INDIGENOUS FOODWAYS: FOOD AND SEED SOVEREIGNTY
Indigenous foods of North America are a vital component of modern agricultural and food systems. Indigenous foods and foodways will be examined from interdisciplinary historical, legal, biological, and social perspectives. Historic indigenous foodways of the present-day upper Midwestern United States and the impact on food and seed sovereignty of settler colonialism and subsequent agricultural practices and policies will be explored. Current efforts to re-claim agricultural traditions and foodways to improve public health, economic opportunity, and food and seed sovereignty will be covered, including the right to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, to define one's own food and agriculture systems, and to control the mechanisms and policies that govern food distribution. Hands-on activities are featured; previous examples include cooking with indigenous foods, ice fishing, and tapping maple trees for syrup.
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: Sophomore standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Social & Behavioral Science Breadth - Social Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the history, culture, and perspectives of Native American Nations in the Upper Midwest in relation to food and seed sovereignty Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Explain the legal frameworks facing indigenous communities and how they interact with federal and state policies to influence food sovereignty Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Research, analyze, discuss and present on the history and use of a particular plant or animal; demonstrate knowledge of scientific concepts surrounding this plant or animal Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Identify and analyze approaches that might be used to improve food and seed sovereignty Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of growing and producing indigenous crops and identify potential tradeoffs and interrelationships among these dimensions at a level appropriate to the course Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Analyze the causes of and solutions for the sustainability challenge of improving food sovereignty in tribal communities in the US Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Develop a capstone project based on course materials Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Demonstrate an understanding of the history, culture, and perspectives of Native American Nations in the Upper Midwest in relation to food and seed sovereignty Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Explain the legal frameworks facing indigenous communities and how they interact with federal and state policies to influence food sovereignty Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Research, analyze, discuss and present on the history and use of a particular plant or animal; demonstrate knowledge of scientific concepts surrounding this plant or animal Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Identify and analyze approaches that might be used to improve food and seed sovereignty Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Describe the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of growing and producing indigenous crops and identify potential tradeoffs and interrelationships among these dimensions at a level appropriate to the course Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 6. Analyze the causes of and solutions for the sustainability challenge of improving food sovereignty in tribal communities in the US Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 7. Develop a capstone project based on course materials Audience: Graduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027