Indigenous food systems of the Midwest: interview with Dr. Susan Sleeper-Smith

Farm to Taber

When sustainability advocates talk about Indigenous agriculture, it's often framed as folksy, timeless, hyperlocal, and incompatible with the modern world. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Historian Susan Sleeper-Smith joins us to talk about the reality of how the Miami, Shawnee, Haudenosaunee, and other Indigenous communities in North America's most fertile farmland actually farmed. They grew enough food to export and support continent-wide trade networks, before and after colonists arrived. Farming prowess also let tribal communities hold their own against colonial expansion for centuries. Indigenous land management deserves respect, not just for ecological reasons, but as a powerhouse for people- making good use of human labor and building strong communities wherever it's allowed to flourish.

Transcript

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