S3E5: The roots of indigenous agriculture—w/ Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson of the documentary Inhabitants

80% of Indigenous people sit on 80% of global biodiversity and 25% of land—but make up only 5% of the population.

So, what can we learn about regenerative agriculture from the Native American farmers who’ve been managing our land for millennia?

Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson has a PhD in Natural Resources and is a traditional Hopi dryland farmer. Dr. Johnson regularly lectures on the topic of dryland farming and advocates for indigenous farmers with the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and his work is featured in the documentary film, INHABITANTS: Indigenous Perspectives on Restoring Our World.

On this episode of Reversing Climate Change, Dr. Johnson joins Ross and cohost Rebekah Carlson, Agriculture Supply Lead at Nori, to explain how his ancestors learned to raise crops in the arid environment of Northern Arizona and what we can do to honor the long heritage of regenerative agriculture.

Dr. Johnson discusses the benefit of applying Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge in federal decision-making, sharing his place-based approach to land management and endorsement of the cooperative model.

Listen in to understand the hurdles Native Americans face in accessing government conservation stewardship programs and learn how Dr. Johnson raises crops to fit the environment rather than manipulating the environment to fit the crops.

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Resources

INHABITANTS: Indigenous Perspectives on Restoring Our World

Nephi Craig on Reversing Climate Change S2 EP55

Memorandum for the Heads of Departments and Agencies Re: Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Federal Decision Making

Regenerative Agriculture Conference

Native American Agricultural Fund

Indian Land Tenure Foundation

Johnson v. M'Intosh

Janie Simms Hipp

Zach Ducheneaux

The University of Arizona Indigenous Resiliency Center

Morrill Land Grant College Act