Since the dawn of agriculture, humans have survived and sustained their cultures through farming. And farming, of course, starts with seeds.

Up until the past two centuries or so, most Native American communities practiced seed saving. By holding onto the seeds that gave the biggest return on investment, like a particularly drought-resistant, hearty, or flavorful plant, they could boost their yield, their community’s food security, and more. Many tribes actually had dedicated members tasked with passing seeds on from one generation to the next. But the forced displacement of tens of thousands of Indigenous People by the U.S. government meant that many older seed keepers died before passing down their knowledge, which led to the gradual decline of the practice.

Today, a number of Indigenous leaders are working to resurrect seed saving. Their efforts are both a unique form of climate action as well as a means of preserving their cultural heritage—traditions we’re celebrating this Native American Heritage Month.

How industrial agriculture homogenized the seed supply

Not long after the massive land dispossession that impacted most Indigenous tribes, industrial agriculture began to take over much of the country’s crop production. Though farmers were able to grow cheaper and more plentiful food, it came at a great cost to the environment, public health, and culture. It also came at a great cost to the seed supply.

Then, in 1980, the Bayh-Dole Act allowed companies to start patenting seeds. Those varieties often produced even higher yields but could only provide such results for a single generation of plants. This meant farmers now had to buy new seeds every year. These companies also sought to hook farmers on varieties that could withstand large amounts of dangerous pesticides and herbicides.

It worked. Chemical-laden monocultures took over, companies like Bayer and Monsanto expanded and merged—and the seed pool dramatically shrunk. By 2019, just four companies owned 60 percent of the world’s seed market. Most Americans today are accustomed to eating one type of corn, one kind of potato, and one color of carrot.

Why seed saving offers a better way forward

In response to the corporatization and homogenization of the seed supply, the next generation of the seed-saving movement has blossomed—and it’s often being led by Indigenous organizations.

Groups like the Meskwaki Food Sovereignty and the Indigenous Seed Keepers Network are freezing and storing heirloom seeds in banks for later use, prioritizing historic staples that are native to their ancestral lands. They’re also often distributing their bounty to their community, conducting seed exchanges and teaching traditional farming practices. “Seeds are a living thing, and we are a part of a living universe,” says seed keeper Stephen Silverbear McComber of the Haudenosaunee Iroquois Confederacy. “We can, all of us, have this opportunity to put our hands into the soil, and all of us have the opportunity to connect to life.”

Read more about the Indigenous seed keepers and how their work could help us adapt to a warming world.

Plus, other acts of Indigenous resilience

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