Honor The Earth Pipeline Protest

The Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute is situated at the headwaters of the Mississippi River in northwestern Minnesota, the homeland and cultural corridor of the Anishinaabe people. Founded by legendary Native American leader and former Vice-Presidential candidate Winona LaDuke, their work centers on restoring biodiversity, reviving Indigenous foodways, and the rematriacian of seeds and heritage crops. 

Across their six different farm sites, the Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute’s horse-powered operations cultivate roughly 40 acres of hemp, heritage produce, wild rice, maple syrup, and foraged food and medicine. They create products like hemp-based pestos, teas, and skincare, and are working on upcoming production of goat cheese, hides, textiles, smoked fish, and roasted coffee. Apprentices this summer will have the opportunity to hop between the Institute's many enterprises, and ground their learning in a praxis of food sovereignty, liberation, and climate resilience. 

Winona LaDuke is also the Executive Director and co-founder of Honor the Earth, whose mission is to create awareness and support for Native environmental issues and to develop needed financial and political resources for the survival of sustainable Native communities. She is a leader in the movement against fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy, and in protecting Indigenous plants and heritage foods from patenting and genetic engineering. 

From the Honor the Earth website: "In Anishinaabe prophecies, this is called the time of the Seventh Fire. This is a time when our people will have two roads ahead of us - one miikina, or path, which is well-worn - but scorched - and another path which is green. It will be our choice upon which path to embark.  That is where we are."