2023 NAFSA Impact Report

2023 NAFSA

impact report

Restoring, Supporting,& Developing IndigenousFood Systems.

welcome note

Hello!

As I begin my journey as Executive Director at the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (NAFSA), I am inspired by a vision of what we can achieve together. Our path to strengthening Indigenous food systems is not just about keeping pace; it's about reaching new heights and sparking meaningful change.

I see NAFSA as a guiding force, leading us toward a future where our communities do more than survive—they thrive. We are here to create meaningful change and to make a lasting impact in the realm of food sovereignty.

We cannot do this alone. Our strength is in our connections, in the relationships we build with partners and allies everywhere. As we move forward, we invite new voices to join us. We seek council members who are passionate about our mission and ready to make a difference.

Together, we will create a future where Indigenous voices are not just heard but are celebrated—a future where food sovereignty is a reality for everyone.

With Gratitude,

Ted

Ted Wright Executive Director

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

o

r board

DANIEL CORNELIUS ONEIDA

InterimChair

JON MATTHEWS NEZ PERCE

Treasurer

DINÉ

InterimSecretary

DR. JOSIE CHASE MANDAN / HIDATSA IHUNKTAWANNA / HUNKPAPA

GLORIA SKEET

ED HALL ARIKARA/HIDATSA

LORETTA BARRETT ODEN

TERROL JOHNSON TOHONO O’ODHAM

ROY KADY

JOHN BONAPARTE

POTAWATOMI

MOHAWK NATION OF AKWESASNE

DINÉ

STAFF & CONTRACTORS

our team

TED WRIGHT TLINGIT

MARIAN BITSUI DINÉ

AARON LOWDEN ACOMA PUEBLO ISKNProgram Coordinator

MARIAH ASHLEY DINÉ Media&Design Coordinator

KRISTINA STANLEY

ExecutiveDirector Directorof Communications OJIBWE Communications Coordinator

LAURA DIPIAZZA IndividualGiving Manager

MEGAN DWYERR ExecutiveAssistant

JEN SCHLAICH

Contractor, ResourceMobilization

SHILOH MAPLES ANISHINAABE

Contractor, ProgramDevelopment

mission and values

MISSION

NAFSA’s mission is to support Native communities nationally with advocacy, education, and networking as they revitalize their Indigenous food systems.

STRENGTHEN

We affirm Indigenous community-led initiatives, while centering the sovereignty of our Tribal Nations and Communities.

RESTORE

We work to reclaim Indigenous Food Sovereignty while nurturing reciprocal kinship relationships.

INDIGENIZE

We prioritize the restoration of Indigenous practices, languages, traditions, cultures and connection to ways of being.

our strategic direction

As NAFSA embarks on this new chapter of organizational development, our strategic direction is attuned to the dynamic changes within our organization, and the needs of the communities we serve.

Our focus is on enhancing Organizational Capacity Building, to ensure we have the robust infrastructure necessary for our expanding role in food sovereignty. In the coming years, NAFSA will focus attention on key areas of impact through the many facets of our work and programs.

This strategic direction is designed to amplify our impact, broaden our reach, and reinforce our commitment to empowering Indigenous communities through sustainable food practices.

KEY AREAS OF IMPACT

ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING

ALLIANCE BUILDING COMMUNITY GRANTMAKING

HOSTING/SPONSORING COMMUNITY BASED EVENTS

BUILDING COMMUNICATIONS

achievements & outreach 2023

Our work over the past year was spent with a continued focus on the operational and foundational aspects of NAFSA’s sectors and programs. Additionally, the NAFSA team continued our work to support our grassroots partners. The next sections highlight our work for the past year.

communications

NAFSA’s communications sector is aimed at uplifting the Indigenous food sovereignty movement through generating an Indigenized storytelling platform that builds visibility and centers Indigenous voices and experiences. At the beginning of the year we grew our communications team by welcoming a Communications Director and Media and Design Coordinator!

