Indigenous Wisdom

Explore the art of companion planting and learn how to create a vibrant and harmonious garden using natural methods. From nurturing soil health to enhancing flavors and controlling pests, pairing certain plants together can give you multiple benefits while cutting down on your labor and the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Discover how to get started, and enjoy five recipes that use companion plants, reuniting them on your plate.

Inga tree alley cropping has transformed the lives of 300 subsistence farming families in Honduras. Its replication across South and Latin America can make a major impact on people and the planet by improving food security, protecting wildlife habitats and water sources, and improving soil quality for years to come.

Ocean Robbins sits down with Darin Olien, author, entrepreneur, and sustainability and wellness advocate. They discuss Darin’s journey to improve the sovereignty and livelihoods of Indigenous populations; how he’s working to combat deforestation with his company Barùkas Nuts; and his work with Footprint to eliminate single-use plastics. Despite all the environmental challenges we’re faced with, it’s people like Darin who are leading the charge for a healthy, ethical, and sustainable world for all. Watch, read, or listen for a healthy dose of inspiration and empowerment to use your gifts for good.

For hundreds of years, Indigenous peoples in the Americas (and across the world) have faced genocide, land theft, and in many cases, forced relocation, all of which have deprived them of their ancestral foodways. Today, many Native peoples are grappling with the devastating health consequences of these ancestral traumas, along with grinding poverty and a diet of highly processed foods. But despite this grim reality, a growing number of Indigenous Nations are working towards an Indigenous foods movement as a means of cultural renewal, environmental sustainability, and a way to reclaim food sovereignty and personal health. Find out what’s being done — and what you can do to help.

Traditional native nations in the Americas have often been portrayed as primitive societies. But the truth is that they developed extraordinarily wise and sophisticated methods of agriculture and land stewardship. In this article, Diné artist and activist, Lyla June, explores what indigenous relationships have to teach us today, so we can all learn from native wisdom and do our part to protect the world’s soil, water, forests, and climate.

Ocean Robbins sits down with Lyla June, indigenous activist, ecologist, and musician of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne), and European lineages. Lyla and Ocean discuss how indigenous farming practices have shaped the world, why indigenous peoples are critical to preserving biodiversity, and how we can cultivate a sense of belonging and rightful place as we live in the modern world.

BigAg’s influence on seeds isn’t limited to the United States; their hybrid seeds have also pushed out traditional seed varieties across Africa. But many Africans are fighting back by forming seed collectives and practicing seed saving of indigenous seeds, recognizing that the continuation of these seeds is integral to their own stories of survival.

Ocean Robbins sits down with Leah Penniman, food justice activist and the co-founder and co-director of Soul Fire Farm in Petersburg, NY. Hear Leah’s take on racism in the US food and agricultural system, what’s being done about it, and how you can take action to build a healthier and more sustainable world for everyone.

Modern grains produced by the industrialized food system are highly processed, tainted with pesticides and GMOs, and often relatively devoid of nutrition. But farmers and everyday people are beginning to diversify their grain sources, rejecting modern variations in favor of local, heritage, or ancient grains. As a result, communities are reclaiming their heritage — and their health.