First Nations Development Institute

This week, First Nations brought together community partners and food systems leaders from across the country for the 2024 Food Sovereignty Summit in Suquamish, Washington. Held in partnership with Tahoma Peak Solutions, the three-day event featured presentations, film screenings, experiential sessions, and networking events, all centered on Native approaches to sustaining our food systems, caring for our land, and strengthening Tribal Sovereignty and partnerships between Native nations. #FNDIFoodSummit Like salmon, we know that when we are swimming upstream, we are getting closer to returning. We acknowledge that there are challenges, a steady gauntlet of obstacles and colonial policies that have threatened to drown our approaches, systems, and traditional ways. Yet at the same time, there is a natural return to everything we know to be true. We are swimming upstream because we celebrate our origins, and we go back to them knowing that it is where our future belongs. A very special thank you to everyone who attended, Tahoma Peak Solutions, and the Suquamish Nation for their generous hospitality!

Our two other #FNDIFoodSummit sessions this morning covered buffalo restoration and traditional land management. In "Buffalo Re-Matriation: A Native Centered Approach to Buffalo Restoration," Lucielle Contreras (Texas Tribal Buffalo Project) and Ervin Carlson (Blackfeet Buffalo Program/Intertribal Buffalo Council) shared Native-led buffalo restoration strategies, and how traditional knowledge and community health are being restored alongside the buffalo. Then, in "Applying Traditional Land Management Practices and Knowledge," Annalise Guthrie (PhD Candidate, University of Kansas) and Sam Barr (Coast Salish Youth Coalition) discussed how modern alterations in land management practices have altered the biogeochemical relationships of the climate and soil, and what actions are being implemented to maintain the land's ecological integrity.

This morning, we're kicking off day two of our 2024 Food Sovereignty Summit with the panel, "Addressing Systemic Bias in Philanthropy: The Importance of Funding Native Communities." As we know, Tribes and Native-led organizations have historically received an underwhelming amount of support and funding which has only been on the decline over decades. That's why we're engaging a panel of foundations to have a conversation on the importance in funding Native-led and grassroot community organizations or Tribes. #FNDIFoodSummit

After spending the day strengthening our food systems and sharing knowledge, #FNDIFoodSummit attendees will enjoy an evening at the Suquamish Canoe Family’s Culture Night, hosted at Kiana Lodge. We're having a great time experiencing Suquamish culture and sharing a special meal! The night will also feature three concurrent film screenings: 🎥 “Bring Them Home/Aiskótáhkapiyaaya” chronicles a decades-long initiative by members of the Blackfoot Confederacy to bring the buffalo, known as iinnii, back to the Blackfeet Reservation and rewild them. 🎥 “Covenant of the Salmon People” is an award-winning documentary portrait of the Nez Perce Tribe (Nimiipuu), currently in north-central Idaho, who continue to adhere to their sacred relationship and obligations to the Chinook Salmon. 🎥 The film, “Usugilix Awakun: We Are Working Together,” focuses on the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska and Unangax̂ scientist, Shayla Shaishnikoff. Check back tomorrow for more updates as we dive into day two of our 2024 Food Sovereignty Summit!

Today's conference luncheon featured a panel centered around the Boldt Decision and recognizing tribal treaty rights. Moderator Valerie Segrest and panelists Louie Ungaro, Jay Julius, and Theresa Sheldon discussed the pressures that led to the landmark decision, the significant impact it had on tribal management of fisheries resources in the state and current issues facing tribal fisheries. #FNDIFoodSummit This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision which reaffirmed tribal treaty rights to fish in their usual and accustomed places. Learn more: https://bit.ly/406tz8I

While we learn and connect at the #FNDIFoodSummit, we thank the Suquamish people, known as the People of the Clear Salt Water, who have lived along these shores for millennia. As we walk these lands, we stand on the ancestral territory of Chief Seattle and the Suquamish people, where their traditions, culture, and ways of life continue to thrive. As we celebrate the relationships between our communities and the lands and waters that provide for us all, our time in Suquamish territory enriches and inspires us.

Good morning from our 2024 Food Sovereignty Summit in Suquamish, Washington! This week, we're sharing and collaborating to build healthy food systems within Native American communities. Since 2013, the Food Sovereignty Summit has brought together hundreds of attendees, all coming from tribal communities across the country and all actively working to sustain our food systems, care for our land, and strengthen Tribal Sovereignty and partnerships between Native nations. Follow along this week as we share the highlights and showcase how Native communities are ensuring the vitality and sustainability of fresh, local, and traditional foods. Thank you to our event partner, Tacoma Peaks Solutions, and to the Suquamish Nation for their generous hospitality. #FNDIFoodSummit

At First Nations, every day is an opportunity to celebrate Native lifeways and the cultures and traditions that are with us always. Join us in recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Learn more about the Native origins of lands, attend an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration, or take a moment to reflect on the role Indigenous people play in our lives and throughout the world. Looking for somewhere to start? Check out our reading list: https://bit.ly/3YiHyqB To honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day, our offices are closed today, Monday, October 14.

The sixth cohort of First Nations’ Native Fundraisers Community of Practice met for the fourth time last month at Hotel Chaco in Albuquerque, New Mexico! ➡️ The community of Native nonprofit leaders has participated in various presentations and workshops over the last five months, all focused on building capacity through fundraising, storytelling, grant and proposal writing, and creating a lasting community and network within the group. ➡️ With this final meeting of the sixth cohort, over 100 Native professionals now have completed these trainings, adding to the skills and talent in Indian Country and the advancement of Native-led nonprofits. Read more about the Native Fundraisers Community of Practice: https://bit.ly/3ZODRqr

🟠 The Board of Directors of First Nations is proud to present our 2023 Annual Report! 🟠 In the report, themed “Protecting, Preserving, Prevailing,” we share stories of our valued community partners and all that they’re accomplishing to uphold and sustain traditional knowledge for a vibrant and visible future. The report features images from First Nations’ artist friend Danielle SeeWalker, and highlights accomplishments of the year, project descriptions of our hundreds of grantees, plus letters from our board chair and president. Access the report and our special online supplements: https://bit.ly/4dEI2vW