Indigenous Stewardship, Innovation, & Technology

The revitalization of Indigenous agricultural systems represents a profound convergence of ancestral wisdom, ecological necessity, and economic sovereignty. This curriculum, developed for the Indigenous Resource Centers and the Indigenous Production Trade Alliance (IPTA), establishes a rigorous, comprehensive educational framework for deploying Indigenous Stewardship Methods (ISM) across tribal lands. By synthesizing Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with contemporary regenerative agricultural science—specifically focusing on biochar applications, indigenous microorganism (IMO) cultivation, phytoremediation, and cooperative business models—this document provides a pathway for restoring degraded soils, ensuring food security, and navigating federal conservation programs such as the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Evaluation and Monitoring Activity (CEMA) 222.