Nagi Ichaga Owozu/Growing the Spirit Garden

Bringing the spirit of food sovereignty to the Nation.

1)In the last 500 years indigenous diets have drastically diminished. By providing healthier food options we can reduce the high rate of diabetes and heart disease and obesity. As well as reintroducing our indigenous spiritual connection with the land, plants and elements that nourish our soul.

2)To create a place where we can teach the community about food sovereignty by planting, harvesting, canning and drying and preparing our produce. Integrating new technology with old traditional concepts. Using solar panels for the kitchen, a tiller for the garden, a smoke/drying structure for produce and meat. We are hoping to create a mobile vendor vehicle to provide fresh, affordable, nutritious food to the Oceti Sakowin communities.

3)By being self sustainable we will reconnect with our spirit, encourage and contribute to healthier eating, welcome the Elders from our community to share their stories of survival to the youth and provide a place where they can be free from the toxic environment they have become accustomed to. 

4)Not having the ability to fully live off the grid due to limited resources. Not having electricity hinders us from having a functional kitchen. We have a fly infestation due to the overpopulation of cattle, so that we need an enclosed structure to dry our produce and meat. The harsh Dakota winds and hail storms destroy our greenhouses. We aim to build an underground geothermal greenhouse. Distribution and bringing in community members is limited due to the lack of transportation.

We want to use traditional methods while also implementing new technology. We would use a tiller to turn the soil for our garden which 75% is grown from seed. We currently use a drip irrigation system and will build a kitchen and use solar panels to power it. Wooden structures would be built to dry produce and smoke meat. Utilizing a backhoe to create an underground geothermal greenhouse and a root cellar made from old deep freezers or refrigerators. A laptop, garden planner app, a camera and go pro would help us plan and document our gardens growth.

Utilizing solar panels apposed to a generator to power our project will save money and eliminate carbon dioxide emissions, CO2 alone is responsible for about three-fourths of global warming. A geothermal greenhouse will not only be more durable in the Dakota winds but also involves no combustion, and most geothermal plants being developed will produce nearly zero air emissions. So using geothermal helps to offset energy-related carbon dioxide, which accounted for 82% of greenhouse gas emissions.

Through planting, harvesting, canning, drying and smoking our own products. And by eliminating the broker and distributor that raises the cost of merchandise in local markets. The community currently has to travel 9 miles to the closest mini mart, 20 miles to the closest grocery store and 74 miles to the nearest Walmart one way. Creating a distribution vehicle to deliver our merchandise will eliminate gas costs and time.

Lower Brule has a population of approximately 1,500 with about 500 who have directly benefited. We have handed out over 100 bags of produce not including the many people who have come to harvest their own veggies. We also leave a big bowl of produce at the local trading post. And have provided produce for local gatherings.

Our future project goals are to help our people refrain from using processed food by creating a garden within the Tribal School District and the Elders housing community. We will host monthly gatherings with guest speakers and indigenous cooks from the local and surrounding communities. Addressing different subjects such as harvesting and preparing traditional medicines and cooking classes using our fresh produce. Also packaging and providing online sales. We would reach out to other communities to create the same opportunity for them.

• The beautiful smiles on the Elders faces when they receive their bag of produce.
• Enjoying the conversations and laughter with the people who come out to volunteer.
• Sitting with the Elders speaking about indigenous concepts and renewing old teachings to practice our oral traditions drinking freshly brewed coffee made on the fire pit next to the garden.
• The community members get excited about the next planting season.

We were fortunate to attend the MIT Solve conference in Standing Rock. My husband and I have had our garden in Lower Brule since the Spring of 2017. We haven't been able to make the impact in the community like I would hope due to limited resources. With the help of Solve we would be able to acquire the materials needed to upgrade our garden to be echo friendly, fully facilitate workshops, vend our products, as well as transporting people to and from our garden space. We would share our knowledge with other communities.

Dakota Rural Action contributes seeds, seedlings, mason jars and lids, cooking utensils, some garden tools.

Red Cloud Renewable Energy-Solar

NATIF- Indigenous Cooking work shops

Oyate Teca-Food Sovereignty

Seeding Sovereignty-Food Sovereignty

Heart of the Rose Foundation-501c

Dasher Farms-Bees

Oglala Sioux Tribe Partnership for housing- Structures

REDCO Food Sovereignty Initiative-Food Sovereignty