Cultural Survival

Q U A R T E R L Y

Indigenomics
Harnessing the Power of Our Communities

Vol. 44, Issue 4 • DEC 2020

US $4.99/CAN $6.99
 An adult bald eagle on a kelp reef in Kelp Bay,
Baranof Island, Southeast Alaska. Kelp farming
is the basis of a resilient, regenerative, and
restorative economic model in Indigenous
communities in Alaska (see page 22).
Photo by Michael S. Nolan.

d ec e m b er 20 20
Vo lum e 44 , Issue 4
All over the
Board of Directors world, Indigenous
communities
president are returning to
Kaimana Barcarse (Kanaka Hawai’i) traditional food
Vice President production.
John King
Treasurer Photo courtesy of Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.
Steven Heim
Clerk
Nicole Friederichs
Valine Brown (Haida)
Duane Champagne
(Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa)
Evelyn Arce Erickson (Muisca)
Carla Fredericks F e at u r e s D e pa r t m e n t s
(Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara)
Laura Graham
Stephen Marks 12 Indigenomics 1 Executive Director’s
Tui Shortland (Ma–ori) Paul Lacerte and Carol Anne Hilton Message
Jannie Staffansson (Saami)
Raven Indigenous Capital Partners and
Stella Tamang (Tamang)
the Indigenomics Institute are reshaping 2 In the News
FOUNDERS economics and doing so from an
David & Pia Maybury-Lewis Indigenous lens. 4 Indigenous Arts
Grounded in Tradition,
Cultural Survival Headquarters 16 For the Indigenous Economy, Guided by Ancestors
2067 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02140
the Forest Is Life
6 Rights in Action
t 617.441.5400 f 617.441.5417 Philip Kujur
A Lenca Voice of Resistance
www.cs.org In India, the forest is the basis
for Indigenous economies.
Cultural Survival Quarterly
8 Women the World
Copy Editor: Jenn Goodman
Designer: NonprofitDesign.com 18 Power to the People Must Hear
Contributing Arts Editor: Phoebe Farris Shaldon Ferris Chenae Bullock
Managing Editor: Agnes Portalewska San entrepreneur Craig Beckett is making
stoves to deal with energy insecurity in 10 Indigenous Knowledge
Copyright 2020 by Cultural Survival, Inc. South Africa. Rematriating the Distribution
of Wealth
Cultural Survival Quarterly (ISSN 0740-3291)
is published quarterly by Cultural Survival, Inc. at
PO Box 381569, Cambridge, MA 02238. Periodical 20 Investing in Indigenous Power
postage paid at Boston, MA 02205 and additional
to Build Regenerative Futures 26 Keepers of the
mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes
to Cultural Survival, PO Box 381569, Cambridge, Earth Fund Grant
MA 02238. Printed on recycled paper in the U.S.A. PennElys Droz and Nikki Pieratos
Please note that the views in this magazine are Partner Spotlight
NDN Collective is providing financing
those of the authors and do not necessarily Cxhab Wala Kiwe
represent the views of Cultural Survival. for Indigenous regenerative projects.

Writers’ Guidelines 28 STAFF Spotlight

View writers’ guidelines at our website
(www.cs.org) or send a self-addressed, stamped
envelope to: Cultural Survival, Writer’s Guidelines,
PO Box 381569, Cambridge, MA 02238.
Cultural Survival recognizes that Indigenous
Peoples have long been exploited by photographers
and publications. This publication does not pay
photographers for images and makes no money
from publishing them. We also make a tremendous
effort to identify every Indigenous individual in
the images that appear here. From time to time,
however, such identification is not possible. We
apologize to the subjects of those photos and
to any reader offended by the omission.
ii • www. cs. org
22 Healing Our Waters, Healing Daisee Francour
Ourselves Through a Sustainable
Economy 29 Bazaar Artist
Dune Lankard Berber Art Market
In Alaska, for millennia, harvesting
kelp has proven to be a sustainable and
regenerative economic source.
24 Building a Business Rooted
in Indigenous Values
Dawn Sherman, CEO of Native American
Natural Foods, discusses how Tanka Bar Cover photo: Indigenous people and allies
stand in prayer on Highway 1806 on the border-
became one of the most recognized
lands of the Standing Rock Reservation in North
Native brands. Dakota during the historic resistance against
the Dakota Access Pipeline. October 2016.
Photo by Josue Rivas (Mexica/Otomi).
E xecut iv e Di rector’ S messa ge

Harnessing the Power of Our Communities Donors like you make our work around
the world possible. Thanks so much
for being part of Cultural Survival.
Dear Cultural Survival Community,

I
Cultural Survival Staff
t is my great pleasure to present this
Galina Angarova (Buryat), Executive Director
issue of the Cultural Survival Quarterly
Mark Camp, Deputy Executive Director
on Indigenomics, otherwise known as
Daisee Francour (Oneida), Director of Strategic
Indigenous Economics. Our Indigenous Partnerships and Communications
communities are powerhouses of knowl- Yesmi Ajanel (Maya K’ich’e), Program Assistant
edge, abundance, resilience, and resources. Avexnim Cojtí (Maya K’iche’), Community
It is our time to harness that power and Media Program Manager
shift the narrative of taking, exploitation, Jessie Cherofsky, Advocacy Program Researcher
and degradation to a narrative and practice Danielle DeLuca, Advocacy & Development
of caring, regeneration, and giving back Manager
to communities and Mother Earth. Shaldon Ferris (Khoisan), Indigenous Radio
Program Coordinator
My first understanding of Indigenomics
Sofia Flynn, Accounting & Office Manager
started early on in my life growing up in between these two systems; gifts come from
Nati Garcia (Maya Mam), Indigenous Community
Nagalyk, a rural community with my a place of abundance and intention, whereas Media Youth Fellowship Coordinator
grandmother, Ekaterina (her traditional the concept of scarcity is inherent and Adriana Hernández (Maya K'iche'),
name was Dulma). I think about her often embedded in a money economy. Executive Assistant
lately, as she was the one, who through our My question to you, reader, is how do Dev Kumar Sunuwar (Kumar/Sunuwar),
ancestral stories, weaved the foundation Program Associate, Community Media
we apply the practice of abundance to the Grants Project
of my values and belief systems. My grand- current monetary economy that we are Danae Laura, Bazaar Program Manager
mother’s village is located about 60 kilo- forced to live in? Can we adapt or innovate Maria del Rosario “Rosy” Sul González
meters from the beautiful Lake Baikal in to make this system work for everyone so (Kaqchikel), Indigenous Radio Program
Siberia, and since time immemorial, our that no one is left behind? In this issue, Coordinator
communities lived off the land hunting we share the stories of Indigenous entre- Bia’ni Madsa’ Juárez, (Mixe/Ayuuk ja’ay &
Zapotec/Binnizá), Keepers of the Earth Fund
and gathering, bartering fish and meat, preneurs and leaders who are making an Project Manager
and preserving food for winter seasons. immense difference in uplifting their com- Jamie Malcolm-Brown, Communications &
Even during the Soviet times, more than munities on their own terms, and according Information Technology Manager
95 percent of the food on our tables came to Indigenous values and principles, from Teresita Orozco Mendoza, Community Media
from the forest and fields where we cultivated a place of abundance. Training Coordinator
potatoes, carrots, beets and more. I remem- At Cultural Survival, we are committed Cat Monzón (Maya K’iche’), Executive Assistant
ber when my grandmother had an excess to investing in Indigenous-led solutions and Cesar Gomez Moscut (Pocomam),
Community Media Program Coordinator
of milk and sour cream, she would share it to an equitable redistribution of resources to
Edson Krenak Naknanuk (Krenak), Lead on Brazil
with other families, while other grandmothers Indigenous communities. This is reflected in
Gabael Otzoy Xocop (Maya Kaqchikel),
in the villages would share wild strawberries our grantmaking and support to Indigenous Information Technology Assistant
or meat with us. At any given moment, grassroots organizations. Our Bazaar program Diana Pastor (Maya K’iche’), Central America
every family had enough of everything also supports Indigenous arts and visual Media Coordinator
and no one went hungry. We lived in a gift traditions as viable sources of income. Join Agnes Portalewska, Communications Manager
economy, where reciprocity and exchange us in investing in Indigenous-led solutions Angelica Rao, Human Resources Coordinator
illustrated how we engaged with one an- and supporting this necessary shift, because Sócrates Vásquez García (Ayuuk),
other and our surroundings. When my Community Media Grants Coordinator
respecting, protecting and fulfilling Indig-
mother’s generation started moving out of Miranda Vitello, Development Associate
enous rights protects us all.
our village to pursue education and careers,
INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS
money started flowing into the community In Solidarity and Gratitude,
and it changed the dynamics and relation- Erica Belfi, Eileen Calub, Jonathan Gomez-
Pereira, Kiara Hernandez, Jacklyn Janeksela,
ships among families. We witnessed the Dejah Morales, Laura Navitsky, Ariel Iannone
gift economy being replaced by the money Galina Angarova (Buryat) Román, Mariana Sanborn, Tristan Suarez,
economy. Today, there is a disconnect Executive Director Milagro Ventura

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Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 1

 i n t he new s
Brazil: Supreme Court
Rules for Indigenous Rights
August
Indigenous organization Articulação
dos Povos Indígenas do Brasil (APIB)
has won a federal lawsuit against the
Brazilian State, claiming that the gov-
ernment’s failures put Indigenous com-
munities at increased risk during the
COVID-19 pandemic. The victory marks
the first time that Indigenous Peoples
of Brazil have successfully sued the
State on their own.
Japan: Lawsuit Seeks
Confirmation of Indigenous
Rights by Central and
Hokkaido Governments
August
A lawsuit filed by Ainu Peoples in
Urahoro asks the government to
acknowledge the Ainu’s Indigenous
rights by exempting them from the
commercial fishing ban that prevents
them from engaging in salmon
fishing on their traditional lands.
Kenya: Census Recognizes
Sexual and Tribal Minorities
August
The newest census form in Kenya has
been amended to include intersex as
a third gender, as well as creating new
Tribal categories for Indigenous Peoples
who have historically been overlooked
or grouped in with bigger Tribes.
United States: New Bill United States: First October
to Hold the Government
Accountable for Indian
Boarding School Policy
September
The Truth and Healing Commission tor, and member of the Passamaquoddy
on Indian Boarding School Policy in the
United States Act seeks to establish
the country’s first formal commission
to review and document the cultural
genocide committed by the federal
government through its boarding
school policy.
Colombia: Indigenous Leader
Killed in Military Attack
September
Nasa Indigenous leader José Abelardo
Liz was killed in a confrontation with
2 • www. cs. org
Geo Neptune (They/Them).
Photo by @sipsography.
the Colombian army against “Liberation
of Mother Earth,” a grassroots gathering
organized by the Indigenous communi-
ties of the Cauca region. Liz had been
documenting the military operation Sipekne’katik First Nation and Canada
to evict the Nasa Indigenous Peoples
from privately held land that is part season.
of their ancestral territory.
United States: Kumeyaay
Nation Sues the Federal
Government
September
Five of the 13 federally recognized
Kumeyaay Nation Tribes have filed Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-North
a lawsuit against the U.S. Department
of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs
and Border Protection, the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, and their top exec-
utives, arguing that the U.S.-Mexico
border wall violates federal religious
freedom and immigration laws. Tribal
members frequently travel between
countries as the border region contains
sacred sites, trails, and medicines.
Transgender Person Elected
to Public Office in Maine
September
Geo Neptune, a Two-Spirit artist, educa-
Tribe, is the first openly transgender
person to be elected to public office
in Maine. They were voted onto the
school board in Indian Township.
Australia: Bill Proposes to
Return Control of a Mining
Town to Traditional Elders
September
A landmark bill to return the town of
Jabiru to the Mirarr Peoples has passed
the Australian House of Representatives
as negotiations continue to determine
which entity will hold the long-term
township lease. Jabiru was established
without the consent of the Mirarr to
service the nearby Ranger uranium mine.
Canada: Mi’kmaq Demand
Upholding of Treaty Rights
to Protect Indigenous
Lobster Fishers
October
Non-Indigenous fishermen have violently
harassed Mi’kmaq fishermen in Nova
Scotia through setting their property
on fire. The Mi’kmaq fishermen were
exercising Treaty rights between the
to fish outside of commercial lobster
United States: Congress
Passes Two Bills to Address
Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women
October
Savanna’s Act, introduced by former
Dakota), and the Not Invisible Act,
were signed into law. Both Acts aim
to acknowledge the disproportionate
levels of violence committed against
Indigenous women and provide
better protection for them.
United States: Athabascan
and Iñupiat Tribes File
Lawsuit to Stop an Arctic
Road
The Tanana Chiefs Conference filed
a lawsuit with the federal district court
to prevent the building of a road that
they say will negatively impact their
spirituality and way of life, including
affecting the wildlife they depend
on for food.
New Zealand: First
Indigenous Woman Foreign
Minister Appointed
November
–ori) was appointed
Nanaia Mahuta (Ma
as New Zealand’s first Indigenous
woman foreign minister, four years after
becoming the country’s first woman
member of parliament with a moko
kauae (traditional tattoo on her chin).

