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Trump admin plans to cut more than 70,000 jobs at Dept. of Veterans Affairs, memo says; Industrial farming in NC, US becomes breeding ground for bird flu; Possible closure of US Dept. of Education 'devastating' for VA; Jack Daniel's maker says Canada pulling US alcohol off shelves 'worse than tariff'; Cuts looming for WA tribal public-health funding.

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Medicaid and tribal health providers face possible cuts, corporations are accused of squeezing out independent farmers, and immigration lawyers say Hispanic motorists are being stopped based on how they look.

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Activists work to protect immigrant communities as ICE reach expands, experts urge lawmakers to ramp up elder abuse protections in rural America, and a multistate arts initiative crafts ways to close the urban-rural divide.

In SD, Bison Restoration Part Of Food Sovereignty for Natives

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Tuesday, March 21, 2023   

South Dakota is home to one of the nation's largest American Indian reservations, and the area is part of a movement among tribal nations to take back control of their food systems. That includes bison restoration. This effort is among the latest food sovereignty initiatives led by the Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit serving
Lakota people in the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Chance Weston, food sovereignty director, Thunder Valley Community Development Corp., said the emerging plan involves managing bison through regenerative agriculture, which centers around maintaining soil health and integrating the surrounding ecosystem.

"So, it's one thing to run buffalo in an ag operation, but also, it's quite another to take on such another level in terms of, 'How are we restoring the soil?," he said "How are we restoring the relationships that were in there?'"

Those relationships include connections bison have long had with prairie dogs. These approaches harken back to land management carried out by Lakota ancestors. Thunder Valley's programs are viewed as a way to address barriers for Pine Ridge communities in accessing healthy foods. As for bison, Weston said there are still hoops to jump through, including adding local processors.

Weston added a key component of their practices involves demonstrating them to younger populations so they can carry on the food sovereignty movement.

"We wanna see this huge new wave of new producers and growers that have this newfound knowledge," Weston added.

He suggested it is a blend of learning techniques from a scientific standpoint, while also seeing how previous generations developed food and land management systems. Earlier this month, the Interior Department announced $25 million dollars from the Inflation Reduction Act will go toward promoting bison conservation, including supporting bison transfers to tribal nations.

Disclosure: Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation contributes to our fund for reporting on Housing/Homelessness, Human Rights/Racial Justice, Native American Issues, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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