Seeding the Future of Indigenous Seed Rematriation

Join us in re-uniting seeds with their Indigenous communities.

Across Turtle Island, there is a healing and hopeful trend that is emerging at the cutting edge of the Indigenous food and seed sovereignty movement, which is in the Rematriation of Seeds.

In an era of displacement and acculturation, some seed varieties were completely lost from their communities of origin. Some seeds remained in the hands of our people, and some of the seeds left, sometimes by force or theft, but also by trade or gift. Some seeds were carried on long journeys in smokey buckskin pouches, upon the necks of peoples who were forced to relocate from their ancestral lands.

Some seeds have been missing from communities for centuries.

And now, generations later, from the vaults of public institutions, seed banks, universities, and seed keeper collections, the seeds are coming home.

Seeds that have been patiently sleeping, dreaming, and waiting for loving hands to place them into fertile soils once more so that they can continue to nourish our communities as we together nourish the land, waters, and forces that bring such sustenance.

In many communities, both men and women farm and plant seeds, but the care and stewardship of the seeds are often part of the women’s bundle of responsibility. Thus, in the seed movement, we have begun to use the word “Rematriation” to reflect the restoration of the feminine seeds back into their home communities.

Please join us in making rematriation possible.

NAFSA, through our collaborative partnerships that support seed rematriation through our ISKN program, have already helped to support over 100 Indigenous heritage varieties to return to tribal communities of origin.

Your support of our campaign ensures that more seed varieties can be reunited with their mother communities, as well as supporting the capacity of communities to steward these seeds and empower their seed sovereignty efforts.

All funds raised in our campaign will directly support the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance’s (NAFSA) Indigenous Seed Keepers Network as well as other programs including general operating costs.

NAFSA is a Native-led non-profit organization that supports Native communities nationally with advocacy, education, and networking as they revitalize their Indigenous foods systems.

We thank you for being a part of this healing and hopeful movement.

Your support of this initiative is a practice of reparations, please help us spread the word to reach our $10,000 goal!

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Photo Credit: Mateo Hinojosa