Advocacy Updates
Russia: Indigenous Activists Demand
Tesla Stop Buying Nickel from NorNickel
August
Cultural Survival joined the of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would be fiscally and
 Aborigen Forum, a coalition that
represents and protects the rights of
Indigenous Peoples in the North, Siberia,
and the Far East of the Russian Federa-
tion, to collect signatures on a letter to
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, Inc., asking him to honor his com-
pany’s own code of conduct by refraining from doing busi-
ness with the mining company Norilsk Nickel (also known
as Nornickel) until the company agrees to meet Indigenous
Peoples’ demands. The letter is part of a strategy to hold
Nornickel accountable for the extensive environmental degra-
dation it has caused while conducting mining and smelting
operations in Indigenous territories in the Arctic, affecting
Indigenous herding, hunting, fishing, and overall economic
and subsistence activities, as well as their physical health
and well being.
Nornickel has long been a top global polluter and caused
substantial environmental damage in May when a power
plant failed and released 21,000 tons of diesel oil into local
rivers. The spill has been devastating to the inhabitants of
the region and is deemed one of the worst environmental
disasters in the Arctic since the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill
in Alaska. Additionally, a 2018 Greenpeace analysis of NASA
data ranked Norilsk, Russia as the number one hotspot for
sulfur dioxide emissions in the world. The Aborigen Forum
demands that Nornickel conduct an environmental review
of the degradation they have caused, compensate the
Indigenous communities they have harmed, implement
a plan to recultivate contaminated lands, and agree to
amend their ways of interacting with Indigenous commu-
nities in order to comply with the UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the right to Free, Prior
and Informed Consent.
Canada: The Royal Bank of Canada
Withdraws Support for Drilling Projects
in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as
the UN Investigates the U.S. for Human
Rights Violations
October
After years of seeking allies in
 the fight to permanently protect
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the
Gwich’in Nation has succeeded in gain-
ing support from the Royal Bank of
Canada, which committed to refraining from directly financing
any projects or transactions that involve exploration or
Cultural Survival’s advocacy program launches international
campaigns in support of grassroots Indigenous movements as
they put pressure on governments and corporations to respect,
protect, and fulfill the rights of their communities.
development in the Refuge. The Royal Bank joined five major
U.S. banks: Citi, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan
Stanley, and Wells Fargo, in acknowledging that development
morally irresponsible, as it would violate the human rights of
the Gwich’in Nation. Meanwhile, the UN Committee on the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has called for an
investigation into the United States’ plans to drill in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge after the Gwich’in Nation Steering
Committee, in partnership with Cultural Survival, Land is Life,
First Peoples Worldwide, and the American Indian Law Clinic
at the University of Colorado, submitted a report stating that
the United States has violated the Gwich’in Nation’s right to
Free, Prior and Informed Consent.
United States’ Human Rights Record
Examined at UN Universal Periodic Review
November
The Universal Periodic Review is
 a process conducted by the United
Nations Human Rights Council where
each UN member state’s record with
regard to its human rights obligations
and commitments is reviewed by other
member states. Civil society is encouraged to participate
outlining the issues affecting their communities in regards
to international human rights standards by submitting stake-
holder reports and interaction through meetings with missions.
In October 2019, Cultural Survival submitted a stakeholder
report on Indigenous rights violations. The three and a half
hour review of the United States took place virtually this
year on November 9. The U.S. was criticized on the use
of the death penalty, police violence against Black people,
and the separation of migrant children from their families.
Azerbaijan, Kenya, and Paraguay made specific recommenda-
tions regarding Indigenous Peoples’ rights, pointing out that
the U.S. should implement the UN Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples specifically. One country also men-
tioned the importance of Free, Prior and Informed Consent
related to development projects, specifically pipelines. An
important advance was that the U.S. government recognized
its obligations and noted that it had accepted the UN Decla-
ration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The next step
is adoption of the recommendations at the upcoming
Human Rights Council session scheduled for February
and March 2021.
Read more news at
www.cs.org/latest.
Cultural
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 3
Survival Quarterly
 indi geno u s a rts
Grounded in Tradition,
Guided by Ancestors
Indigenous Business in Uncertain Times
Ha-lau Kaimana Barcarse
A
Ka‘eaikahelelani
performing a
s we move into these uncertain and rapidly changing
hula kahiko
times, business owners around the globe are bracing
(traditional
ancient dance) for huge negative economic impacts. Indigenous
using the ipu businesses are not immune to this; in fact, they
(gourd) at tend to be more susceptible than their Western
Ki-auea, the counterparts. And unlike in most industries,
active volcano there does not exist a “best practices business model” for
on the island Indigenous businesses to follow and rely on.
of Hawai’i. One of the latest trends we often hear about is businesses
reinventing themselves. However, for Indigenous businesses,
it is not that easy. Indigenous Peoples are who they are, and
have been so for millenia. They do not have the option to
“reinvent themselves,” but rather have the opportunity to
further ground their businesses in their identity and airwaves to encourage all island residents to honor and re-
reinvent the way they interact with others.
It is crucial that Indigenous businesses remain flexible,
nimble, and adaptive while at the same time being steadfast
in their cultural grounding so as not to get caught up and
overrun in this crazy business world. By being steadfast in
their culture, businesses can withstand the test of time while
normalizing cultural mores in their dealings. This is often
done by building on their Indigenous worldviews, relying
on connections and relationships, and allowing themselves
to be guided by a higher power.
An example of one such business in Hawai‘i is Hālau
Ka‘eaikahelelani. I am grateful that they have agreed to be
highlighted in this article and share their path. This is a case
study of what works for this organization. It is not a formula
for success to be followed blindly, but rather an example that
we hope will spark some thought and reflection into your
own situation, and allow the answers to come to you.
Hālau Ka‘eaikahelelani is known to many as one of a num-
ber of Hālau (schools of traditional Hawaiian dance and cul-
ture) in Hawai‘i. However, when one takes a deeper dive into
4 • www. cs. org
their world, one’s eyes are opened to so much more. Hālau
Ka‘eaikahelelani was founded in 2015 by Kumu Hula (Hula
Instructor) sisters Yuki Ka‘ea Lyons and Lily Kahelelani
Lyons. Both sisters come from a lineage of hula and have
been dancing their entire lives. They both graduated under
the guidance of master Kumu Hula Nani Lim Yap of Hālau
Nā Lei ‘o Ka Holokū.
Prior to starting their own Hālau, they both had prominent
careers of service through the Hawaiian culture. Ka‘ea is a
certified Hawaiian Language Immersion teacher and has taught
through ‘Ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language) at the Pūnana
Leo o Kona preschool, and at ‘Ehunuikaimalino, a K-12 pub-
lic Hawaiian Immersion School on the West side of Hawai‘i
island. She is also a prominent FM radio personality who is
known for promoting Hawaiian language and culture on the
spect the host culture of Hawai‘i nei, and teaches Hawaiian
Lifestyles at the Hawai‘i Community College Pālamanui Cam-
pus. Kahelelani is a Hawaiian cultural resource professional
and has worked in the visitor industry to strengthen and de-
velop authentic native Hawaiian experiences while ensuring
that the industry also gives back to the community in mean-
ingful and culturally appropriate ways.
Why move from already successful careers to start a
venture as Kumu Hula of a new Hālau? In speaking with the
sisters, it is readily evident that hula changed their lives. It
enhanced their cultural perspectives, grounded them in tradi-
tion, and catalyzed their desire to serve their people in a way
that reflects the values of their ancestors. As this ‘ike (knowl-
edge) was shared with them from their Kumu Hula, mentors,
and family members, so is their desire to share it with others.
Any Kumu Hula will tell you that running a Hālau is not a
lucrative business venture. Tuition in and of itself rarely covers
the overhead of running the business. Kumu, as a necessity,
have to be inventive and diversify. Some host concerts and
do shows for tourists. Some hold workshops and have sister
All photos by Dino Morrow Photography.

