By
Richard Mertens
Correspondent
Luke Kapayou, who grew up on the Meskwaki Settlement in Tama, Iowa, noticed as he got older that fewer people were gardening. So he resolved to keep growing traditional beans and squash, and he began to seek out other varieties both on and off the settlement.
“I don’t know, I think I believe these seeds are sacred,” he says. “It makes me want to keep growing them, and I want to make sure our kids keep growing them.”
Seeds are a key part of a rising “food sovereignty” movement among Native Americans, an effort aimed at increasing local food production and reviving Indigenous practices that involve agriculture and food preparation. But it’s not all about seeds. Native Americans are also raising bison, spearing fish, and picking chokecherries. And there are a growing number of chefs who are promoting Native cuisine, among them Sean Sherman, an Oglala Lakota and recipient of a James Beard Award.