Sustainable Green Corn Ceremony Restoration Program at a Land Grant Institution (SGCRP)

Commodities

Practices

Sustainable Green Corn Ceremony Restoration Program at a Land Grant Institution (SGCRP) explores regenerative agriculture through the revitalization of the Green Corn Ceremony in collaboration with Yésah (Eastern Siouan Speakers) communities, with a focus on cultivating traditional crops haspahínuk ma:ta: xe yesa, (Tutelo Strawberry Corn, zea mays) and haspahínuk (wild strawberry, fragaria virginiana) as translated in Yesa:sahį. Centered on the Southeastern Woodlands cultures, the researchers investigate how cultural connectedness influences engagement in sustainable agricultural practices. Drawing from historical and cultural texts, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), the Tutelo Harvest Rites: A Musical and Choreographic Analysis (Kurath, 1953), and consultation with Yésah Knowledge Keepers (Queen's University, n.d.), the project aims to archive and sustain ancestral agricultural systems. The Indigenous Community Garden at Virginia Tech (ICG) is a living site for this work, demonstrating how a land-grant institution can support Indigenous food sovereignty and community ceremony guided by Indigenous seasonal calendars. The project seeks to establish a model that informs curriculum development and institutional practice, fostering deeper respect and integration for TEK within Western academia. Ultimately, this project leadership aims to co-develop a program and resources that further strengthen the Yésah community as a vibrant part of Southeastern cultural traditions rooted in sustainable agriculture and traditional food systems. This project supports SARE's mission by promoting sustainable agricultural practices that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially responsible, rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems.

Building upon the critical challenges faced by Tribal communities, including systemic barriers to food sovereignty, cultural revitalization, and community well-being resulting from historical trauma and cultural erasure, the project's objectives are essential for implementing a truly comprehensive and holistic approach. These objectives are designed to address the limitations of conventional agricultural practices that often lack the cultural context necessary for cultivation to hold deeper meaning within Tribal communities.

Objective 1 - Culturally Relevant Program Design: to develop a culturally integrated, sustainable agriculture program framework grounded in the Peoplehood Model.

Objective 2 - Seasonal Calendar: Establish a seasonal crop calendar grounded in the association of the haspahínuk ma:ta:xe yesa (Tutelo Strawberry Corn) alongside other crops referred to in the traditional Tutelo Harvest Rites songs of the Southeastern Woodland communities.

Objective 3 - Green Corn Ceremony Gathering: Facilitate a community gathering at the Indigenous Community Garden at Virginia Tech (ICG), an on-campus Indigenous Community Garden at a 1860 land-grant institution located in the Southwest region of Virginia, centered on the Green Corn Ceremony, grounded in the culturally based Tribal Extension program design for the Southeastern Woodland communities.

Objective 4 - Evaluation of Programming: Development recommendations for future extension programming to support Southeastern Woodland agriculture famed by the Peoplehood Model.

These objectives are strategically designed to support the cultural restoration, ecological sustainability, and intergenerational continuity of Indigenous agricultural traditions. By grounding each component in traditional ecological knowledge and the Peoplehood Model, the project moves beyond conventional frameworks to offer a holistic, culturally responsive approach. Through the intentional integration of ceremony, language, history, and land, the initiative not only revitalizes ancestral practices but also strengthens Tribal food systems and community well-being. Anchored by a land-grant university's commitment to equity and collaboration, this project represents a meaningful step toward restoring one sustainable agricultural tradition specific to Southeastern Woodland communities.