Ha-lau Ka‘eaikahelelani
performing a hula kahiko
using the pahu (drum).
Hālau in other parts of the world. Some have become recording
artists and use that income to supplement the Hālau activities.
Hālau Ka‘eaikahelelani engaged in most of the income-
enhancing ventures that others have. But for them it has and a Kamehameha Schools Community Investment grant to
never been about the money. It is about advancing first and
foremost the work of their kūpuna (ancestors), ensuring tradi-
tions live on, and having faith that their kūpuna will open doors
for them. This has led to beautiful synergies and opportunities
to conduct business in a very diverse and Indigenous way.
One of the first doors to open was a site for their Hālau.
Many Hālau rent space in a warehouse, dance studio, or simi-
lar venue. This Hālau was guided to steward a piece of land
where they could take their teachings back to where they be-
long, on the land. They are able to not only hold their classes
there, but connect with the land through raising food and
plants important to their hula traditions such as ipu (gourds)
for percussion instruments, ‘ōlena (turmeric) for dyes and
medicine, kalo (taro) for sustenance and ceremony, and much
more. To validify the appropriateness of this path, they dis-
covered during their research about the land that they have
genealogical ties to this area, and not just to the other side
of the mountain where they were raised.
The next door opened as they looked to expand their
teaching overseas. There exists great desire to learn hula in
other areas of the world and the sisters often traveled to teach,
while students make the trek to Hawai‘i for immersive experi-
ences. But to truly honor traditions takes constant practice
and connection, which is difficult to do over large distances
and infrequent touches. The sisters once again looked to the
teachings of their kūpuna for the answers, and the answers
came by example.
Hawaiian was originally an oral language; writing was
introduced with the arrival of the missionaries. Contrary to
the common belief that the missionaries taught the Indig-
enous people how to read and write and brought them into
the modern ages, the reality is that the Ali‘i (chiefs) saw the
value of reading and writing and made it possible for the people
of Hawai‘i to learn. This is evident in the famous declaration by
Kauikeaouli, King Kamehameha III, “He aupuni palapala ko‘u”
(mine is a literate nation), and the nearly 95 percent literacy
rate of Hawaiians during that time.
The Indigenous population took to communicating regularly
through writing, and the first printing press west of the Rockies,
named Hale Pa‘i, was established on the island of Maui. The canon
of knowledge printed in the Native language that survives to this
day numbers around 1.2 million pages. The Hawaiian people of
that era truly ruled the technology of their day. It was this exam-
ple that inspired the Hālau to “rule the technology” of today and
start creating supplementary virtual content that could be shared
over the internet. This included synchronous and asynchronous
lessons, and has expanded to a diverse set of curricula. This for-
ward thinking prepared them well for the distance learning that
would be imposed on them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the short time that the Hālau has been in existence, the
needs of the community became more and more apparent and
new doors started to open. So great was their desire to serve that
they formed a 501(c)3 nonprofit to allow them to expand services
in ways beyond the capabilities of the for profit (which they still
run as a separate entity). Behind other doors were partnerships
and relationships. Two examples of the many partnerships include
The Cultural Conservancy, which awarded the Hālau a Mino
Niibi grant for the Ho‘āla Hou project to re-Indigenize their spaces,
start up a Family Child Interactive Learning Program based
on Native Hawaiian educational and hula methodologies.
As the realities and economic repercussions of COVID-19 set
in and businesses started to hibernate or even shut down, Hālau
Ka‘eaikahelelani has been able to adapt to the emergent needs
of the community, sustain themselves financially, and have been
busier than ever. In addition to their regular classes and programs
that provide stability and connection for their learners, the Hālau
and their members have stepped up as community leaders and
connectors by distributing food, educational materials, and
health supplies to those in need, and guiding other organizations
to where the need is greatest. These acts of service are based on
cultural values, including “‘O ka nui ma mua o ka pākahi:” by
first serving the good of the whole, we strengthen the individual.
Hālau Ka‘eaikahelelani built upon their Indigenous worldview,
relied on connections and relationships, and followed the guid-
ance of those gone before them. Their success is not measured
in dollars on a spreadsheet, but by the multiple returns that are
priceless to those to whom it matters most. Cultural returns,
educational returns, Lāhui (nation) returns, community returns,
ancestral returns, and spiritual returns: these are the economies
that matter most to Hālau Ka‘eaikahelelani, their leaders, their
families, and their community. By these metrics, the Hālau is
wealthy beyond compare.
­ Kaimana Barcarse (Kanaka Hawai‘i) is the West Hawai‘i
—
regional director for Kamehameha Schools and the program director
and lead DJ of Alana I Kai Hikina on KWXX-FM. He also serves
as chair of Cultural Survival’s board of directors and the board
of The Cultural Conservancy.
To read this article in Hawaiian, visit cs.org/paake.
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 5
 ri ght s i n a ctio n
A Lenca Voice of Resistance Against
a Culture of Extractivism
Donatila Girón Calix
Leonardo Valenzuela Pérez
D
uring the last decade, Honduras
has consistently been named one
of the most dangerous countries
in the world for environmental
defenders. The threat to defenders
comes mostly from the business sector,
particularly mining and energy corpora-
tions. Indigenous defenders are among
the most at risk, a predicament galva-
nized by the assassination of Lenca leader
Berta Cáceres in 2016. To delve into these
issues, the Unitarian Universalist Service
Committee spoke to Donatila Girón that their neighbor was not able to clean up their plot of land,
Donatila Calix, leader of the Lenca Indigenous Movement of La Paz they would go and help out. Today some of that is still main-
Girón Calix. Honduras (MILPAH) and president of the Indigenous Caucus
Photo courtesy
of Tania García.
of the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights
2019-2020. Her leadership and activism have been marked by
her emphasis on recovering Indigenous identities and practices
as central elements in the defense of the environment and human
rights in Honduras.
Being Indigenous in Honduras
For us, some of the fundamental parts of being Indigenous
are our way of taking care of water, our way of seeing the forest
and our territory, our way of coexisting in harmony with
nature. Our water, forest, and territory are non-negotiable
because they are parts of a whole, a path of learning, a way
of life, an entire cosmos. Living in harmony means keeping
a cosmovision alive.
Being an Indigenous Lenca comes with a deep-seated
fighting spirit. Many years ago the Lenca people were forced
into the mountains. From those years of resistance we inher-
ited a fighting spirit embodied by the figure of Lempira, an
Indigenous hero who fought against the Spanish conquest
and colonization. Being Indigenous is to care, to protect, to
be stewards of the forest and common good. It is not enough
to identify as Lenca; you need to put into practice Lempira
and Berta Cáceres’ heroic fighting spirit.
Berta Cáceres was committed to the struggle without country does not provide the conditions for people to survive
expecting anything in return, simply because of the meaning
6 • www. cs. org
that water and forests have for us Lencas. When we are
threatened by a mining or hydroelectric company, we know
that they will disrupt our social conviviality. That’s why many
of our people say that even if it costs us our lives to defend
what is ours, we have no alternative but to keep fighting. That
is the fighting spirit that Berta Cáceres embodies, and that
spirit lives within each Lenca.
A Culture of Extractivism
An Indigenous person does not think that water or forests
are commodities. What makes sense for us is to live peace-
fully and to live well; we do not see life from a capitalist point
of view. Some years ago it was very common to find many
forms of cooperative exchange among Lencas. If someone saw
tained, along with a small-scale production system based on
coffee, corn, beans, root vegetables, and trips to the river to
catch fish for our own consumption. I believe that the economy
should be focused on satisfying people’s immediate needs and
markets should be available to exchange products with added
value outside of an extractive capitalist model.
People should have their own things, their own small
businesses, their own medicines, health, and education.
Unfortunately, education today is directed towards serving
capitalism instead of focusing on knowing and valuing what
surrounds us. Many young Lenca people have migrated from
their communities to what is known as the military zone
where the government says that workers are needed, and
that ends up being their only opportunity to get a job. The
question is, how can we refocus this situation so that these
young people are no longer forced to leave and can have their
own businesses within their communities without having
to contribute to the exploitation of common goods.
Extractivism is the worst: everything in Honduras is ex-
tractivism. The government follows a model that is not suited
for people, but for their exploitation. Honduras trains police
and military officers to protect extractivist companies, trains
professionals such as engineers, whose job is to find ways to
extract as much gold as possible and send it to Canada. This
and thrive without needing to exploit themselves and others.
 In the department of La Paz there are four dams in opera-
tion and several others planned. Those hydroelectric plants
don’t even pay taxes in the municipalities where they extract
energy from rivers. A single individual or company becomes
a millionaire at the expense of a river while many people are
left without water—it happened to seven communities in the
municipality of San José. These projects break the harmony
and generate division. We call this extractivism, the profiting
off a good to generate money without leaving anything for
communities.
The system is controlled by a few families in Honduras
and operates well beyond this country. Those who do not
align with the system are pushed out of the way, because they
are opponents who are preventing the resource extraction
machine from working smoothly. For those who benefit from
the system, the most effective mechanism to stop those who
resist is to kill them, to criminalize them, or defame them.
Business and Human Rights
I have worked all my life on social issues, collaborating in
health and education programs and holding positions in my
community since I was 15 years old. A few years ago, I started
working in a coffee company, learning about natural medicine,
about organic products. It was working there that I met the
organization MILPAH, and I liked the way they worked. Their
approach was precisely how I wanted to defend human rights
and the environment. I became more involved in that work
and got specialized certifications in business and human
rights.
Because of the work I was doing with MILPAH, I got in-
vited to Geneva in 2019 to participate in the UN Forum on
Business and Human Rights. As Indigenous people, we do not
hold a lot of power internationally, but these gatherings allow
us to confront power. We knew that we were facing a monster
and the only thing that could help us was our fighting spirit,
not being afraid. By being there we were able to tell the
businessmen of the world directly what Indigenous Peoples
were living and feeling. We told them they were violating
our rights, that we did not feel good about their presence
in our territories.
In Geneva before the start of the Forum, when it was time
to elect a president for the Indigenous Caucus, it was clear
that the Latin American delegation was the largest and that
we were going to be able to choose our candidates. We also
realized, unfortunately, that many of the people who were
proposed to preside over the caucus were highly criminalized
at home, so they declined their nominations for safety reasons.
I was the one who had the least problems at that time in
terms of legal persecution, and that helped me get elected
as president.
So far, I have not seen the effectiveness or concrete results
coming from what we discussed at the Forum, but I have seen
a more intentional approach from the office of the Honduran
Human Rights Secretary to listen to our people. They have
engaged us in conversations and treated us with more defer-
ence since our participation in the Forum, but we are still
waiting for more concrete actions. Corporations are also This article was written in collaboration with the Unitarian
being more cautious. Last year logging companies came Universalist Service Committee as part of a series highlighting
here, but we took action and were able to stop them from
cutting down our forests; they haven’t been back since.
Life During the Pandemic
The pandemic has brought negative and positive consequences.
People have become seriously ill without receiving a minimum
of support from the State; in my community we have already
lost some people to the virus. Instead of adopting public
health measures to prevent infection, the government delegated
the control of the pandemic to the military, whose focus has
been to impose lockdowns through repression and criminal-
ization. A very worrying issue has been the negative impacts
on women, who have suffered a significant increase in
gender-based violence during the strict lockdowns.
On the positive side, there has been an increase in agri-
cultural production at the local level. People have returned
from the cities to their communities, which has promoted
the cultivation of land. Another important element has been
the recovery of traditional medicine. There is a municipal
ordinance that prohibits traditional healers as well as the
cultivation and use of traditional medicines, but people
have decided to ignore the ordinance and return to their
ancestral practices.
It is obvious that the long-term economic impact of the
pandemic is going to be very terrible. It is important to focus
now on reducing or ending dependency, ensuring that people
can have their own businesses in their communities, without
having to wait for bags of food assistance from the State that
compromise their autonomy. Communities must also be pre-
pared to provide options for economic participation to all the
people who migrated many years ago and are now returning
to their communities due to the severity of the economic
crisis. A key priority will be the infusion of resources to sup-
port the recovery and design of alternative economic models
based on Indigenous practices and systems of knowledge.
— Leonardo Valenzuela Pérez is a human rights researcher
at UUSC in Cambridge, Mass. He holds a PhD in Human
Geography from the University of Sydney, Australia.
the resilience, wisdom, and power of Indigenous communities
as they face the climate crisis.
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 7
 women th e wo r ld m u st hear
MOGUL
Reclaiming Heritage
Through Indigenous
Enterprise
C
henae Bullock’s given name is Sagkompanau Mishoon
Netooeusqua (“I lead Canoe I am butterfly woman.”)
She is an enrolled member of the Shinnecock Nation
in Southampton, Long Island, and also descends from
the Montauk community in Long Island, New York. She
is an entrepreneur who is deeply passionate about her Indig-
enous heritage. Cultural Survival recently spoke with Bullock.
Cultural Survival: Tell us about your recent
business endeavors.
Chenae Bullock: I was selected to be the
managing director of Little Beach Harvest,
which is a Tribal business entity of the
Shinnecock Indian Nation. It is the
Shinnecock Nation’s cannabis business.
We are working diligently despite
the pandemic to get our medical
dispensary up and running. In
2019 I launched my consulting firm,
Moskehtu Consulting. People like to
use Native-inspired things and ideas,
whether for architectural design, cloth-
ing, curricula, exhibit
curation in museums
or art galleries, or
business where
you’re dealing
with diversity
and inclu-
sion. What
Chenae Bullock.
Photo by RaQuita
Weathers, Beller Rouge
Photography, LLC.
8 • www. cs. org
I’ve found over the last 15 years, being a Native and working
in public and private sectors as well as nonprofit organiza-
tions, is that a lot of these organizations are unaware of how
to approach Tribes due to a lack of cultural competency.
They’re still thinking that we no longer exist. The whole pur-
pose of Moskehtu Consulting is to bridge that gap, to become
a liaison between the Tribal community and these businesses
and organizations.
CS: Why did you pursue a business in the
cannabis industry?
CB: The word Moskehtu means medicine in our language.
Right now, we are in a time of healing in so many different
ways, and that’s intergenerational. I think cannabis is probably
the number one product out there right now that is able to
help heal intergenerationally in communities. As a Tribe, and
as Indigenous Peoples, cannabis and hemp have been used for
thousands of years in many ways of our medicine and cultural
practices. It’s not something new to us as Indigenous Peoples;
it’s new for governments to actually begin to look at us as
leaders in such an industry. Rather than focus too much on
the cannabis industry, we should be highlighting the fact that
there are young enterprising, entrepreneurial, culturally and
traditionally taught and raised Natives out there who are rising
up; whether they are in Tribal leadership or working in cor-
porate America, whether they are sitting on a board for differ-
ent organizations that may not even deal with Native people,
they represent who we are. It needs to be echoed throughout
the world that we no longer live in our wetus, teepees, or long-
houses. We are not novelties. We have become unfortunately
assimilated. My great cousin, Wayne “Red Dawn” Crippen
who was one of the iron workers for many of the big cities
throughout the country, said, “I decided to take those union
jobs so I could learn how to use their tools.” And that’s why
I’ve been encouraged by many of my elders to get out, to
leave the reservation, to leave home, and to get the tools that
are needed to come back and rebuild our nations. With my
background and expertise, it’s time for me to move into this
business as a leader in it, for the Shinneock Indian Nation.
CS: What barriers do you foresee, entering into this
business as an Indigenous woman?
CB: There are always barriers; no matter what any community
of color tries to do to raise themselves out of oppression, it’s
going to be a challenge. Our Tribal leaders and community
members have done everything in their power to meet with
and do business with surrounding governments. We are either
ignored or challenged and even sometimes taken to court.
That being said, we’ve endured many challenges. We’ve endured
many laws against our way of living, and we have all the tools
that we need to bring ourselves out of economic despair.
CS: What does it mean to you to run a business as some-
one who is not only a woman, but also Indigenous?
CB: I am a Native American enrolled in a federally recog-
nized Tribe. I also represent state recognized and underrecog-
nized Tribes. But I’m also African-American. These are three
different challenges that I have faced from the day I was born.
Statistically, people like myself are classified as socially disad-
vantaged because we experience bias of a chronic and sub-
stantial nature. People like myself have very few intermediar-
ies to succeed in a society that is replete of institutional voids.
Prior to European settlement, Indigenous communities had
a long history of dynamic economies and governance struc-
tures that we recognize today as the necessary ingredients for
prosperity. Knowing that there are other people behind me
with the same type of challenges, I have no choice—I’m left
with no choice but to succeed by any means possible. It is my
inherent obligation. So a business of this magnitude and with
this amount of spotlight right now is a great opportunity not
only for me, as a young woman, Native, African-American,
for anybody that is looking to me as a role model. In my com-
munity we’ve been fighting for the last 400-500 years to raise
ourselves out of this oppression. So any way that I can bring
this business right side up, and build it from the ground up,
it just speaks of evolution.
CS: What are the differences between businesses man-
aged by Indigenous people and non-Indigenous people?
CB: Right now, our generation has been doing everything
in our power to become conscientious of how we are being
colonized and to break away from that and move back to our
traditional structures. This provides an opportunity for us
to incorporate that same type of traditional cultural structure
into our businesses; in other words, how we communicate
with one another. Instead of having a Robert’s Rules of Order
when you come to a meeting, maybe you have it in a way of
everyone knowing they are just as equal as the other person
sitting across from them. In the dispensary business, we have
many different non-Native partners and non-Native allies.
We’re working to construct a dispensary and wellness center
from ground up. You have Tribal representation from indi-
vidually owned businesses like interior designers and architects,
and then you also have non-Tribal partners as well, from
project managers to environmentalists. Everybody’s coming
together in this local area in which we’ve always lived as In-
digenous people to do this project. I see it as a great example
to the rest of the world how all people can come together economic renaissance.
and establish a successful business.
CS: How are Indigenous values reflected in
Little Beach Harvest?
CB: As you look at history, and within our Shinnecock com-
munity, we’ve always been entrepreneurs. I come from a long
line of whalers. Shinnecock people were also beaver fur traders
and later went into tobacco. At one point in time, our com-
munities were becoming wealthy due to our advantage in the
whaling industry because of ancient whaling practices passed
down from generation to generation. The crossover into op-
pression began when we couldn’t afford ships because money
was being funneled internationally to certain families here
in the Americas, particularly in the Hamptons. My ancestors
were actually able to earn the money to own the whaling
ships. But as the whaling industry began to decline interna-
tionally, that left our families in economic despair and we had
to move into other creative ways of enterprising. Shinnecock
has been known to lease different lands so that way we could
make money for our community. I’ve heard the elders talk
about the fields being potato fields and airports.
From the very first time that the settlers came to Long
Island, there were laws made against our way of living. There
were certain areas in which we were not welcomed; there
were certain things that happened that caused us to be
murdered, or killed, or kidnapped.
Over the last 20 years, our community has been putting
their lives on the line to protect our sacred burial sites. Over
time, more and more million dollar mansions have been built
on top of our ancestors’ bones. Our Tribal community leaders
and sister Tribes have faced police brutality and threats for
standing out there to protect our sacred burial grounds.
Today, we move into different businesses, the cannabis
industry. Again, here you have ancient teachings of medicinal
uses for cannabis; we’re not new to this. Just like my ancestors,
today we have aspirations to be able to own our own. First
and foremost, Little Beach Harvest is the first Shinnecock
Tribally owned and operated business for our Nation. Since Little Beach
time immemorial, we have been gifted by the Creator with Harvest is the
specific values and responsibilities as Shinnecock people. The Shinnecock
very foundation of Little Beach Harvest is the core values of Nation’s
the Shinnecock Nation. They include teaching and promoting cannabis
spirituality, respect, responsibility, integrity, and unity in or- business.
Photo by
der to promote and ensure the health, well being, and safety Don Goofy.
of individuals, community, and the Nation. Keeping with
these values for our Nation, Little Beach Harvest is a pillar
for the ongoing development of the Shinnecock Nation’s
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 9
 i ndi geno u s k n ow le d g e
Multi-generational
household of
Oneida and Turtle
Clan women
holding 2,000
year-old heirloom
o·nʌ́steˀ,

Indigenizing
white corn.
Photo by Daisee Francour.