With a communications team in place, the following key targets were identified and worked on throughout the year: Begin the development of foundational documents that anchor and guide our work for 2023 and beyond such as brand identity, editorial style guides, program profiles, audience segments, and a communications strategy; Developing a comprehensive tracking system that supports work requests and best practices; Developing planning tools that help us focus on the work and not the process; Developing an outreach strategy for all channels of communication for NAFSA; Creating a positive work environment that promotes employee satisfaction, engagement and productivity within the communications team.

Additionally, the communications team worked on NAFSA’s re-branding and updating NAFSA’s website, social media, and generating inspiring content and resources on other platforms.

The communications team also collaborated with the Traditional Native American Farming Association (TNAFA) to host a Restoring Health for a Healthy Future Webinar Series. This webinar series aims to engage participants in traditional health and wellness practices.

Lastly, the communications developed key messages for our NAFSA including:

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02

HONORING ANCESTRAL KNOWLEDGE

By restoring Indigenous food systems, we honor the ancestral knowledge of our communities and reconnect with our cultural heritage.

NURTURING RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIPS

We prioritize nurturing reciprocal relationships with nature, each other, and future generations through our food sovereignty initiatives.

03

04 05

SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS SELF-DETERMINATION

We believe in supporting Indigenous self-determination by empowering Indigenous communities to make decisions about their food systems and to control their own food sources.

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY WELLNESS

Strengthening Community Wellness: By restoring Indigenous food systems, we strengthen community wellness and promote healthy lifestyles for Indigenous people.

PROMOTING TRADITIONAL CULTURAL LIFEWAYS

Our food sovereignty initiatives aim to enhance traditional cultural lifeways by preserving and promoting Indigenous food practices, languages, and traditions.

od & culinary

NAFSA’s Food and Culinary team held a Community Organizing Workshop Series for our 2022-2023 Healing Meals and Capacity Building Micro-Grantees. Training topics included: Menu Sourcing and Budgeting, Marketing Strategies, and Food Safety.

Events/Partnerships:

Ukwakhwa-Seed the Future Event

In June NAFSA’s Indigenous Seed Keepers Network (ISKN) sponsored a Seed-the-Future event at Ukwakhwa (Oneida). This was an invitation-only event to strengthen existing seed networks and alliances. During the event participants focused on Haudenosaunee seed saving through garden planning and preparation. ISKN was invited to collaborate as mentors providing a workshop on “Planning and Planting a Seed Garden '' which supports ISKN’s ongoing commitment to providing seed keeper skill-building and mentorship opportunities. The intended outcome of this mentorship collaboration was to provide relevant educational and skill-building opportunities for our regional ISKN seedkeepers, as well as continue to develop the ISKN toolbasket of educational resources for both in-person events as well as our digital/virtual toolkit. ISKN also used this event as an opportunity to convene seed keepers from the region to participate in a listening session so that we can provide support for the existing and emerging seed efforts in the Upper Midwest region. Listening sessions help ensure that our existing, ongoing, and emerging programming aligns with the needs in the region and also provides an additional opportunity to alliance build and engage in outreach, being inclusive to all in the region who want to be a part of the Upper Midwest ISKN. Our intended outcome was to gather key stakeholders to inform ISKN on how to proceed with resourcing the Upper Midwest region with their intertribal regional seed networking and to gather insights on the most relevant community needs as it relates to program development and resource mobilization.

ISKN SW Network Gathering

This event, originally scheduled for summer 2023, was postponed to April 2024. The purpose of the Indigenous Seed Keepers Network Southwest Regional Gathering is to honor our Indigenous ancestral connections and trade routes by sharing space to build relationships, share skills, knowledge, resources, and seed. Through this gathering we will stay true to our mission by cultivating solidarity and communication within this emerging SW network. This gathering will be community-led and tailored to suit the needs of our grassroots partners.

indigenous seed keeper network

2023GrowerStipends

NAFSA extended seed grower stipends to Indigenous growers to assist with activities related to harvesting, processing, and storage. As many of our Indigenous farming partners have been engaged in unpaid seed stewardship for generations, stipends are one way that we are uplifting and honoring these farmers' investment of time and energy spent engaged in this critical work. Stipends also assist growers in scaling up their seed production and in doing so allow seed to be distributed back into participating communities within ISKN networks.

