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

Leech Lake Tribal College Named Best Community College in America

Leech Lake Tribal College Named Best Community College in America

Aug 28, 2017 | , ,

When WalletHub announced its rankings of the best community colleges across the nation, many Americans may have been unfamiliar with its first-place choice, Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC). Tucked away in northern Minnesota on the Leech Lake Ojibwe Indian reservation, LLTC’s recent ranking is part of a long history of success. The college was also voted as seventh in a list of the nation’s 50 best community colleges in 2010 by Washington Monthly.

In Memoriam: Dr. Lynette Chandler

In Memoriam: Dr. Lynette Chandler

Aug 18, 2017 | ,

The American Indian College Fund is saddened to share that Dr. Lynnette Chandler, a 2009-10 Mellon Faculty Fellowship recipient and both the founder and the director of the White Clay Language School at Aaniiih Nakoda College, passed away on August 13th.

In Memoriam: Nate St. Pierre, TCU President and College Fund Trustee, August 13, 2017

In Memoriam: Nate St. Pierre, TCU President and College Fund Trustee, August 13, 2017

Aug 14, 2017 | , ,

The American Indian College Fund is saddened to share that Dr. Nathaniel “Nate” St. Pierre, College Fund Trustee and President of Stone Child College, passed away on Sunday, August 13, 2017. We extend our condolences to his family, friends, colleagues and students. Nate served the College Fund Board from July 1, 2016 to present. His leadership and dedication to the mission of the College Fund and the important role the tribal colleges filled in their communities will be missed.

A Video Message for Mark Zuckerberg

A Video Message for Mark Zuckerberg

Jul 28, 2017 | ,

Greetings to our friends and supporters. This week I shared a video message on social media for Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla in the wake of their visit to the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. In his Facebook post it was clear that the social and economic issues they saw made a powerful impression on them.

SIPI Parents Lead the Way

SIPI Parents Lead the Way

Jul 18, 2017 | , , ,

SIPI has worked hard to make sure its Restorative Teachings Initiative is grounded in community needs and parent voices. Parents were empowered through the initiative to ensure that the program is culturally responsive and meets their children’s needs. They have led the way in defining priority areas for  learning since the American Indian College Fund’s Restorative Teachings Initiative was awarded to SIPI in 2016.