Location: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory
Project Number: 3064-21600-001-013-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 26, 2022
End Date: Sep 30, 2024
Objective:
To conduct feasibility research related to supporting indigenous seed sovereignty at Nueta, Hidatsa, and Sahnish College to increase the varieties and quantities of seeds available to tribal members.
Approach:
The cooperator will co-develop methods with ARS to support indigenous seed sovereignty through traditional ecological knowledge. ARS will provide greenhouse and field facilities for seed multiplication. Co-developed methods will focus on (i) Increasing health of seeds within NHSC’s traditional seed cache and contemporary seed library including but not limited to seed multiplication, germination rate, and seed viability. (ii) Research on the feasibility of indigenous seed sovereignty including but not limited to rematriation of seed intellectual property back to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribal nations. Both the cooperator and ARS will emphasize education on the part of both parties and include local Tribal College students in the process. Deliverables from this agreement will include a knowledge sharing on developing collaborations between ARS and 1994 Tribal Colleges and Universities and a feasibility study for future research on indigenous seed sovereignty. The following conditions will be respected:1. Seeds, cultural protocols, and traditional ecological knowledge associated with propagation and management to remain property of NHSC. 2. Material to be grown organically. 3. Propagation and management of material to be co-developed and approved with consultation with NHSC. 4. Material to be properly identified and catalogued in accordance with NHSC consultation. 5. Cultural protocols related to propagation, land preparation, crop management, harvesting, and seed saving to be carried out and followed in accordance with consultation with NHSC. 6. Nutritional assessments of materials will be conducted and shared with NHSC. 7. Opportunities for education to be prioritized for both parties. 8. Effective and respectful communication and data sovereignty methods to be followed. 9. Funding will be acknowledged and both parties will track their expenses.
