Fishery in Mackinaw City owned by Little Traverse
Farmers market at Saginaw Chippewa in Mt. Pleasant, MI
The LaCourte Oreilles Farmers Market is every Friday. The Mobile Farmers Market participated in the June 7th market and will be back several times throughout the summer.
La Courte Oreilles Friday Market
Since powwows are generally one of the largest gatherings of native communities, they are a great place to meet and connect with people. The Mobile Farmers Market attended the White Earth Powwow on June 15th where hundreds of people learned about the project and were able to purchase traditional products.
White Earth Powwow
Native Food Network 