2023 Spring Grower Stipends: 32 total spring grower stipends of $2,000/each were distributed to Indigenous farmers in the ISKN Southwest and Upper Midwest regions.

2023 Fall Grower Stipends: 37 total fall grower stipends of $2,000/each were distributed to Indigenous farmers in the ISKN Southwest and Upper Midwest regions.

field day microgrants

In an effort to aid and support seed literacy and food sovereignty mentorship among ISKN’s community partners in the Southwest, NAFSA provided 4awards to host 1-day skill share workshops called Field Days. Field Days offer educational opportunities for community and network partners to build seed literacy and food sovereignty capacity. Topics shared during workshops included: seed growing/production, harvesting techniques, hand-pollination, isolation techniques, and equipment training.

CURLEYFARMS

“These funds would help with providing handson workshops at the farms. I believe that it is better to do workshops where people can come and experience the whole setting…these handson workshops will also provide the skills needed whether it is planting, harvesting, and cooking and preparing the harvest”.

KWATSANORGANIXCOMMUNITYGARDEN

“The grant will support Kwatsan Organix’s mission to empower Quechan community by creating educational opportunities for seed literacy and food sovereignty. By securing land and hosting workshops, like the upcoming field day, we aspire to unite community members in a shared journey towards cultural preservation and wellness.”

FLOWERINGTREEPERMACULTUREINSTITUTE

“...funding will support the annual Owingeh Ta Pueblos y Semillas Seed Exchange of which we have participated in for years. This seed exchange is a benefit to the entire community at large and a unique opportunity that expands across all cultures of the valley.”

HONORINGOURPUEBLOSEEDTHROUGH COMMUNITY

“A a new collective, uniting our efforts in being caretakers of the land and seed, we recognize the need for us to teach the skills we’ve acquired to our communities around how to clean, store, and distribute seed to our communities…we would like to build a collective consciousness of how to truly take care of each other and our seeds.”

indigenousseedkeepernetworkactivities

ISKN Southwest Network Quarterly Regional Support Calls

Regional calls provide a space for continued relationship building among the ISKN SW network; during quarterly calls participants announce their offerings for the upcoming quarter and uplift and share their work. Calls are also a way to retain participation and engagement amongst the group. In 2023 NAFSA staff completed 4-quarterly calls with our last call of 2023 including 35 participants!

ISKN Southwest Network Region Advisory Group

To ensure our programming is community-led, NAFSA assembled a SW Advisory Group to provide guidance and feedback on emergent areas of ISKN’s offerings and services. In 2023 five members in the ISKN SW network volunteered to serve as members.

ISKN Seed Hub Charter Statement and Program Area Overview

NAFSA’s ISKN team worked to create a draft Charter Statement to outline the goals, objectives, and principles of ISKN’s Cooperative Seed Hub programming.

Akwesasne Seed Hub-2021-2023 Partnership

In the fall of 2021, the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (NAFSA) became the fiscal sponsor for the Akwesasne Seed Hub (ASH) for a two-year partnership. From 2021 to the end of 2023, the NAFSA’s team provided ongoing technical assistance and capacity building to the ASH team as they worked diligently to build the Akwesasne Seed Hub. Improvements and additions during the first phase of the project included the renovation of an existing cannery building to include functional seed storage facilities, a commercial kitchen to prepare garden foods for the community, a butchering facility and walk-in cooler, an updated equipment storage and workshop area, and a living classroom that will support cultural mentorship and education. The emergence of this seed hub is catalyzing a vision held in the community for years, the creation of a living community seed bank and living classroom to support intergenerational mentorship for Mohawk food and seed sovereignty. With the end of the NAFSA-ASH partnership in the fall of 2023, the ASH team continued into phase two of their project in partnership with First Nations Development Institute who is providing additional technical assistance and mentorship as the ASH-Team plans and establishes their own 501c3 organization, moving towards increased autonomy.