Philanthropy
Rematriating the Distribution of Wealth

Galina Angarova and Daisee Francour (CS Staff) destruction and climate change. The equilibrium between
the masculine and the feminine is the foundation of well-
The Indigenizing Philanthropy series is a five-part article series functioning societies and we need to restore this balance.
accompanied with a webinar and toolkit to provide a frame- Our planet, our soils, and our environment are the ultimate
work in how to transform and Indigenize philanthropy. Galina manifestation of the sacred feminine. We all come from her
Angarova (Buryat) and Daisee Francour (Oneida/Haudeno- womb, the sacred feminine, and it is our duty to respect and
saunee) have unique experiences as Indigenous women, having protect it. Restoring the sacred feminine individually and
both worked in philanthropy as program officers for private collectively is essential to regaining balance in the world.
foundations and as fundraisers for NGOs. They offer their Many Indigenous communities, including ours in the
dynamic expertise and shed an important light on how philan- Americas and Russia, come from matrilineal cultures where
thropy can take a serious, introspective look at its colonial roots women are the backbone of our societies and economies.
and take authentic actions to remedy its future in a way that This did not take away from the power and divine importance
is aligned with natural law and responsible ways of being of men and masculine energy in our societies; rather, it rein-
and knowing. Philanthropy plays a significant role in the U.S. forced the equal role of all energies in this web of life. Indig-
economy, accounting for several trillion dollars in assets and enous Peoples instinctively know how to live in harmony
with annual giving rising each year, and even more across the and balance with our environments and each other, and that
globe. In 2019, Americans gave almost $450 billion. So, how balance is reflected in our creation stories, original instructions,
do we harness the power of philanthropy to better serve traditional knowledge, values, and cosmovisions. Indigenous
Indigenous Peoples and communities of color? prophecies like those from the Hopi and Māori say that women

I
will regain their places as original healers and will lead the
n many Indigenous cultures, the world is viewed as way into a higher consciousness. Terms like “feminism” and
female: Mother Earth, Pachamama, ohútsyaˀ, and others. “equality” do not exist in Indigenous languages, as these con-
In fact, some of the most powerful living things in our cepts were already embedded in the cultures, relationships,
world are part of the sacred feminine, which plays a cen- and governance of Indigenous Peoples around the world.
tral part in the cosmovision of many Indigenous cultures The Haudenosaunee Confederacy deeply influenced the
and is expressed through our relations, stories, and ways of women’s suffrage movement, which has now transcended
life. Many Indigenous worldviews hold that every being car- into feminism and women’s rights. Haudenosaunee women
ries the qualities of both the sacred feminine and the sacred provided a model of freedom for EuroAmerican women
masculine, and cultivating these energies in a balanced way who possessed few rights in early American history. Some
is our sacred mission. They also instruct us to recognize of these rights included decisive political power, control
the convergence and different sacred expressions of these of their bodies, control of their own property, custody of
energies, including Two-Spirit, non-binary, queer, and others. children, the power to initiate divorce, the right to satisfying
Colonization has twisted our collective worldview to view work, and a society generally free of gender-based violence.
men, and the masculine energy, as the dominant powerful Haudenosaunee culture reflects balance between the mascu-
force, requiring the utmost respect. The sacred feminine has line and feminine energies through balanced decision making.
been degraded, neglected, harassed, attacked, and violated, The Great Law of Peace (the Haudenosaunee constitution)
and we are continually facing the consequences of this imbal- recognizes the power and influence of women and their
ance. Today, we live in a world where the masculine and the unique roles and responsibilities, which serve as the foun-
feminine are out of balance, and this imbalance has resulted dation to Haudenosaunee governance and economies.
in the worst injustices with respect to gender and racial For the Buryat people, a matrilineal society, the sacred
inequality, hunger, poverty, and of course, environmental feminine plays a central part in their cosmovision. Angarova

10 • www. cs. org

comes from generations of powerful women who were regarded
as some of the best hunters and warriors; the spirit in them
has survived through colonization and 70 years of commu-
nism. The same spirit that makes these women the guardians
of their clan makes them original story tellers, caretakers,
and nurturers. Buryat grandmothers are jewels of their multi-
generational households and maintain balance inside the
home, throughout their communities, and across the nation.
The moments they spend with their grandchildren are sacred,
as this is when the sacred feminine is in full force, patiently
weaving its way to pass traditional knowledge and language
to younger generations.
How Rematriation Can Be Applied
to Philanthropy
Rematriation is a process of going back to balanced relation-
ships, to understanding and living our original instructions of
protecting and honoring the sacred feminine, of honoring our
grandmothers, mothers, and daughters, and trusting that they
will make best decisions to benefit our families, communities,
Mother Earth, and all human and non-human relatives for
generations to come. Compared to repatriation, which is
individualistic and gendered, implying that only the masculine
energy is in control of returning and receiving, rematriation
is an act of returning, or aligning with the collective under
the stewardship and leadership of women. Shifting towards
rematriation better reflects the natural laws of reciprocity and
equality, given that the sacred feminine is what nourishes
and sustains all living things.
As we know, modern philanthropy is deeply rooted in
colonial systems of academia, finance, and banking. We need
to mindfully unpack, self-reflect, and recognize its flaws in
order to reimagine the future of philanthropy. A money-based
economy has changed our relationships with one other and to
Mother Earth, as scarcity is inherent to the concept of money,
which in turn results in extractivism, hoarding of resources
and power, and degradation of our ecosystems and our rela-
tionships. Shifting to the mindset of abundance, even within
the existing system, restores the sacred feminine and rematri-
ates the proposed remedies. Indigenous Peoples offer the
insights and solutions to our modern day crisis, including
philanthropy and the nonprofit industrial complex. We leadership, knowledge, and understanding of how to live in
must question our assumptions, decolonize, and Indigenize
ourselves and our workspaces.
To do this, we must first and foremost center, develop, and
sustain Indigenous women, Two-Spirit, femme, and non-bi-
nary leadership in all forms of decision making because they
are the most underrepresented groups in leadership positions
across all sectors. Philanthropy, too, needs to embrace the
leadership of Indigenous women and Two-Spirits, and founda-
tions should seek to embrace and elevate Indigenous women’s
leadership in their board and staff and in their grantee partner
organizations. This means intentionally giving them a space
to speak without fear, intimidation, or tokenization, to seek
out their expert opinions and perspectives, and support them
with adequate, self-determined resources and connections.
Indigenous women in our cultures have always been the
sources of creation and redistribution. According to UNAC,
women reinvest 90 percent of their incomes back into their
families, compared to just 35 percent by men. When we invest
in women’s rights, health, and well being, it creates a positive
ripple effect that lifts up communities and entire countries.
A woman multiplies the impact of an investment made in
her future by extending benefits to the world around her.
By creating a better life for her family, she builds stronger
communities. Among foundations that support women’s
issues, Indigenous women are often left out of their portfolios.
Support for women’s rights and issues also means supporting
Indigenous women and Indigenous rights. While human and
women’s rights are about one individual, Indigenous rights
are collective, communal rights.
Foundations that already support Indigenous issues need
to ensure they are explicitly funding Indigenous women’s
organizations and Indigenous women-led organizations
with large multi-year general support grants. In the U.S., less
than one-half of one percent of philanthropic funding goes
towards supporting Indigenous Peoples. That percentage is
even less on a global scale, with only a fraction going towards
supporting Indigenous women. Indigenous women carry
millennia-old traditions and knowledge of their people’s
responsible ways of being and knowing and solutions to the
human condition, climate change, and biodiversity protection,
yet they hardly receive any recognition, respect, or funding.
Investing in Indigenous women-led funds and organizations
also ensures that the redistribution of wealth happens
diligently, efficiently, and thoughtfully.
To invest in Indigenous women’s leadership is an act of
decolonization. Philanthropy has begun to embrace decoloni-
zation but lacks the vision and appropriate leadership to carry
out those efforts. Indigenous women are the best leaders for
this as we are original healers, and many of us carry our tradi-
tional ways of healing, ceremonies, and prayers. Healing is
fundamental to decolonization and should be an institutional
priority for philanthropy, not only reflected in a generous
budget line item, but as a central value and principle for the
organization. While philanthropy embraces learning as a
priority, this should include healing and decolonization,
with additional resources to support healing work for
their grantee partners, too.
Indigenous women, femmes, Two-Spirit, queer, and non-
binary peoples bring a bountiful gift to the world, and our
a reciprocal way with Mother Earth, among one another, and
with our environment upholds both the spiritual and ecologi-
cal integrity of the land and all living things. In most, if not
all, Indigenous languages the world “philanthropy” does not
exist. What does exist are our original instructions given to
us from the Creator and our ancestors, which outline our
values and principles and inform our actions and behavior.
Our actions and solutions are deeply rooted in our worldviews,
which are informed by our millennia-old relationship to the
land. It is Indigenous women’s leadership’s implementation of
our original instructions, values, and principles that will serve
as a basis and a roadmap to make the profound and necessary
change that philanthropy, and the world, needs and craves.
Check out the whole Indigenizing
Philanthropy series at: www.cs.org/
IndigenizingPhilanthropy.
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 11
 Indigenomics
Harnessing the Power of Our Communities
Paul Lacerte
Raven
(Right)
Paul Lacerte,
Hadih, Dene Za Tsekey Za. Greetings, my respected relatives;
greetings, my respected friends.
Indigenous
managing
partner
Paul Lacerte Sadnee. My Name is Paul Lacerte. Gilam Giloh Capital Partners
Sadnee. My traditional name is Gilam Giloh. Si gunna Luksil Yoo

I
at Raven.
Photo
Injan Yinka Dene Keyoh. I am a member of the Cariboo Clan and n many ways, Raven
courtesy of Raven a citizen of the Carrier First Nation/Indigenous territory in what is Indigenous Capital Part-
Indigenous now known as northern British Columbia, Canada. I am an inter- ners (Raven) is an expres-
Capital Partners.
generational survivor of the “Indian Residential Schools” in Canada sion of Indigenomics. Raven
and my late first wife was also a survivor of the same residential was founded in 2018 with
school system. The church-run residential school in our Carrier three interrelated objectives:
First Nation territory closed in 1984. Indigenous Peoples around to address the equity gap
the world have had similar experiences and have been subjected to for innovative, scalable
similar colonial policies which were designed to displace and disrupt Indigenous enterprises; to
our societies and our economies. But those efforts have failed and decolonize the investment
Indigenous social and economic systems are being revitalized. process and provide cultural
We are pivoting from surviving to thriving, from dependence to safety to Indigenous entre-
independence. We are building a better future; a future in which preneurs; and to build invest-
the beauty and brilliance of our Peoples and our cultures can ment platforms that would enable allies to participate
and will lead the way to a better world for all of us. in building a vibrant reconciliation economy. As founders,
The emergent concept of Indigenomics and the story of Raven we believed that investing in purpose-driven Indigenous
Indigenous Capital Partners is one of strength and resurgence. It enterprises would create a positive impact in their com-
is a story of resiliency and revitalization. Carol Anne Hilton is the munities while also providing competitive financial returns.
founder and CEO of the Indigenomics Institute. She is an Indig- We chose the Raven as our symbol, as it is central to
enous woman of Nuu chah nulth descent and a proud member of rebirth and transformation in many Indigenous cultures.
the Hesquiaht First Nation on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Our founding partnership is also an expression of
She has been an independent member of the investment committee reconciliation and the power and potential of Indigenous
of the Raven Indigenous Impact Fund LP since its inception in and non-Indigenous Peoples working together to support
May 2019; and Raven Indigenous Capital Partners was named and enable the Indigenous economy. By design, we chose
to the Indigenomics Institute’s inaugural “Ten to Watch” list in to create a strength-based model that included myself, a
December 2019. It is an honor to share our stories with you, First Nations partner, and a Métis partner, Jeff Cyr. Both
and we are deeply grateful for this opportunity. continued on page 14

2017 Ottawa
Summer
Solstice
Indigenous
Festival
at Vincent
Massey Park.
Photo by
Bing Wen.

1212• •www.
ww w.
cs.
cs.
org
org
An Introduction to Indigenomics
Carol Anne Hilton
I
ndigenomics honors the powerful thinking of Indige-
nous wisdom of local economy, relationships, and tive response to the
human values. It is about increasing the role and visibility
of Indigenous peoples in the new economy and under-
standing Indigenous ways of being and worldview. By
drawing on ancient principles that have supported Indige-
nous economies for thousands of years and working Peoples from the main-
to implement them as modern practices, Indigenomics
welcomes you to an Indigenous worldview. It brings to
the forefront human values and practice. It explores the
pathway of the threshold of the Indigenous relationship
and modern economies by inviting dialogue and thought-
provoking insight into possibilities of the Indigenous economies is to foster
relationship in Canada and beyond.
We are living in a time of Indigenous economic resur-
gence. Our traditional economic knowledge systems have
been rendered almost invisible through over 500 years of
colonization and systemic racism. Through the upheaval of
Indigenous economies and ways of being over time, Indig-
enous Peoples have gone through four economic stages:
1. Disruption: This stage is characterized by the system-
ic disruption of existing Indigenous economic systems,
ways of being, and removal from the land while sever-
ing inherent authority and responsibility to place. This
stage required the dehumanizing of Indigeneity through
instruments such as the Doctrine of Discovery, the
Indian Act of 1876, and other legal and statutory
approaches around the world.
2. Entanglement: The second stage is characterized by
the complexity of the entanglement of the Indigenous
relationship locally, nationally, and internationally. This
is firmly embedded within the conflict stemming from
the disruption of Indigenous ways of being (our episte-
mologies) and the threat to our continued way of life.
3. Emergence: The third stage is characterized by the
emergence of the Indigenous legal environment. This
legal context serves to reinforce new modern economic
space for Indigenous nations, businesses, and govern-
ments.
4. Empowerment: This fourth stage is characterized
by the rise of Indigenous economic empowerment as
an effect of the shifting Indigenous rights and title legal
environment, economic equality, and inclusion. This
stage sees an increase in Indigenous business devel-
opment and economic activity as a viable and com-
petitive business model.
Indigenomics is a collec-
violent removal of Indig-
enous economic world-
view and the systemic
exclusion of Indigenous
stream economies that
we know and experience
today. It is a system that
reminds us that the in-
tention of our Indigenous
our well being, to live in ecological balance and prosperity, Carol Anne
and to transfer Indigenous concepts of balance, wealth, Hilton,
and generosity across generations. For the first time founder of
Indigenomics
ever, economics from an Indigenous worldview is being
Institute.
reclaimed within the modern economic space—the narra- Photo courtesy
of Indigenomics
tive of growing Indigenous business success is expected
Institute.
to skyrocket over the next decade. A new multibillion
dollar agenda is on the horizon, and the First Peoples
of these lands are the drivers of new partnerships,
investment, and long term growth.
Today, through a shift in legal influence, Indigenous
Peoples own masses of land and entitlements through
treaties and rights and title, and occupy space in all areas
of business, industry, and the private sector. This will im-
pact and inform important public policy and evolve Indige-
nous governance structures. With this growth, Indigenous
Peoples are increasingly leaving their economic footprint
on today’s national and international economic landscape.
In 2018, I founded the Indigenomics Institute, an Indig-
enous economic advisory for public governments, Indige-
nous communities, and the private sector. The Institute
works with Nations, organizations, governments, and pri-
vate industry to strengthen Indigenous economic capacity.
Its mission is to facilitate positive leadership and relation-
ships to support the growth and development of Indige-
nous economies, with a focus on four core areas in over-
coming Indigenous economic barriers and addressing
challenges: dialogue platform for Indigenous economic
solutions; economic policy, research, analysis, and plan-
ning; education and training; and partnership develop-
ment. The Indigenomics Institute is converging ideas,
resources, tools, and people to grow the Indigenous
economy, and is unleashing a national Indigenous eco-
nomic agenda to facilitate the growth of the Indigenous
economy from its current value of $32 billion to $100
billion CAD in the next 5 years.
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 13
 of us have deep experience working with and for Indigenous
communities and in the Indigenous innovation space. Indigenous owned Impact Fund—the first in the world—with
A third, non-Indigenous, partner, Stephen Nairne, has exten-
sive experience in impact investing. Our partnership was
inspired by the momentum generated by the Canadian Truth
and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and our
commitment to each other. Our mission was our response
to those Calls to Action. It was also a response to a clearly
identified gap in the Canadian Indigenous economic landscape:
the absence of patient, flexible capital for Indigenous entre-
preneurs provided in a culturally safe and supportive way.
As an Indigenous financial intermediary, we anchored our
design and investment approach in the Indigenous worldview
that all things are related, connected, and respected. Every
being has a purpose and place within the sacred circle. We
committed that all our work would honor the Seven Natural
Laws of love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility,
and truth. We established early on that all of our investments
would work for the well being of both people and the planet,
Within our first two years as a firm, we began to raise our first
an initial target raise of $5 million CAD. The momentum that
inspired our partnership also fueled the appetite of investors
who were looking for ways to vote with their dollars toward
economic reconciliation while realizing a return on their
investment. As more and more investors completed their due
diligence processes and signalled that the Firm and the space
was safe to invest in, we began to experience a shift in the
investor ecosystem and the Indigenous landscape. The oppor-
tunity began to spread by word of mouth among investors
looking for blended returns and Indigenous entrepreneurs
looking for patient, flexible, culturally safe capital. The net
result of this shift was that the size of our Fund—the Raven
Indigenous Impact Fund—grew to $20 million CAD.
Raven in Action

