Planting the Seeds of Cultural Sustainability

April 22, 2026 | Student Ambassador Aiyanna Tanyan’s (Seminole Nation of Oklahoma) work to reclaim food sovereignty

At Haskell Indian Nations University, those of us at the Haskell Greenhouse are committed to various initiatives that help students and the greater community connect with the land.
Haskell Greenhouse student researcher Aiyanna T helping teach students how to build raised garden beds in front of Winona Hall student housing on campus. (June 12th, 2025)
Lettuce varieties, watermelon, and different crops growing in the raised beds near the Haskell Greenhouse (October 8th, 2024)
One of our projects deals with the topic of tribal food sovereignty. This project began with students asking a simple question: “How can we get more involved in growing our own food and have better access to healthier options on campus?” Hearing that, my friend Pe-Qwas Hernandez and I knew there was a need and saw this as an opportunity to create something meaningful for our campus community.

We came up with the idea of building raised garden beds near the dorms so students can easily access fresh foods and learn how to grow them themselves. Through support from the Haskell Greenhouse (funded through the USDA Equity Grant), we started building.

We didn’t just want to help provide food. We wanted to create ongoing and continuous learning spaces. Our hope is that students can learn how to build raised beds, transplant plants, and take part in maintaining the gardens here on campus so they can take that knowledge back to their tribal communities and do the same thing.

Last year was our first year doing this project and it was a learning experience as with many community-based projects, it comes with trial and error. However, that process taught us a lot about what works, what doesn’t, and how to build something more sustainable moving forward. This year, we’re continuing this work with stronger systems, more involvement, and a clearer vision.

Vegetables such as squash, tomatillos, cherry tomatoes, and peppers growing in a raised bed built by the Haskell Greenhouse student researchers Aiyanna T and Pe-Qwas Hernandez. (July 23rd, 2025)
Three sisters grown by Haskell Greenhouse student researcher Aiyanna T. inside the Haskell Greenhouse.
Blue Seneca corn
I also work on cultural garden plots and grow traditional crops like the non-human relatives we call the Three Sisters (corn, beans, and squash). In previous years, I’ve used different tribal varieties such as Blue Seneca corn, Blue Hopi Corn, Cherokee Pole Beans, and even Mvskoke tobacco in these plots. These gardens are deeply personal to me and have taught me so much about various cultural values. They represent not just food, but identity, teachings, and connection to the land. Growing these plants reminds me that food sovereignty is about reclaiming knowledge and honoring the practices of our ancestors.
I couldn’t do this alone, and this work around food sovereignty extends far beyond these gardens. Our team is involved in multiple land stewardship efforts across campus, including the woodlands, prairies, and wetlands. We host community workdays where students and community members come together to restore the land such as removing invasive species and reintroducing native plants like prairie grasses.

Everyone at the Haskell Greenhouse wants to help others learn, value, and view these spaces as places of teaching. I know they have taught me so much about responsibility and our relationship with the environment. Through these projects, we’re helping students reconnect with the land and understand the importance of food sovereignty for Indigenous communities. This work is ongoing, and we’re still learning. Every seed planted, and every workday shared brings us one step closer to a more sustainable and connected future.

Volunteers in the Haskell Wetlands for a Wetlands Restoration Workday hosted by the Haskell Greenhouse. Volunteers helped cut down invasive teasels.  (June 5th, 2025)
Greenhouse student researchers helping with a land survey in the West Prairie of Haskell lands. The survey solidified the need for restoration in the west prairie. (Aug 29th, 2024)
Haskell Greenhouse student researcher Aiyanna T. holding prairie grass species donated by Native Lands Collaborative in front of the greenhouse.
What makes this work powerful is the community behind it. We have a strong group of student researchers and volunteers who show up consistently, not just for Earth Day, but year-round. I am happy that people can be reminded of this day to celebrate our beautiful Mother Earth. She deserves the everyday work of caring for the land, growing food, and supporting each other to do so.

In Caring for Our Kin: Stories of Indigenous Environmental Stewardship, the College Fund shares the stories of Indigenous environmental leaders who are centering kinship and relational knowledge to build healthy ecological systems. These stories remind us that caring for the Earth means caring for one another—and that Indigenous knowledge systems continue to offer guidance, resilience, and hope for the future.

Learn more about our Environmental Stewardship Program.

Click here to view the PDF in full screen.

Ekvnv Vcayecet. Mvto!

(Take care of the Earth/Land. Thank you)

More Blogs

Poetry and How We See the World

Apr 12, 2011 | ,

What we see as “real” or “reality” is actually a reflection of our culture. The New York Times columnist David Brooks writes about the importance of metaphor in speech, specifically in American English, and how it reflects our perceptions of the world.

Why Tribal Colleges Should Receive Separate Funding from the Federal Government

Apr 6, 2011 | ,

Representatives of the American Indian College Fund (the Fund) attended the Department of Education’s (DOE) Listen and Learn session in Denver, Colorado. All federal agencies were charged with developing an action plan and with fulfilling trust responsibilities to Native nations by connecting with tribes, according to Charlie Rose, DOE general counsel.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grants $5,000,000 for Early Childhood Development Program

Apr 4, 2011 |

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced a grant award of $5,000,000 to the American Indian College Fund to establish four early childhood development centers to be located at tribal colleges and universities and serving Native children. The program, titled Wakanyeja “Sacred Little Ones” Early Childhood Development Initiative, will span a five-year period and is intended to improve young Native students’ skill acquisition

United Health Foundation Provides $50,000 Grant to American Indian College Fund

Mar 31, 2011 |

Grant funds scholarships for American Indian college students committed to improving their communities’ health and well-being. For the fourth year in a row, United Health Foundation has granted the American Indian College Fund $50,000 to fund scholarships through the United Health Foundation Tribal Scholars Program.

Fox News Commentator Shows Ignorance About American Indian Issues

Mar 31, 2011 | ,

Fox News contributor John Stossel said last week no group has had more help than American Indians. On a rant on Fox & Friends, he decried the concept of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, wondering why there was no Bureau of Irish Affairs or other group. He then attributes this to the fact that America stole their land and violated many treaties, or is bound by those that it has honored.

The Estée Lauder Companies Establishes a Tribal Scholars Program with Inaugural Gift

Mar 29, 2011 |

The American Indian College Fund is proud to announce the establishment of The Estée Lauder Tribal Scholars Program with an inaugural gift of $11,000 for the 2011-12 academic year. This new program will provide ten $1,000 scholarships to American Indian students studying marketing, business, environmental science or a related field at the tribal colleges in Minnesota. The additional $1,000 will be utilized by the Fund to administer the program.

Don’t Forget to Apply for Your Scholarship!

Mar 21, 2011 | ,

We are continuing to take scholarship applications at aicf.nmcstaging.com for fall semester 2011. Deadline for special scholarships is May 31, 2011. For more details about the numerous scholarships we have available, check out our website.