Native Food as Resilience: Establishing the Indigenous Research Pipeline for Acorns
Organization: California Indian Museum and Cultural Center
Mission: The purpose of the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center (CIMCC) is to educate the public about the history, cultures and contemporary life of California Indians and to honor their contributions to civilization.
Location: Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California.
Communities that will directly benefit from the project: Tribal communities in California, including 24 Pomo and Miwok tribes with ancestral territories in CIMCC’s local service area (Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino counties) in Northern California.
Country: United States
Other Organizations Involved: The Cultural Conservancy and Manzanita Bionatives.
@ California Indian Museum and Cultural Center
Background
This project is being initiated in response to the cultural-continuity and public-health crises faced by the California Native American community due to decreased access to acorns, a significant component of traditional diets. Colonization and lack of land and treaty rights have significantly hindered the Native community’s ability to acquire this crucial superfood, exacerbating physical and mental health conditions and endangering traditional food systems and practices. Additionally, the devaluation of acorns and the subsequent loss of California oak woodlands to other uses not only jeopardizes the holistic health of Native communities but also undermines the vital ecological functions performed by these ecosystems. In a broader perspective, by re-establishing the importance of the acorn and its contribution to both human health and ecological balance, this project aims to reverse the negative impacts of colonization and climate change on California’s oak woodlands.
Goals
Our goal is to amplify Native wisdom and practice pertaining to acorns, solidifying claims about their health and environmental benefits for all, via science-based justifications.
Main activities
Our activities include pinpointing deficiencies in current acorn research; sourcing and assessing over 20 historical Native accounts of the acorn’s comprehensive benefits; and curating at least 10 oral narratives from Native Elders. We will identify and present narratives on a minimum of five research topics about acorns’ holistic benefits. We aim to include more than 25 Native individuals in feedback discussions and secure insights from five or more Native scholars into steps to integrate the research into schools. Moreover, we will locate ten or more food, health and environmental programs in California colleges and universities, to advance research possibilities for Native students; make a minimum of five presentations to local schools; and disseminate findings to over 30 local tribes and other pertinent organizations.
Expected outcomes
The project will primarily benefit Pomo and Miwok youth, aged 15–24, and California tribal communities. It will enable the youth to enhance their grasp of acorn knowledge through first-hand learning from Elders and historical Native resources. By sharing their wisdom intergenerationally, Elders and other culture bearers can instill maintenance of traditional ecological knowledge in future generations, ensuring cultural continuity. The resources generated will provide a starting point for research projects underpinned by Native perspectives, benefitting Native post-secondary students and heightening the visibility and significance of acorns and their oak woodland habitats both for Native health and for climate mitigation.