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Seed Rematriation
“ You ca n’t have intellectual nourishment sovereignty without germ sovereignty , ” says Jessika Greendeer , former seed keeper and farm manager at Dream of Wild Health in Hugo , Minnesota . “ That is why this workplace is so of import . ”
The “ body of work ” to which Greendeer refers is seminal fluid rematriation , a growing movement Rowen White , founder of Sierra Seeds , explored in theHeritage Farm Companion , Seed Savers Exchange ’s appendage cartridge holder . “ In the Indigenous semen - sovereignty movement , we have begun to use the countersign ‘ rematriation ’ as it relates to impart our seeds home again , ” she wrote . “ That ’s because , in many community of interests , admit my own Mohawk tradition , the responsibility of caring for the seeds over the generation is ultimately within the women ’s realm . ”
‘Six Nations’ corn is one of several Indigenous varieties in the Seed Savers Exchange collection being grown out to return to its culture of origin.
It was in 2017 that White , also chair of the Seed Savers Exchange plug-in , asked if the organization could help to reconnect several seed varieties in its collecting back to their acculturation of beginning through the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance ( NAFSA ) rematriation political program . Since that fourth dimension , three Midwestern James Leonard Farmer — Greendeer as well as Shelley Buffalo with the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama , Iowa , and Becky Webster on the Oneida Reservation in Wisconsin — have been hard at work growing endemic sort like ‘ Cornplanter Purple ’ bean , ‘ Osage River Brown ’ corn whisky , and ‘ Illinois ’ watermelon . The partnership , say Buffalo , has been “ a joy ” due , in large part , to the connection she has formed .
In 2020 , Seed Savers Exchange partner with NAFSA to producea videoabout their ongoing seed rematriation employment , supported with funds from the North primal Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education ( NC - SARE ) program . Its goal ? To divvy up the importance of seed rematriation and explore the impactful , lasting , and meaningful work these three Indigenous women are doing to play ( and keep ) their ancestral cum back home , into the hand and gardens where they belong .
This stuff is based upon oeuvre that is support by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture , U.S. Department of Agriculture , under accolade number 2019 - 38640 - 29879 through the North Central Region SARE program under project telephone number ONC20 - 071 . USDA is an equal - opportunity employer and service provider . Any popular opinion , finding , conclusions , or good word expressed in this issue are those of the author(s ) and do not needs reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture .
Originally published May 24 , 2021 . Edited March 25 , 2025 .
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