The First Annual Food Sovereignty Symposium

Building Bridges to Amplify Native Food Systems

Tahoma Peak Solutions partnered with Feed Seven Generations to host the first annual Food Sovereignty Symposium, addressing the widely recognized need to empower Native-led food projects in Washington State and beyond. Tahoma Peak Solutions and Feed Seven Generations collaborated to facilitate an engaging agenda designed to spark meaningful dialogue and enhance participants’ knowledge about revitalizing Native food economies, meat processing initiatives, and other critical aspects of Indigenous food sovereignty.

The virtual symposium united over 100 experts to foster collaboration and share motivational insights from similar food sovereignty initiatives nationwide. Representatives from 29 individual Tribes, 15 government or Tribal agencies, and several garden and agriculture producers covered various Native-led projects and learned about state programs from the USDA and NRCS. The symposium drove valuable discussions, with three underlying themes emerging from its diverse breakout sessions:

Keeping the Culture in Agriculture:
Echoing the first annual Food Sovereignty Symposium’s official theme, integrating cultural values into agricultural practices was regularly emphasized as participants discussed and reflected on traditional, restorative, and sustainable agriculture methods that honor Tribal heritage. Keynote speaker A-dae Romero-Briones (Cochiti/Kiowa) from the First Nations Development Institute covered the unique aspects of Indigenous food systems and highlighted the importance of centralizing Native values and skillsets in agriculture.

Food Equity & Accessibility:
Access to nutritious, culturally significant foods was another hot topic among participants, and various presenters shared inspiring stories about Indigenous food systems that promote food equity. The Suquamish Tribe's fish market initiative—which offers elders a monthly allowance for purchasing fresh seafood—was discussed as a strong example of honoring the Tribal responsibility to support and uplift through food sovereignty efforts.

Strengthening Tribal Food Economies:
Developing robust Tribal food economies by identifying, connecting, and mapping Indigenous food producers was shared as a priority across the symposium’s virtual breakout rooms. Spring Alaska from Sakari Farms presented her inter-Tribal agriculture producer guide, which aims to foster inter-Tribal connections and support both consumers and producers. Experts agreed that these initiatives are pivotal for establishing food hubs, cooperatives, and a more resilient Indigenous food economy.

The first annual Food Sovereignty Symposium was a significant milestone towards revitalizing Native food systems and fostering collaboration among Indigenous peoples in Washington State and beyond. Since its launch in 2022, Tahoma Peak Solutions has been proud to continue collaborating with Feed Seven Generations on the annual Food Sovereignty Symposium and these transformative efforts to amplify food sovereignty within Indian Country.