O
while acknowledging the fund’s responsibility to both our ur first investment was in Animikii Inc (www.animikii.com),
investors and to the next seven generations. Our activities an award-winning, Indigenous-owned digital agency
are guided by five foundational principles: based in Victoria, BC, that uses technology to drive posi-
• Anchored in the Indigenous Peoples of Canada tive change for Indigenous Peoples. It was founded in 2003
the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples by Jeff Ward (Ojibwe and Métis), a web designer and software
developer who also served as CEO. Animikii developed tech-
• Guided by Indigenous cultures nology for leading Indigenous-focused organizations from
• Centered on Indigenous families, communities, all industries. Our investment enabled Animikii to complete
and territories two acquisitions and transition from a services business to
• Built on respectful and trusting relationships a products service, including the launch in 2021 of Niiwin,
• Ensuring cultural safety for all Indigenous Peoples a data sovereignty application for Indigenous communities.

The women
of Cheekbone
Beauty Cosmetics,
a leading
Indigenous
natural cosmetics
company based
in St. Catharines,
Ontario, Canada.
Photo courtesy of
Raven Indigenous
Capital Partners.

14 • www. cs. org

Since Raven’s investment, Animikii’s revenues have nearly
doubled and the team has grown from 8 to more than 20 full
time employees and 10 contractors. This investment enabled
Animikii to increase its revenues by 35 percent year over year,
notwithstanding the economic impacts of COVID-19; develop
a new Indigenous data sovereignty product and a new web
development product; and increase its Indigenous employee
base by over 50 percent. Raven joined the Board of Directors
for Animikii and provides ongoing operational, strategic,
and cultural support and advice.
Since 2019, we have invested more than $4 million CAD
into 6 Indigenous enterprises. In 2019, Raven announced
an investment of $350,000 CAD into Cheekbone Beauty For companies who have Indigenous prosperity as part of
Cosmetics, a leading Indigenous natural cosmetics company
headquartered in St. Catharines, Ontario. Founded by mar-
keting professional Jenn Harper (Anishinaabe) in 2016, the
company launched its branded product line using a sophis-
ticated brand ambassador social media strategy and now
ships lipsticks, glosses, contour kits, and brow products across
Canada, the United States, and Australia. Cheekbone embeds
a deep social mission in its business model, donating 10 per-
cent of profits to the First Nations Child and Family Caring
Society. Prior to this investment, Harper had bootstrapped
Cheekbone Beauty while raising a family and working full
time. “There is nothing more empowering than someone
believing in the vision of your brand as much as you do. It is
life changing. I’m really looking forward to our new relation-
ship with Raven Capital so that I can scale Cheekbone Beauty
Cosmetics with confidence. This is a product with a mission,”
said Harper.
The beauty industry has experienced explosive growth
over the past five years and continues to outpace broader
economic trends. Half of that growth has come from online
sales, which has been the basis of Cheekbone Beauty since
its inception. This is part of a generational shift to organic,
locally made, artisanal brands that have a compelling, mis-
sion-aligned narrative for young consumers. “Cheekbone
Beauty is a real time demonstration of Indigenomics in “good medicine,” and it is an important part of the next
action. Combining purpose, meaning and Indigenous chapters of our stories as Indigenous Peoples. Teh Beh
resilience—this company is going places. Indigenous entre-
preneurial success bolstered by the entrance of Indigenous-
controlled capital in the market through Raven Capital is
how success will be built in our communities,” said Hilton. Animikii Inc.
This past July, Raven announced an investment of is an award-
$250,000 CAD in the Social Awareness Group, a technology winning,
company headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. Co-founded Indigenous-
by Aaron Lambie, Kris Vanderburg, Joseph Duperreault, and owned digital
agency based
Jacquelyn Cardinal in 2019, the company is brought together
in Victoria,
by a shared belief that through small shifts, society can create BC. Their
positive changes in the relationships between Indigenous operating
communities and non-Indigenous society. Motivated by their principles are
vision of “Indigenous Prosperity Globally,” their flagship web- deeply rooted
based product, Nisto Link, is an evolution of socioeconomic in Indigenous
supply chain and hiring efforts to the industrial marketplace. values and
worldviews.
their current and future road map, Nisto Link plays a central Images courtesy
of Animikii.
role in illustrating objective data that connects corporate policy
to actual results. “So much of our political and economic dis-
cussions assume that success is a zero-sum game, and that’s
just not true. The work we do is our response to recognizing
that we all have an obligation to ensure that Indigenous com-
munities aren’t forgotten as the world continues to change
around us. The impacts of COVID-19 on our economies only
makes this call to action more urgent,” said Lambie, CEO,
at the Social Awareness Group.
Looking ahead
L
ike a traditional braid of Sweet Grass,
we are weaving together the theory of
Indigenomics, Raven Capital’s innovative
Indigenous approaches to social finance, and the
brilliance of Indigenous entrepreneurs. By facili-
tating the flow of capital towards solutions in Indigenous
spaces and by decolonizing our processes and our relation-
ships, we are building a better and brighter future than the
past that we have had. We are building thriving Indigenous
economies in the images of our cultures. This is a form of
Mussi Cho. Thank you for the opportunity to share
our medicine with you.
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 15
For the Indigenous Economy,
the Forest Is Life
Heading Philip Kujur
O
through
farms and
ur early ancestors left behind a far-reaching world-
forests on
view and an idea of diversity to live in coexistence
a winter
with nature. This worldview impels each Indigenous
morning
for a person to internalize traditions, customs, culture,
community and language of the community and also to preserve,
meeting, broaden, and enrich the same. By doing so, we not
Jharkhand, only ensure self-reliance and sustained development of the
India. community, but more importantly, we take the responsibility
Photo by to impart that worldview to the larger community and future
Mithilesh Kumar
generations. Today, the biggest challenge for Indigenous During the Sendra, the youth take a vow to stay faithful,
Peoples all over the world is the unrelenting assault on Indig-
enous lifeways and resources in the name of national interests
and development by governments and capitalist forces. For
Indigenous Peoples, resistance is ingrained in our struggle
for survival.
Our ancestors put in place some binding practices on the
collection and usage of forest produce. Without these prac-
tices, forests would look like merely a resource for eking out
a living. An Indigenous person’s identity right from birth is
linked with the Gotra (lineage or totem) of the family. It is the
obligation of the person to protect that particular tree, plant,
creeper, or animal. In no circumstances may one cause any
harm to it.
Another significant aspect of the Indigenous life is festivals
and ceremonies. In each season of the year, nature is worshiped
in various forms of deities. In these ceremonies we thank
nature, as it ensures food security throughout the year and
provides a spiritual home. This practice ensures that forest
produce and animals are not consumed during the flowering
or breeding time. These rituals also remind the community
not to use any resource beyond their need, ensuring that the
economy of the community stays robust without destroying
nature.
Some festivals are performed within a community, and
some are performed collectively involving all Tribes. One
example is the Sarhul festival, in which the Sal tree is to forests and forest produce (see sidebar).
16 • www. cs. org
worshipped. Communities are prohibited to use any fruit,
flower, or leaf that grows during the summer season until the
Sarhul is performed; by the time the Sarhul is over, the flow-
ering/breeding time would also be over. The Sendra (hunting)
ceremony is performed once a year just before the Sarhul.
In Sendra, all the youth of the community, led by the commu-
nity teacher, go into the forest for a week. Besides hunting,
the group learns from the teacher all the behavioral and cus-
tomary wisdom passed down through generations. They also
learn how to identify medicinal herbs, how to prepare tradi-
tional medicines, and how not to over-extract the resource.
responsible, and committed to the community and to
their ancestors.
The method by which medicinal herbs are collected is
another example of Indigenous Peoples’ protection of nature,
and in turn, our own economic stability. In order to collect an
herb in the forest, some communities have ordained that the
person collecting must be naked at the time of extracting the
material, otherwise the medicine would not work. This belief
is enforced upon the people simply to restrict overuse of the
product. The person extracting the herb would like to do it
quickly before someone sees him or her, and therefore would
not be able to extract too much of it beyond the need.
The idea of diversity and equality as passed on to us from
our early ancestors does not contain the concept of Shubh-Labh
(“luck and profit,” as is prevalent in Hindu culture), nor does
it give importance to weights and measures. However, we
need to employ some calculations in order to present ways of
transaction in the Indigenous milieu to the non-Indigenous
world. In the economics of an average 5-6 member Indig-
enous household here in eastern and central India, 65 percent
of our share in well being comes from forest produce alone.
India’s forests support the life of humans, animals, and other
living beings by providing fruits, flowers, roots, grass, honey,
herbs, and medicines, among many other things. The economy
and trade of Indigenous communities are intrinsically linked
 Indigenous Peoples’ economies are intrinsically linked and
interdependent with our social and cultural systems. If it were
broadly adopted, this model of socio-economic living would
help the world achieve the chimera called “sustainable devel-
opment,” and would also provide potency to humankind to
fight pandemics such as COVID-19.
The challenge before Indigenous communities is that today,
governments and corporations are hellbent on destroying the
homes and habitats of Indigenous Peoples by bringing in big
industries and development projects. Not only are Indigenous
Peoples being massively displaced from their natural homes,
but thousands of square kilometers of primary forests are
being ravaged as well. Indigenous communities see this
neoliberal model of development and economics as nothing
but a model of plunder and destruction. That is why we con-
sider our fight to protect our forests, water, and land inherited
from our ancestors no different from our fight to protect
our identity and existence. The fight is on.
— Philip Kujur is a Kudukh (Oraon) Tribesman and activist
from Jharkhand, India. For more than 25 years, he has been
working for the rights of Indigenous communities. He is the
convener of Adivasi Activists’ Forum for Indigenous Rights
(AAFIR). The article was translated from Hindi by Subrat
Kumar Sahu.

Forest Products
Mohua (honey tree or butter tree): Mohua
flower is used as food and also in making
alcohol. Each household collects 700–1,000
kg of Mohua flowers and earns about $700
USD every year. Indigenous communities
also collect the Mohua seeds from the
fruits to extract edible oil, which saves them
from buying oil from the market. Mohua
seed is used in making medicine.
Wood: Indigenous communities access
wood from the forest for use in house
construction and fire/fuel. One family con-
sumes fuel wood worth $300 USD every
year, which they get from the forest for
free. For agricultural implements, a house-
hold avails wood annually from the forest
worth $350 USD. For constructing a
house, it is worth about $2,000 USD.
The Sal tree: The Sal tree (Shorea robusta)
is fundamental to the lives of Indigenous
communities. Among all types of forest,
the Sal forest is regarded as the most
conducive to all living beings, as it always
contains rich biodiversity. Seed of the Sal
tree is also deeply linked with the Indige-
nous economic system.
Bamboo: Indigenous Peoples are depen-
dent on bamboo for making and repairing
houses, crockeries, implements, and other
essential objects. An average Indigenous
household accesses bamboo from the for-
est worth between $75-150 USD per year.
Tendu leaves: Leaves of the Tendu (East
Indian Ebony) plant keep alive a large indus-
try in India in which Bidi (leaf cigarette) is
manufactured. Since the plants are only
available in the forests where Indigenous
Peoples live, Indigenous communities have
been given the rights to collect the leaves
and sell them to contractors and govern-
ment corporations. This activity is one of
the most important parts of the Indigenous
economy.
Lac: People cultivate and collect lac from
trees and sell in the local market for $3–
$7 USD per kilogram, which substantially
addresses economic crisis in lean periods.
Fruits, roots, and vegetables: The
forest is full of fruits, roots, and vegetables
that make up the lifeline of Indigenous
communities. The most important among
them are Aonla (Indian gooseberry), mango,
Jamun (Indian blueberry), Piyar or Char
(Buchanania lanzan), Indian plum, Harra
(chebulic myrobalan), Behera (beleric my-
robalan), Genthi (forest potato), white muesli,
and myriad types of leaves and mushrooms.
Medicinal herbs: Medicines prepared
from herbs easily available to Indigenous
communities cure many diseases and effec-
tively address healthcare of communities. Indigenous women selling twigs for
Indigenous Peoples use these medicines datun (toothbrushes), slices of genthi
to cure paralysis, tuberculosis, cancer, (wild potato), vegetables, and sal leaves
at a local market, Jharkhand, India.
infertility, diabetes, and polio. Even when
modern pharmaceutical medicines do not Photo by Samarjeet Minz.
work, these traditional medicines can
and to collect honey from the forest.
work wonders.
The Birhor Tribe has been officially listed
Munjani: Also known as Kujur, this is the as endangered.
fruit of a rare creeper out of which Indige- Honey: Collecting honey from the forest
nous Peoples extract an oil that is used in and selling it locally makes up a substantial
the preparation of several medicines. part of the Indigenous economy. Almost all
Gum: Indigenous people collect gums Indigenous groups perform this activity, and
from various trees and sell them in the it is the primary occupation of the Chenchu
local market. As these gums are in big Tribe in the states of Andhra Pradesh and
demand, they add to people’s income Telengana.
handsomely. Fodder: Livestock rearing is an economic
Rope: In the states of Jharkhand, Chhat- mainstay. Indigenous Peoples do not have
tisgarh, and Odisha, there is an Indigenous to depend on the market for fodder for
community called Birhor (literally meaning their livestock; they get it from forests
“the forest people”) whose primary occu- and commons, which provides economic
pation is to make ropes using natural resources stability and self-reliance.

Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 17

 Power to the People
An Efficient Wood Burning Stove Provides Hope to Many
Shaldon Ferris (CS STAFF) CS: Give us a picture of the economic situation

I
of Indigenous Peoples in South Africa today.
n South Africa, the need for alternative sources of energy CB: The economic situation of the people in the southern part
is ever apparent as Africa’s business hub continues to face of Africa is very tricky. There are people who live near metros,
electricity shortages. The last 10 years have been troubling people who live in rural areas, and people who live in very
for citizens far and wide, as both residential and commer- remote regions. We tend to think that people living in cities
cial properties are often without power. The country’s are better off, but it’s not like that. We are all living with simi-
main supplier of electricity, ESKOM, often reports that the lar social ills, some of which include substance and alcohol
infrastructure is aging and has to shut down portions of the abuse. Economically, we are not a strong people. We rely on
grid. The load on the infrastructure has become unsustain- the tourism sector in the north, and further south we have
able, based in part on population growth. Since around 1990, many hawkers; a lot of young people resort to crime to make
many migrants from further north have descended on South a living. There are others working on cattle farms, game
African cities like Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town farms, and other farms, but most of these people are not paid
with the hope of securing a better future. In Gauteng, for well. Some farm workers are still being paid with alcohol as a
instance, the population has doubled from approximately bonus after a successful baboon or jackal hunt. Even in caves
7 million in 1999 to 14 million today. This increase is causing
strain on health, transportation, housing, and power systems.
Without power, none of these essential services can be deliv-
ered to the people. While the country is looking for solutions
to increase the power supply, it is now becoming common
for its citizens to go to bed without having eaten a home
cooked meal.
While renewable energy is an option, it is yet to fully
materialize. Waiting for solutions to be implemented is not
always possible. People on the ground have been working on
alternatives to government plans, taking matters into their
own hands. Craig Beckett, a San entrepreneur, healer, and
artisan, comes to the rescue with a portable stove design
based on San traditional knowledge that provides a plan for
a warm plate of food. Beckett grew up in Riverlea, Johannes-
burg, where he spent a large part of his life. His search for his
ancestry took him on a journey to the Northern Cape, where
he is very active in Indigenous matters, such as the IYX Indig-
enous Youth Exchange program. In this program, he teaches
youth traditional Khoi and San knowledge, language, and
customs. In November 2020, 16 youth learned about natural
earth building principles, natural remedies, and Indigenous
rights of passage through this program. Beckett considers
Indigenous traditions and knowledge a source of pride and
a foundation for sustainable living, as well as a source of
inspiration for business ideas and activities.

Cultural Survival: Craig, tell us about your nickname.

Craig Beckett: I call myself “The Bushman.” Although some
people today find this term to be derogatory, this is what
we were called by colonists, and we soon called each other
Bushmen. To me, it is not offensive. I do not believe in clan Beckett’s
names, because I believe that my people are one. I was born stove design.
in Johannesburg, and I have family in the Eastern Cape,
Northern Cape, Namibia, and Botswana.

18 • www. cs. org All photos by Craig Beckett.

where our ancestors drew paintings, we need permits to earn
some sort of living from that. Our access is restricted. It is these
kinds of acts that put a huge dent on our economic situation.
It would be great if we could make a living from who we
are in areas such as dance, theater, the arts. Our sisters are
beautiful and should be on fashion posters and billboards, but
we are always excluded. This has been the case for a long time
when it comes to the Aboriginal people of South Africa. Our
languages are not taught in schools, although there are 11
official languages—ours, which were the first languages spoken
here, have not yet been made official. So this exclusion narra-
tive is something that we are too familiar with, and naturally
not happy about. Even when it comes to employment, we are
way at the bottom when it comes to selection. Our kids matricu-
late and then roam the streets because parents generally do
not have funds to send kids to universities. This is our plight,
and it is only in self-reliance that we can overcome this battle.

CS: Tell us about the wood burning stove you

developed. How does it work?
CB: The wood burning stove is unique. It minimizes defores-
Craig Beckett teaches youth how to build traditional clay stoves.
tation, chopping down trees in large amounts, because it uses
Below: Beckett demonstrates his wood burning stove.
only 250 grams of wood. With this you can boil water, cook
rice, or make a stew or curry. It can be used both indoors and
outdoors. It is portable; it can be used when camping. It also
reduces the risk of fires because of the way it is designed. All
you need is a bit of wood, as it does not use any paraffin or
oil or any other fuel. The stove is manufactured by a friend
of mine in Durban, South Africa, and I travel throughout
South Africa selling these wood burning stoves. The product
is available for sale only from Indigenous people. If I could
give it out for free I would, because I know that there are
electricity shortages.

CS: How can people get this product?

CB: At this point it is directly sold by me and I can courier it
anywhere in Southern Africa, making use of Postnets services.
I take WhatsApp orders on +27720501835 and I send it to
you. More details can be found on my Instagram page,
@thebushmanwb, or on Facebook, also thebushmanwb.

CS: While this is getting off the ground, how are

you making ends meet?
CB: I am also an Indigenous healer. I work with plants,
making special ointments and medicines that combat dis-
eases, walking in the footsteps of my ancestors, the San. Ever
since I had some nerves damaged in my face, I was interested
in finding alternative methods of healing. Growing up in the
city, I was exposed to hospitals and conventional ways of heal-
ing, but living in the bush has taught me so much more. My
exposure to townships and ghettos was also vital in leading
me back to the bush. I understand the difference between an
urban bushman and a rural bushman. It is this background
that has improved my understanding of ailments in both ar-
eas. Teas, lotions, and medicine, this is what I am about. I also
make Indigenous headgear and walking sticks. In this way I
am able to survive and live a life as close to doing what I really
want to do as possible. I consider myself to be a poster boy
of modern Indigenous youth at the forefront of the revolution
of self-awareness and consciousness of my people.

Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 19


Youth canas PennElys Droz and Nikki Pieratos
I
harvesting.
Photo by ndigenous people across the world have been building
Sarah Manning,
NDN Collective. power. We build power through maintaining and passing
on our songs, stories, and languages; through prayer,
healing, and speaking truth. We build power through
defending our lands, waters, and communities through
grassroots direct action and international human rights
work. And we build power through visioning and creating
economic models and practices that reflect our teachings
and values and honor our relationships.
Our Indigenous governments, seeking to recover from
colonial subjugation and dependence, now sometimes engage
in the same exploitive economic practices used to decimate
our Peoples, causing intense internal conflict. For example,
we may forego environmental protections on our lands or
sign away our rights as legal sovereigns to attract capital in-
vestment. Collective land ownership and community decision-
making processes are not attractive to most investors, leaving
many Nations feeling like they have to set their cultural respon-
sibilities and spiritual values aside as they pursue economic
opportunities for their people. As Anishinaabe scholar and
activist Renee Gurneau said, “We have become financially
dependent on our own cultural destruction.” This has never
been acceptable, and now is the time to recreate and reimag-
ine our futures and economies, carrying on the legacies of
those who have kept our people, cultures, and values alive.
We understand that an inherent part of the liberation of
Indigenous Peoples, and all Peoples, is the re-establishment of
thriving economies that are independent of colonial control,
and, critically, that are based in and reflective of our traditional
teachings, understandings, and values. These values are the
basis of building a more inclusive and regenerative future that
braids together strong economies, equity, planet, and health.
NDN Collective, an Indigenous-led organization dedicated
to building Indigenous power, is centered in these values to
transform narratives, investment, philanthropy, and build
connected movements to advance the defense, regenerative
development, and decolonization efforts of Indigenous Peoples.
We believe that by building Indigenous power, we are
20 • www. cs. org
Investing
in Indigenous
Power to Build
Regenerative
Futures
inherently supporting the movement towards equity and
justice for all people and the planet.
Our work to transform the capitalist space and systems in
which we operate is as much a part of our movement building
work as our community organizing efforts to stop the Keystone
XL pipeline or the border wall construction on Kumeyaay
and Tohono O’odham lands. In recognition of this idea,
NDN Collective created NDN Fund, the impact investing
and lending arm of the Collective. NDN Fund is an emerging
national Native Community Development Financial Institu-
tion (CDFI) providing financing for large scale Indigenous
regenerative community and national development projects
that dramatically scale up investment and shift all decision-
making power to Indigenous Peoples.
NDN Fund’s investment strategy is grounded in recogniz-
ing the interconnectedness of all things and our responsibilities
to our homelands and each other. We provide blended capital,
offering debt financing at low rates with flexible terms, and
also help align and obtain capital from grant, equity, and other
sources where it aligns with our mission. We are developing
our capacity building programs so that we can provide cus-
tomized technical and business services to communities to
support development that reflects what is most important to
our people and way of life. Our technical assistance also sup-
ports advanced industry expertise across our lending areas
to help our communities innovate in areas like renewables,
housing, social enterprise, and agriculture.
NDN Fund is leading the nation in resilient and regenera-
tive finance principles based on our Indigenous values of rela-
tionship and kinship. We understand that relationships create
life, and it is the quality, balance, and health of our intercon-
nected relationships that determine whether an act is going
to be healthy and regenerative of life or not. We place central
value on maintaining and regenerating healthy and balanced
relationships with the land, all of the beings that give us life,
and with each other. NDN Fund prioritizes green and sus-
tainable development practices into our underwriting process,
but we equally stress the importance of building resiliency
and self-determination among our people. Our Resilient &
Regenerative Capital Screen includes questions that prioritize
biomimicry, the related health outcomes, and the types of
partnerships and relationships our projects create or strengthen.
Part of maintaining good relationships is understanding
that generosity, reciprocity, and not taking more than you
need is important. We support Indigenous entrepreneurs,
businesses, and community development projects that give
back to the sources of life and ensure that the benefits of a
project, business, or program are felt and received by many.
Building too much excess resource without distributing it is
counter to the teachings of our cultures and the teachings of
the land. We support businesses that value cooperation and
collaboration over competition, and who are responsive to
feedback and change.
Grounded in our values of Indigenous liberation and through the Rosebud Farm Company. The purpose and work
justice, we support work that uplifts our nationhood, human
rights, land rights, and political power. We recognize that the
people most impacted by systems of injustice must be the
ones to lead the way to justice. The businesses and projects
we invest in demonstrate that they serve and are engaged
with community and have mechanisms in place for localized
decision-making, accountability, and equitability in leader-
ship. Part of NDN Fund and NDN Collective’s work on trans-
formative systems’ change is to help bring this knowledge to
the private investment and public sectors that fund most of
the larger development projects. We are creating a paradigm
shift of how these investors think of investment returns and
risk; i.e., today’s financials versus tomorrow’s livelihood.
Indigenous communities and Nations from across our ter-
ritories have been moving this work forward in strong ways,
creating businesses and building economies that reflect our
values and honor the Earth. One example is the Red Cliff
Fish Company in Bayfield, Wisconsin. The Red Cliff Band of
Lake Superior Chippewa finalized the construction of their
fish processing facility in Fall of 2020. The business not only
provides economic opportunity for the community, but is
furthering the Tribe’s food sovereignty goals, keeping an economy from one based on the exploitation of our ecological
ancestral relationship with Lake Superior and the fish while
operating a zero-waste processing facility where fish waste is
composted for community agriculture at the Red Cliff Mino
Bimaadiziiwin Farm. They are sustainably fishing to offer
products to the regional market year-round, utilizing ecologi-
cally friendly packaging and preserving the health of the eco-
system by closing the fisheries during the spawning period.
Another example is Navajo Power, a majority Indigenous-
owned solar electric development enterprise operating out
of the Navajo Nation. In 2020, Navajo Power received NDN
Fund’s first loan, consulting support, and equity contributions.
They are actively developing utility scale solar utilizing a values-
based business model, providing culturally appropriate tech-
nical assistance to their community partners. Navajo Power
has an executive compensation cap of 5:1, while 10 percent
of the company ownership is held in a “Turquoise Share”
that must go to funding community benefits if the company
is sold. A minimum of 80 percent of profits are reinvested
in new projects and community benefits, and part of the com-
pany’s financing obligates them to also invest into off-grid
solar to provide electricity to some of the many unelectrified
homes on the reservation.
NDN Fund is also honored to be investing in Wolakota
Regenerative Buffalo Range of South Dakota, a venture oper-
ated by the Rosebud Economic Development Corporation
of the Wolakota Regenerative Buffalo Range is to “raise and
harvest buffalo using culturally appropriate, humane, and
ecologically regenerative practices while restoring our rela-
tionship to the land and promoting economic, food, and
Tribal sovereignty.” They are engaged in a pilot project to
offer community shares and have built strong partnerships
to move this work forward, deeply rooted in their respon-
sibility to care for and honor the buffalo and the land.
Investing in Indigenous-led development is also a gift for
the broader world. An economy that functions based on the
perpetual growth of extractive exploitation of land and people
is destined to fail. Indigenous creative minds are joined by
many others, working to build economies that can provide
for the livelihoods of people, protect and conserve natural
Buffalo are
resources, honor workers, and build the power of entire com-
sacred in
munities and regional economies rather than preserve con- many Native
centrated gain for a limited few. Investing in these enterprises American
and supporting your local Indigenous businesses and trade cultures.
networks is a strong way to build our free and powerful Wolakota
Nations. With creative determination and relationship build- Regenerative
ing, we can model the systemic transformation of trade and Buffalo Range
in Mission,
and human relations toward one based on care, reciprocity, SD, is raising
and the regeneration of life. buffalo while
restoring
relationships
— Dr. PennElys Droz (Anishinaabe/Wyandot) is NDN to land while
Collective program officer and NDN Fund steering committee promoting
member. Nikki Pieratos (Bois Forte Band of Chippewa) is economic,
managing director of the NDN Fund. food, and
Tribal
sovereignty.
Learn more: ndncollective.org; redclifffish.com; Photo courtesy
of Wolakota
navajopower.com; rosebudbuffalo.org
Regenerative
Buffalo Range.
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 21

