Focus on agricultural sovereignty

On the weekend edition of the ICT Newscast, a team of journalists reports from the Reservation Economic Summit to see changemakers in action. Land is the focus through Indigenous foods and cannabis farming. And in California, Attorney Dick Trudell reflects on tribal sovereignty and education

Author:
ICT
Publish date:
Apr 14, 2023

TIME named the Sioux Chef, Sean Sherman to its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. His restaurant Owamni is dedicated to decolonizing cuisine. It was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as the best New Restaurant in America in 2022. ICT’s Shirley Sneve has this interview from RES in Las Vegas.

An overarching theme of the Reservation Economic Summit is sovereignty. It’s sponsored by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development, it means business for tribal governments, elected officials and Indigenous entrepreneurs. ICT’s McKenzie Allen-Charmley reports.

Cannabis is a growing industry as legalization continues to expand across the country. Rob Pero” is the CEO of Cann-digenous and the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association ICT’s Paris Wise has this interview from RES.

Dick Trudell has a long career working to improve the lives of Native Americans. In 1973, he founded the first-of-its-kind American Indian Lawyer Training Program. Since then, he has watched the ranks of Native lawyers swell from a mere handful to thousands today. ICT’s Stewart Huntington” sat down with Trudell at his home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Seneca Nation is celebrating a legal win. The tribe challenged an agreement from 1954 that granted the state permission to build part of the New York Thruway on 300 acres of tribal land. The tribe says the land deal for the major highway was illegal and that they were pressured to make the move at the time. A federal appeals court rejected the state’s request, which means the claim should now be heard in court. Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong, Sr. hailed the ruling.
The Cayuga Nation is celebrating a landback victory. The Bureau of Indian Affairs has approved the nation's application for 101 acres of land to be transferred into trust. The application was filed in April 2005, making it the longest pending trust application before the BIA.
This year’s American Indian Higher Education Consortium basketball championship marks its first national tournament since the pandemic. ICT Senior Producer Vincent Moniz was at the event to cover what many are calling the Tribal Final Four.
A new group will soon be inducted to the National Native American Hall of Fame. Mark Trahant is among the new class. He’s a veteran journalist and ICT’s Editor-at-Large. The other hall of famers include Native rights advocate LaNada War Jack, Former Quinault Nation President Joe DeLaCruz, novelist Leslie Marmon Silko, attorney Dick Trudell and actor Will Sampson.

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This photo provided by Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation shows wildfire damage at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 Pasadena, Calif. (Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation via AP)

Cassius Spears says he wants to create 'a sense of going back in time' at Ashawaug Farm, including building a traditional dwelling called a wetu. (Colleen Cronin/ecoRI News)

Members of the Yurok Nation fire department stand in front of a Yurok firefighting vehicle as they prepared to deploy to the Los Angeles area to fight wildfires. (Photo courtesy of Yurok Nation)

Today's newscast was created with work from:
Shirley Sneve, Ponca/Sicangu Lakota, is vice president of broadcasting for the ICT Newscast. Follow her on Twitter @rosebudshirley. She is based in Nebraska and Minnesota.
Aliyah Chavez, Kewa Pueblo, is the anchor of the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @aliyahjchavez.
R. Vincent Moniz, Jr., NuÉta, is the senior producer of the ICT Newscast. Have a great story? Pitch it to vincent@ictnews.org.
McKenzie Allen-Charmley, Dena’ina Athabascan, is a producer of the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @mallencharmley.
Paris Wise, Zia and Laguna Pueblo, is a producer for the ICT Newscast. Instagram and Twitter: @parisiswise. Email: paris@ictnews.org.
Drea Yazzie, Diné, is a producer and editor for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @quindreayazzie. Yazzie is based in Phoenix.
Virginia Rigney, Chickasaw, is a video editor for the ICT Newscast.
Pacey Smith Garcia, Ute, is a production assistant for the ICT newscast. On Twitter: @paceyjournalist.
RipLey-Simone Kennebrew is an intern for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @ripleysimoneken
Daniel Herrera Carbajal is an intern for the ICT Newscast. On Twitter: @daniulherrrera

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