Partners support youth ag education, part 2

The Native American Agriculture Fund, the Tribal Agricultural Fellowship and the National FFA Organization are coming together to help Native American ag students. The groups during the 96th National FFA Organization Convention and Expo in Indianapolis signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a partnership.

“A lot of what I do is communicating with other farm organizations and industry groups,” said Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, CEO of the fund. “I talk about the unique relationship we have with the land – how we cared for it, how we hope to continue to care for it. (I also note) that many of our large land-based Tribes lease out agricultural rights to water or the land itself. Those leases are predominantly operated by non-Native people. When a representative is trying to go against the Tribe, maybe they have a divisive relationship in the middle of a gaming compact or a tobacco agreement or a water settlement. That can cause animosity between a state (government) and a Tribe. But when they go against the rights of a Tribe they are going against their own neighbor. They are using the land and the water.”

Nicole DeVon, the executive director of the Tribal Agricultural Fellowship, said, “When we say good neighbor, sometimes it is literal and sometimes it is bigger. Being a neighbor isn’t just about us; it is about everybody. What’s good for Native folks is good for everybody.”

Stranger-McLaughlin said, “We are losing consolidated farmland every minute of every day. Soon the largest consolidated farms in the United States will be on reservations. In many regions we have a protected buffer zone we so we are also prime for organic or specialty crops because of that buffer zone.

“Indian Country is different in Oklahoma or Alaska compared to California or the Great Plains. But predominantly the large-scale consolidated production of the future will occur on reservations. The largest in the country now is Navaho Cultural Enterprises. It is owned and operated by the Navaho Nation. We continue to look at solutions that not only benefit Tribal members, but that benefit our neighbors who are using the resources and are being good neighbors.