Dune Lankard canoeing
on Sheridan Glacier Lake,
Alaska, observing the
glacier retreating.
Dune Lankard
M
arch 24, 1989 is a
day that changed the
course of my life for-
ever. I was a full time
commercial fisherman
when the Exxon Valdez tanker hit
Bligh Reef and spewed tens of mil-
lions of gallons of crude oil into the
waters and onto the pristine beaches
of my ancestral homeland in Alaska’s
Prince William Sound. Since then,
Dune Lankard,
I have referred to that day as “The founder of Native
Day the Water Died.” It wasn’t just Conservancy.
the waters that were impacted. Every-
thing was forever changed for the
Eyak people—from our way of life as fishermen to our
dreams for the future.
In the midst of that oil spill crisis, something inside of
me came alive and I clearly saw what I needed to do: I had
to become louder than everything else, yet remain a voice of
reason so people would listen. I have since dedicated my life
to defending my people and our land and protecting endan-
gered habitats. We, Eyaks, are wild Copper River Salmon
Peoples, along with the upriver Ahtna Athabaskan Peoples. We
are the wild Copper River Salmon. We are also the traditional
ancestral stewards of the Copper River Delta region. As a
result of our tireless preservation work to halt clearcutting
by Alaska Native Corporations in the Exxon spill zone, more
than 1,000,000 acres between our beloved Copper River our nonprofit work are to visualize and manifest the future
Delta and 1,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean to Kodiak
are permanently protected from development.
I am also deeply invested in reclaiming the dreams and
aspirations we once had and which have been so negatively
affected not only by that one single disastrous day, but also
22 • www. cs. org
Healing
Our Waters,
Healing
Ourselves
Through a
Sustainable
Economy
by the larger system of colonization
that continues to impact the way of
life of Indigenous Peoples through-
out the Americas. I founded Native
Conservancy with exactly that vision
in mind: to strengthen our inherent
rights of sovereignty, subsistence,
and spirituality while building resil-
ient communities and regenerative
economies that safeguard our lands,
waters, and cultural ways of life.
When you look at our current
economic and political systems and
the bigger picture of climate change,
including ocean acidification and
warming seas, it is easy to become
overwhelmed and feel hopeless. Yet,
this is not the way the story ends. This is only the beginning.
Through stepping up, finding our courage, leaning in with
strategic collaboration, networking, building community, and
directing our energy (time, money, love), we can change the
current trajectory of the planet and build a healthier, more
just, robust, and equitable future for our next generations.
Our approach to finding solutions is holistic and rooted
in our traditional values. It is not just about re-molding the
current dysfunctional systems that perpetuate social and eco-
nomic inequities. It is about reimagining what a just and fair
economy can and should be. That is why I founded the Native
Conservancy and why my current work is focused on a regen-
erative and equitable sovereignty model. Key objectives of
with the next generation so they can do better than we did.
Our current work also focuses on changing our relationship
with our food sources and bringing a resilient, regenerative,
and restorative economic model to Indigenous communities.
One of the ways we are achieving this goal is through kelp
All photos by Ayse Gursoz.
farming—an initiative that serves Indigenous communities,
and more specifically Native youth and women.
We are very aware that we cannot achieve our objectives
alone and by using the same pathways that got us into this
mess. We are doing both the critical thinking and implemen-
tation of the work with a diverse group of nonprofit organiza-
tions, academics, and Native partners to create a new business
model: “nonprofit + for profit = social profit.” This model
will help us change the way we live and enhance our quality
of life and the value of our work in the world. Together we are
forging a pathway that would help Native villages and small
mariculture (kelp and bi-valves) farmers to have a viable
chance at a just economy, even while large corporations and
seafood processors are making every effort to join the field.
At the center of our work is a commitment to lifting our
communities in all that we do every day. One of the ways
we are doing that is by harvesting, processing, packaging,
and delivering traditional foods to our respected and valued
elders—an especially essential service during these times of
uncertainty with COVID-19 and increased food insecurity.
We have chosen kelp farming as a centerpiece of our activities
because this industry is growing rapidly across the United
States and around the world, presenting many opportunities
for coastal Native Alaskans who have been harvesting kelp
for millennia.
The Chugach region is home to a number of Native Tribes
in Chenega, Tatitlek, Eyak (Cordova), Port Graham, Nanwalek,
Valdez, and Seward who have thousands of years of collective
knowledge and relationships within these waters. For our
communities that are still recovering from the impacts of
the Exxon Valdez oil spill 31 years ago, cultivating kelp will
strengthen local food systems. It also has the potential to help
restore and clean these waters while providing much needed
habitat for a number of species, including the Pacific herring,
whose populations have continued to decline from 200,000
tons to less than 4,000 tons of herring returning home.
Kelp requires minimal input for its cultivation. No fertil-
izers, pesticides, or arable land are needed for it to grow. Once
you have secured your wild local kelp seed, all you need is
the ocean, the sun, and a little bit of patience—and what you
get is an incredibly nutritious food and a product that can
be used for a variety of purposes such as nutraceuticals,
compost, fertilizer, biofuels, and many other byproducts. In
addition to being a food and excellent fertilizer for on-land
farming, kelp offers immense benefits to the environment.
It improves water quality, provides valuable habitat for hun-
dreds of ocean species, and it has the potential to mitigate
climate change impacts. Kelp can also serve as an incredibly
effective carbon sink; estimates suggest that kelp forests can
sequester five times the carbon dioxide of terrestrial forests.
In other words, growing kelp is a win-win-win for our Native
communities, our ailing blue planet, and for creating a new
resilient, restorative, and regenerative economy.
We are currently in the process of building our first
Community Kelp Seed Nursery and conducting research
that will allow us to answer a number of challenging questions,
including what is the best method for growing, processing,
and distributing kelp products. There are also questions about
how kelp cultivation can improve and expand habitat for
culturally and economically significant species. To address
Ribbon kelp (Alaria Marginata) being harvested in Simpson Bay, Alaska.
these issues, in 2021 Native Conservancy will enact a pilot
research project for seven kelp test sites throughout Prince
William Sound. The knowledge and best practices derived
from these test lines will be shared with a new wave of farmers
and community partners, significantly decreasing the risks
and learning curve and increasing their opportunity for a
successful, efficient, and reliable harvest. We are working to
build the foundation for a future economic model that is
truly sustainable, and good for the ocean.
Our future goals include building the first Native com-
munity-run kelp restoration project in the Exxon Valdez
spill zone to support Native ownership of wild kelp seed that
will empower Native villages to manage their own means of
growing kelp. Our pilot project team will be investigating a
kelp baseline study on best practices for restoring damaged
and struggling ecosystems so that one day, our communities
and oceans will celebrate the return of our lost herring runs.
Our goal is to build the foundation necessary to support the
emerging opportunities for small-scale kelp farmers and
farmer collectives throughout Prince William Sound, the
Exxon spill zone, and throughout Alaska.
For Indigenous entrepreneurs, it is time for First Nation
Peoples to imagine an economy that is rooted in Indigenous
knowledge, respect, responsibility, and reciprocity with all
our fellow humans and all the living beings on Mother Earth.
That is what we are building here in Alaska. From the waters
that once ran black with oil, we are planting the seeds for
a future economy that will heal our waters, our lands, and
our Native Peoples.
— Dune Lankard is the descendant of the Eagle Clan of the
Eyak Tribe who has inhabited the Copper River Delta and
eastern Prince William Sound regions of Alaska for the last
3,500 years. He is also a lifelong subsistence and commercial
fisherman in the Delta and the Sound, a co-founder of the
Eyak Traditional Elders Council, and an Eyak shareholder
of both the Eyak (Village) Corporation and the Chugach
Alaska (Regional) Corporation.
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 23
Building
a Business
Rooted in
Indigenous
Values
Tanka Bar D
awn Sherman (Lakota, Shawnee, and Delaware
Tribes) is the CEO of Native American Natural Foods
LLC, home to the Tanka brand, a B-corp minority
certified owned and minority-led company. Recently,
Cultural Survival’s Indigenous Rights Radio Producer,
Shaldon Ferris (KhoiSan), spoke with Sherman.

Cultural Survival: Tell us how Tanka came to be one of

the most recognized Native American-owned brands.
Dawn Sherman: Native American Natural Foods was built
out of the Pine Ridge Reservation, which is the people of
Oglala Lakota. It was built out of the community from the
ground up by two grassroots members and social entrepre-
neurs, Mark Tilsen and Karlene Hunter, in 2007. Tanka
was the first product of its kind and it was based on a time-
honored recipe that our ancestors have used (and still use
to this day) called wasna. This traditional recipe was modern-
ized by the founders and the Tanka bar was made. The bar
itself is tender, savory, and sweet, and the mouthfeel that
you’re getting is from the 100 percent bison. It also has
tart, sweet cranberries in it. It is a blend of taking the fruit,
which has high acidity, and the meat and preserving it.
It’s a natural process that we used to preserve meat
throughout the months in the winter to sustain us.

CS: What are the Indigneous values and principles

that the company was built and operates on?
DS: In our community, bison is what we call “our sister
nation.” It’s a sacred animal and we were actually born of the
buffalo. There’s a sacred place in the Black Hills—we were
born from that area within this cave. When we first were
born, we actually came out as the four-legged, which was
the buffalo. As the rest of our people came out, they stayed
people, but we were told to follow the buffalo, that they are
our life giver. There’s that direct correlation, because they
provide our food, they provide our housing, they provide
our clothing, and our economy. They sustained us.
Everything we do is to honor the buffalo. The first buffalo
that was harvested with Tanka bar was donated by Parks and
Rec on our reservation. It was killed ceremoniously and it
was all done in prayer. Everything that we do as Tanka and
ourselves comes from that creation story, because it’s always
honoring the animal. We were told at the beginning of Tanka
in prayer that as long as we honor the buffalo, we’ll be suc-
cessful. We always instill those Indigenous values—taking
care of the animals. We’re stewards, you know, we have to
take care of them. And the environment. And the Earth.

24 • www. cs. org

 Our values, especially on the Pine Ridge Reservation,
are in Lakota. There are seven values that are taught through-
out our generations from the elders, passed on through our
families and throughout the community. These seven values
are praying; respect; caring and compassion; honesty and
truth; generosity; humility; and wisdom. Those are seven
of the values that we really are built on and practice. The
company was built from the community on the reservation
in South Dakota, so those same values were embedded in
the core value of Native American Natural Foods/Tanka. as some of our competitors to compete in some of those big
They are part of our company culture and who we are.
CS: Tell us about the process of manufacturing
a Tanka bar.
DS: From an operational standpoint, it takes nine hours to
make a Tanka bar. It is a full day, it’s carefully made. As you
take the ingredients and they’re blended together, they’re
formed into what you see as the bar, and then that bar is slow-
smoked throughout the day. As you’re seeing that, you can
imagine that bison and the cranberries and everything being
mixed together and formed and then smoked. And then nerships move at the speed of trust. And recently we were
what comes out of that is that tender, sweet, smoky flavor.
A “day in the life” of a Tanka bar is actually more than one
day. Once it gets made, it gets packaged and shipped to our
distribution centers. All of this is managed by our employees.
We have several employees on and near the reservation So with that, we added to that recipe. Now we’re on that
and throughout the United States, so our staff members are
making phone calls, making sure everything’s getting shipped
in on time to our warehouses. And from there, when our
customers order it, our staff members are making sure that
that’s fulfilled and shipped out on time to our customers.
The nice thing is, operationally, we’re a distance-neutral
company. Because we come from an isolated area, you’ll have
all the advantages and disadvantages that come from being
so isolated. Making sure that we’re able to service all the
communities in the United States is really important. A day
in the life of operations, it’s done throughout the Nation itself,
because for Indigenous communities there are no borders.
We’re trying to service all communities. It starts with making
a bar in one day, and then it takes another day to get it out
and shipped, and then out to our customers so they can going to be able to pass on to everybody else?” As we grow,
enjoy our quality product.
CS: How do you source your ingredients?
DS: We’re really careful about where we source our ingredients.
We try to stick to Native American-produced ingredients be-
cause it’s more sustainable using Indigenous knowledge, and
the buffalo is a sacred animal and a sustainable, regenerative
food. Wild rice from the Red Lake Nation is in our sticks.
You have the bison, which is prairie-fed, 100 percent buffalo,
non-GMO organic. Our spices and our cranberries are I always use this analogy: you have to face the storm. You’re
organic or non-GMO, and we’re gluten free and USDA
certified.
CS: The company has weathered some ups and
downs, especially related to financing and investment.
How have you dealt with these challenges?
DS: Being in the food industry, we know that it requires a
lot of capital to be successful, especially since we were the
All photos courtesy of native american natural foods.
very first to create this category with a meat and fruit bar.
And with that comes all the competitors behind you. As we
grew, the competition came in with a lot of money. We are
very capital-intensive and privately owned on the reservation
in South Dakota, trying to fulfill big goals and a big mission
by returning buffalo to the lands, life, and economy of our
people, bringing that economy back that was taken away
from us.
As we grew, we just didn’t have the same financial backing
chains. Finance and capital was one of our main obstacles that
we had to overcome. Throughout these last few years, it did
get pretty competitive and we did struggle. But, we brought
in the right partners to support us. We have great support and
a great foundation and great people, a great product, and a
great mission. We knew we had the recipe and the ingredients
to make this successful. It was bringing the right partners
in that wanted to fulfill the mission and keep us authentic,
because we are the only Native American brand nationally
recognized. It just took a lot of work being transparent. Part-
able to close on our round of funding, as well as bringing in
some other partners, such as Niman Ranch. They have been
a great asset operationally, and they’re a values-based com-
pany as well as our equity partners that come in this year.
trajectory to grow and reclaim our space and be who we are.
CS: How do you define success for the business?
DS: I have to go back to the values of who we are, because
success for us is not monetary—it’s really in taking care of the
community and opening doors and providing opportunity.
A successful day for us is being able to pass that knowledge
down and educate somebody. With every relationship we’re
building bridges to break down that isolation on the reser-
vation. How we see success is being able to give back to our
community and do what we want to do by restoring the buf-
falo, the land, and the economies of our people. We always
look internally and say, “All right, how have we given back?
What have we learned today and what’s the wisdom that we’re
we just want to make sure to drive that impact back down
to the communities.
CS: Please share any advice you may have for
Indigenous entrepreneurs.
DS: Be resilient. You’re going to get a lot of no’s, more no’s
than yes’s. So be resilient and be authentic, knowing you have
a good idea and you want it to be successful and surround
yourself with those people who are going to build you up.
going to go through a lot of hard times. The buffalo in a snow-
storm, they face and walk towards the storm because instinc-
tually they know that they’re going to come out of the storm.
And that’s the advice I give everybody. Be resilient, face the
storm. It’s going to be tough. But eventually, as you’re walking
forward through that storm, you’re going to come out of it.
So just build that support group around you, your herd,
who you are. Build that herd around you.
Cultural Survival Quarterly December 2020 • 25
KO EF G r a n t Pa rt n e r Spot li g h t

E x chang e on O ur T e rms

Cxhab Wala Kiwe Implements

Own Currency

Planning for the community currency pilot project.