resource mobilization

With continued organizational growth, NAFSA staff identified a need to grow our Resource Mobilization Team to sustain the organization now and into the future. In May of 2023 we welcomed a new Individual Giving Manager and Grants Manager. The resource mobilization sector includes both funds coming into the organization to sustain operations as well as funds going out of the organization through our Community Grant making Program to support and resource our grassroots partners. As new staff were trained for individual giving and grants management, our Resource Mobilization Director began working to articulate a donor equity framework and longterm fundraising strategy. Additionally the RM Director facilitated regular meetings to begin to clarify and articulate NAFSA’s approach to grant making. In 2023, NAFSA piloted a regional approach to community grant making through an invitation-only call for grant proposals, with the intention of gathering feedback from our pilot participants to inform an emerging strategy for this sector. In 2023 we re-distributed a total of $235,000 to community partners through both micro and macro-grants.

community macrogrants 2023

We awarded 7-macrogrants of $30,000/year over a 2-year period. These grants were distributed in the Southwest region (AZ, CO, UT, NM) where NAFSA has an existing network of partnerships and emerging partner relationships. Our grantmaking is rooted in a relational approach to build kinship networks while cultivating and leveraging support on behalf of our Indigenous Nations and communities.

Macrogrant Grantees:

Red Willow Farm

San Xavier Co-Op Farm (Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture)

Traditional Native American Farmers Association-TNAFA (Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples)

Tesuque Pueblo Farm (Heritage Education Foundation)

Bidii Baby Foods (the BEN Initiative)

Zuni Youth Enrichment Projects

Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute

TS’UYYAFARM

For the past six seasons Ts’uyya Farms has been working on growing and saving landrace seeds primarily from their Pueblo homelands. They have slowly built up seed stock to give back to community members and helped organize and host a seed exchange in the Spring of 2023. They are working to develop community engagement opportunities on their farm. Hosting workshops, they wish to provide a place for their community to gather and learn more about how to expand good sovereignty.

BLACKMESAFARMLLC

Black Mesa Farm has been growing a variety of specialty crops that have been sold at local farmers markets, and most recently, aggregated into produce packages for the FreshRx program under the New Mexico Farmers Marketing Association. The main goal of the program is to directly provide our native communities with fresh, organic, NM grown produce and the program is geared towards the children of these communities. Another goal of the program is to provide the recipients with educational material, included in the produce packages, which lists the different varieties of produce, recipes and activities.

TONIZHONIANI

To Nizhoni Ani (TNA) “Sacred Water Speaks” is a Dine-led nonprofit organization established in 2001. In 2005 TND led

NAFSA Gatherings

Capacity Building/Strategic Planning/Quarterly Gatherings:

SAN XAVIER CO-OP FARM

In January 2023 NAFSA staff gathered in Tucson, Arizona. As a part of this inperson meeting staff visited the San Xavier Co-Op Farm, a 1200 acre certified naturally grown tribal farm nurturing traditional desert cultivars and run by members of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Amy, the Administrative Manager, and Duran, the Farm Manager, along with a few other farm staff, lead NAFSA on a tour to visit the new cold storage facilities supporting seed saving efforts and the facility housing their new milling equipment. Currently about 80% of the crops grown on the farm are feed crops (alfalfa and hay) that act as a cash crop. The profit secured from these crops funnels back to the Co-Op to fuel and subsidize the protection and production of traditional and food crops. Lunch was prepared by Phylis, a Three Sisters plate with cholla and cheese tamales, tepary beans, squash, along with cinnamon tea and mesquite cookies. The visit ended with a rich discussion and reflection on challenges within the food sovereignty movement and the healing and connecting power of working with the earth.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

