Devon Mihesuah: The Indigenous Food Sovereignty Movement in the United States

HMM producer Anna Steltenkamp speaks with Devon Mihesuah. Devon is an enrolled citizen of the Choctaw Nation and is the Cora Lee Beers Price Teaching Professor in International Cultural Understanding at the University of Kansas. Anna speaks with her about the book she co-edited with Elizabeth Hoover, entitled: “Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the United States: Restoring Cultural Knowledge, Protecting Environments, and Regaining Health.” Devon is also the author of the book “Recovering Our Ancestors’ Gardens: Indigenous Recipes and Guide to Diet and Fitness,” and the revised edition was just released this year.

This is the first segment in a multi-part dialogue with Devon Mihesuah. In this segment, Devon speaks about the Indigenous Food Sovereignty movement in the United States, including her personal experiences as part of this movement. Further, she explains her definition of “Indigenous food sovereignty,” and she addresses what the main reasons are for the movement and its fundamental goals.