Bia’ni Madsa’ Juárez López (CS STAFF)

I
n an effort spanning several decades, the struggle for Indigenous
autonomy continues in communities around the world. A focal
point for gaining autonomy is economic freedom, as economic
freedom drives growth, innovation, and mobility. Indigenous com-
munities continue to explore the meaning of economic freedom
in their own communities and look for alternatives to mainstream
systems. One organization in Colombia that is working to enrich their
community economically is Cxhab Wala Kiwe, which translates to
“Great People’s Territory” in the Nasa Yuwe language. Cxhab Wala
Kiweas is also known as Asociación de Cabildos Indígenas Norte
del Cauca (ACIN). Made up of 22 Indigenous Nasa reservations
and seven community projects with their respective representatives,
ACIN is working to implement an alternative currency that facilitates
Out of 19 the exchange of their members’ own products, goods, and services.
submissions, ACIN understands the importance of protecting domestic produc-
the winning tion because for a long time they have been surrounded by threats
design of the
from paramilitary groups, transnational economic projects, and the
currency design
federal government; it is from this context that the communities of
contest for the
pilot project northern Cauca formed ACIN. As Libia Sandoval Buritica (Nasa),
was by coordinator of ACIN’s project, Complementary Currency for the
Hernando Sovereignty of the Territory, explains, “The conflict with the govern-
Reyes ment is our daily bread because our proposals are always focused on
Artunduaga. autonomy and independence, focused on freedom and the protection

26 • www. cs. org All photos courtesy of Libia Sandoval and ACIN.
of natural resources and the protection of the human resource ACIN recognizes that having a currency is a necessary
of life. Unfortunately one has to say about our government— part of a mercantile system embedded in the global trading
it is not said by me, everyone knows it—here the government system. However, the entire process is always done following
is one of the most violent and corrupt in the world.” their Indigenous values, including the permission of the
The hope has been that congresses, councils, and internal elders and with the involvement of communities. Respect
assemblies can strengthen community mobilization to defend for Mother Earth is the main value that governs their work,
Indigenous territories with the needs of the community in Sandoval says. “We never contemplate exploitation, because
mind. To protect and generate self-sufficiency, ACIN assists [land] is not ours . . . it is precisely because we are very much
with economic solidarity projects concerning agricultural against multinational and government systems that sell
production, artisanal transformation, semi-industrial agricul- our territories and grant concessions from our territories.”
ture, livestock raising, and energy production. In accordance ACIN dreams and works so that in the future, in addition
with ACIN’s mission to achieve political, economic, and to an alternative currency, they can set up their own bank to
territorial autonomy, the establishment of their own currency manage their resources. Cultural Survival is proud to collabo-
will help achieve territorial sovereignty. It will also advance rate with ACIN’s project, and we hope that the currency will
the conversation about who has the right to land and its serve as an exchange tool that will circulate exclusively within
natural resources and normalize an economic system based the resguardo (reservation). The use of this alternative cur-
on community transactions, which will help increase the rency will add to individual community projects, which bring
levels of well being in the community. attention and much needed funding for the community. The
The idea of ​​alternative currency arose from the economic currency also provides protection for domestic production
difficulties in the region, due in large part to the lack of cash and reduces the entry of foreign products since large compa-
and problems in the marketing of products. The communities nies do not accept it. The protection of internal production
identified that goods sold locally were mainly from outside and the reduction of external production is essential to
companies that offered processed products such as soft economic autonomy.
drinks and chips, while foods that were produced locally, Sandoval believes that Indigenous Peoples can achieve
such as yogurts, were not sold equally due to competition territorial and economic autonomy. “What I can tell you is
from outside companies. This is why ACIN and communities that you simply dream and continue with the dynamic that
took action. “Within our policies, we strive to generate food makes you economically strong, but also identify what is
autonomy, economic autonomy, political autonomy, and weakening you and find out how to solve the issue. Because
territorial autonomy. So what the comrades did was join in walking, one only knows what is hurting us if we stop and
associations within the territory to produce their own examine, and maybe switch directions. One cannot continue
food such as dairy products and juices. We have managed doing the same thing and expect different results. You have
to displace some of the external products; however, this to dare to do something different so that things change and
did not happen in all territories,” explains Sandoval. work. You have to continue investigating. I invite you to
Despite the progress made, not all territories have man- analyze the issue of currencies, and if at any time you need
aged to fully regulate the purchase and sale of local products. some recommendations, we are here and open to sharing
For this reason, in 2018, community members called a con- our experiences.”
gress to seek solutions to this problem. The Indigenous coun-
cil of the Cxhab Wala Kiwe presented the proposal of local Currency use training
currency. The practical and pedagogical exercise was carried in the community.
out, people saw how well it worked, and it was concluded that
a currency should be made for the Nasa communities of
northern Cauca.
The currency is defined by ACIN as a long-term project.
Work on this issue began 12 years ago, and despite the long
context of social conflicts in the area, they have persevered.
In a recent call for proposal to 22 Indigenous communities,
19 responded with their own coin designs to a contest where
the design was collectively chosen. Currently, and with the
support of Cultural Survival’s Keepers of the Earth Fund,
ACIN is conducting trainings on the alternative currency
for colleagues who will take the experience to all ACIN ter-
ritories. The pilot project was established in the Indigenous
reservation in Munchique los Tigres. Sandoval says, “From
there we began to expand to the other Indigenous reserva-
tions. We already have some who are in line wanting to handle
the currency, so they are in that process. Being very ambitious,
I hope that in five years the currency will be working
throughout the Cxhab Wala Kiwe territory. That is my
dream and I hope we can fulfill it.”

Cultural
CulturalSurvival Quarterly December 2020 • 27
SurvivalQuarterly
 st af f s po t lig h t

Daisee Francour
(Onʌyoteˀa·ká), Director of Strategic Partnerships and Communications

C
ultural Survival is honored to
welcome Daisee Francour to
our team as our new Director
of Strategic Partnerships and
Communications. She
is Haudenosaunee and an enrolled
member of the Oneida Nation of Wis-
consin with relations to the Haudeno-
saunee (Iroquois) Confederacy in up-
state New York and Canada. She was
born and raised on the Oneida Indian
Reservation in Wisconsin and comes
from a matrilineal society and a long
line of strong Indigenous women. “My
mother and aunties taught me to always
stand firm in my truth, to never com-
promise my values, and to always speak
up in matters of injustice,” she says.
Francour grew up immersed in her cul-
ture and is actively learning her Indig-
enous language alongside her family of
six. She is a self-described artist, auntie,
community member, Indigenous rights
activist, and storyteller.
Francour holds a master’s degree
in Public Policy and Administration
from Adler University in Chicago and
a bachelors in Sociology and Criminal
Justice from the University of Wiscon-
sin-Parkside. She comes to Cultural
Survival with over a decade of experience
working in philanthropy, at non-profit
organizations, in grassroots organizing,
and as a direct service provider in edu-
cation, mental health, and corrections,
where she has served Indigenous Peoples
with disabilities/special needs, domestic
violence victims, the homeless, and for-
merly incarcerated inmates.
“I grew up surrounded by my peers
who were often criminalized for just
being Indigenous. I saw them go in
and out of the criminal justice system
disporpotionately, and at a young age,
I learned that our people were always
on the frontlines of oppression and
discrimination. I knew that the system
was flawed and was designed to keep
us on the lowest tier of civil society,
so as a teen I decided I wanted to help
transform the system so it would help
our people, not destroy us,” Francour
says about her motivation to get into
her current line of work.
Francour’s experience in advocacy
and movement-building work made
her a radical woman in philanthropy. organizational infrastructure, and de-
As a former program officer at the
Christensen Fund she managed the San
Francisco Bay Area program, where she
worked with Indigenous communities
and organizations to support their efforts
in stewarding and revitalizing biocul-
tural diversity, traditional knowledge,
Indigenous food systems, Indigenous
languages, and sovereignty. Later, she
transitioned into a consulting role as a
strategist, resource mobilizer, organiza-
tional development consultant, and phil-
anthropic advisor, supporting Indigenous
organizations locally and globally.
“As someone who worked directly
with Indigenous Peoples, providing
them with the support and services
needed to sustain their livelihoods,
transitioning into philanthropy allowed
me to continue that,” she says. “But I
quickly learned that philanthropy is
also flawed and inequitable in the
amount of resources directed to Indig-
enous Peoples. Philanthropy has yet to
fully grasp the importance Indigenous
Peoples have in maintaining their envi-
ronments and our expert knowledge
in reversing climate change, conflict
resolution, and maintaining balance
in the natural world.”
Francour’s work empowers Tribes,
Nations, and Indigenous-led institutions
to build their capacity, leadership, and
velop holistic strategies to support their
resource generation and organizational
sustainability. As an Indigenous fund-
raiser, philanthropic advisor, and donor
educator, she builds capacity by trans-
forming people’s understanding of
Indigenous rights, Indigenous issues,
biocultural diversity, climate and social
justice, and other regenerative systems.
Francour says she is excited to join
the Cultural Survival team: “Cultural
Survival has been on my radar for many
years and I have deeply admired the
work it does to empower Indigenous
communities in a variety of capacities
via multiple layers of intentional and
holistic support. Joining an organiza-
tion with a 48-year legacy is exciting.
To co-create a holistic vision and im-
plement it alongside other incredible
Indigenous women, men, and allies is
a privilege. I feel that I have found my
home outside of home, and I know my
ancestors are behind me in this new
journey. I am so honored to join Cul-
tural Survival and their resilient team to
bring my experience, love, and passion
for Indigenous rights and decolonized/
Indigenized systems to this community.
In ukwehuwehnéha, the Oneida lan-
guage, we say, ‘ʌkahake kalihwiyose,’
which means, good things are ahead.”

28 • www. cs. org

B aza a r spotligh t
Berber Art Market
Keeping Our Culture Alive
for Future Generations
B
erber Art Market’s handwoven rugs are unique pieces
of art. Based in the heart of Algeria in Ghardaïa, “the
Pearl of the Oasis,” Berber Art Market operates out
of the home city of the Amazigh Peoples, Beni M’Zab.
The ancient city of Ghardaïa, now a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, was founded almost 1,000 years ago in the M’Zab
Valley in the Sahara Desert. Rug weaving has long been a major
family craft in the region. Berber Art Market founder, Hocine
Bazine, is proud of this connection to his heritage. “Our authen-
tic Berber handwoven rugs are of high quality and are handmade
with 100 percent sheep wool or pearl cotton with knowledge
and skills passed down from our ancestors,” he says. These
beautiful rugs are sought after for many home décor purposes—
for living rooms, bedrooms, hallways, or entryways, and for
hanging on walls.
In the age of factory-made goods, Bazine credits his grand-
mother for passing her weaving knowledge and love for the craft
to him. “I have loved this art ever since I was a child. I learned
rug weaving from my grandmother,” he says. “At a young age I
had the pleasure of watching her create the most exquisite rugs,
and go through the whole process of drying wool, arranging lines
on the traditional hand loom, and producing a beautiful piece
of art. I am grateful to those who encouraged me to save this
heritage and fine art.” Berber rugs are woven for many purposes:
for decoration, or for more utilitarian purposes such as bed
coverings or sleeping mats. A local tradition is to furnish a
bride’s room in handwoven rugs.
Bazine details the painstaking process of production. He
explains that one of the most elaborate weaving techniques, car-
ried out by specialized artisans, is the wrap, which is the essential
part in a rug. In this technique, “the vertical yarn must be attached
to the upper and bottom beam. The loom works to hold the threads
vertically in place and allows the interweaving of the weft hori-
zontally. The basic concept of weaving is to intersect the longi-
tudinal threads, the warp, with the transverse threads, the weft
(or woof). When the yarn is stretched and fastened to the loom,
that would create a taut warp. It starts by working from the
bottom to top. Hand loomed is a slow process that allows for the
creation of durable weaves and highly detailed Berber patterns.”
Women generally work in all stages of drying and cleaning
the wool, while men assist in weaving and applying designs and
Above: Hocine Bazine
at the Cultural Survival
Bazaar at the Prudential
Center in Boston,
December 2018.
Left: Weaving on
a vertical handloom.
Below: Traditional
Amazigh rug design.
drawings. The weavers use dyed scale of wool in various shades
in white, red, brown, blue, grey, and black. In 2006, Bazine started
working on some new techniques that allowed him to save time
and effort while producing the same results. In 2012, he started
his own business, Berber Art Market, as an independent weaver.
“It was then,” he says, that “I realized that I had to keep this noble
art alive for the next generations. Many Berber families gain their
daily bread from manufacturing rugs and carpets. I strive to help
families rise out of poverty by buying their wool and employing
them as weavers. Keeping my Berber culture and its legacy alive
motivates me to work harder and harder.”
Since founding Berber Art Market, Bazine has also begun
traveling to exhibit his art, participating in different exhibitions
such as the U.S. Embassy Bazaar and at the International Folk
Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He has also participated in
the Cultural Survival Bazaars several times since 2018. In Bazine’s
home region of Ghardaïa there isn’t much tourism, so access to
market is a significant obstacle for artisans. Many artisans also
lack tools for development and access to transportation. Yet,
Bazine remains undaunted: “I have a great desire to carry out
my mission. For each obstacle, I try to find a solution. My goal
and passion is helping lots of families out of poverty by offering
them a source to earn a living. This, in addition to keeping
our culture and legacy alive, is a motivation to work more and
more. All those things grew through me and encouraged me
to continue this heritage and save this noble art.”
Missed the virtual winter Cultural Survival Bazaar
series? Watch it and support Indigenous artists
at bazaar.cs.org.
Cultural
Cultural Survival
Survival Quarterly
Quarterly December 2020 •• 29
December 2020 29
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