In March 2023 NAFSA staff gathered for an End-of-Quarter 1 in-person convening with NAFSA’s Leadership Council. Staff spent the majority of the retreat focusing on foundational capacity building by refining Strategic Plan implementation and SMART goal integration for NAFSA. As a part of this gathering we hosted a community dinner at Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community Garden with chef Alyssa Dixon (Tohono O’oodham) of Alyssa’s Kosin and pastry chef Timothy James and Indigenous Chef Kaitlin Martinez. The meal included: traditional poshol with beef short ribs, vegan tamale, white tepary bean and wild spinach salad, sourdough bread, and mesquite cake.

FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA

In June 2023 NAFSA staff joined together in Flagstaff, AZ for an End-of-Quarter 2 in-person meeting. The first two days of this gathering were spent with staff from the Native Wellness Institute (NWI) for a “Wellness in the Workplace '' Training. During the training staff participated in several team building games to test and share verbal and non-verbal communication skills and engaged in deep conversations about being trauma-informed and healing-centered in the workplace. Our team began initial conversations about how to utilize the tools and resources provided by NWI internally and externally at NAFSA.

DENVER, COLORADO

In August 2023 NAFSA’s Leadership Council and Executive Staff met in Denver, Co for a “State of the Organization” meeting. One of the key takeaways from this meeting was the realization of the current abundance at NAFSA-with staff, resources, network/community connections, and a re-engaged Board of Directors after the pandemic. It was realized that the next phase of strategic planning must be deeply informed by this context, and NAFSA’s Leadership Council expressed an interest to better understand what it will take to move the visions for the organization into action and implementation by staff and communities.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

In December 2023 NAFSA staff and Leadership Council (LC) met in Phoenix, Arizona for NAFSA’s Annual Meeting. This retreat included relationship building between LC and staff that included the Native Wellness Institute (NWI) leading the group through activities and discussion to build a shared lexicon within the organization. NWI also led the group through a SOAR Assessment of NAFSA; a SOAR Assessment is a framework for identifying strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations, and Results. SOAR assessments will be used to inform future strategic planning and guidance. Staff also began work on 2024 SMART goals.

pathwaysforward

Empowering Indigenous Food Futures Through Partnership

The NAFSA team sends our deepest appreciation to our funding partners and individual donors. Each contribution is a pivotal contribution to our mission of revitalizing Indigenous food systems and bolsters NAFSA’s operational aptitude, touching upon critical aspects such as capacity building, alliance formation, and community engagement.

As we navigate the path of promoting food sovereignty and uplifting Indigenous communities, the power of storytelling stands at the forefront of our endeavors. NAFSA's role has evolved into a crucial hub for resource distribution and networking, highlighting the importance of refining our focus on supported initiatives and intensifying our storytelling efforts. This approach is not merely about enhancing communication; it's about utilizing storytelling as a dynamic force for revitalizing Indigenous foodways and affirming Indigenous rights and self-determination.

In 2024, our work will be aimed at refining and implementing strategies across key sectors, with a particular focus on expanding our capabilities in human resources, fundraising, and administration. These enhancements are crucial for supporting the evolving areas of our work.

Ahéhee’! Askwali! Ku’na’ah!

Dá’wá’éh!Kwa’kwai!

Nia:wen!Miigwech!

thank you

On behalf of the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance (NAFSA), we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and dedication. Your commitment to our mission of revitalizing Indigenous food systems is truly inspiring, and we are immensely grateful for your partnership.

Your contributions, whether through advocacy, education, networking, or financial support, play a vital role in driving positive change in Indigenous communities nationwide. Together, we are making strides towards a future where food sovereignty is a reality for all Indigenous peoples.

Your support fuels our passion and strengthens our resolve to create a more just and equitable world for Indigenous peoples. With your continued support, we are confident that we will achieve our shared goals and build a brighter future for generations to come.