Creating opportunities for next-generation Native American farmers and ranchers

 

POSTED ON Nov 13, 2024

 

Earlier this year, the Native American Agriculture Fund announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bureau of Indian Education to advance agricultural education within all Bureau of Indian Education schools.

This collaborative initiative builds on ongoing efforts. 

The MOU focused on Native learning systems with insights gathered from various stakeholders and federal leaders, emphasizing the critical importance of culturally relevant education.

Additionally, this partnership strengthens initiatives with Haskell Indian Nations University to create an innovative business agriculture degree program and a supportive mentorship initiative, addressing a significant gap in agricultural education.

The Native American Agriculture Fund announced this new degree program in collaboration with Haskell during the American Indian Higher Education Consortium’s Annual Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C.

The educational initiative will be part of Haskell’s business school and will cover several important areas, including lending operations, risk management, regulatory compliance, and customer service.

The program aims to teach fundamental lending principles to strengthen the relationships between Native farmers and ranchers and their financial institutions.

Haskell is dedicated to implementing innovative programs that create opportunities for the next generation of Native American farmers and ranchers.

This new program will help ensure that Indigenous students in agriculture can develop sustainable business models that support their families and traditional food systems by addressing the lack of financial literacy in agriculture.

The program will offer both degree and certificate options in agriculture and finance, equipping students with knowledge about the specific lending processes that relate to Indian Country and the agricultural industry.

This initiative represents a significant step toward nurturing a new generation of skilled professionals who understand the unique needs of Tribal agricultural production and financing, ultimately empowering economic opportunities for Native American farmers and ranchers.

The partnership also aims to bridge the gap between educational needs and ongoing efforts to enhance agricultural funding, which is crucial for establishing a sustainable and resilient Native food economy.

“We aim to empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the unique lending landscape of Indian Country and improve access to capital for Native producers,” said Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, CEO of the Native American Agriculture Fund. “At NAAF, we proudly support educational institutions like Haskell as they lead in educating our tribal communities. We hope the certificate programs will benefit both students and non-students serving their tribal communities. This new initiative will build upon our efforts to provide access to capital through Community Development Financial Institutions and establish a new Other Financing Institution within the Farm Credit System called Native Agriculture Financial Services.”

According to AISES, the Advancing Indigenous People in STEM cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Tribal Relations encourages high school, undergraduate, and graduate students to develop and conduct research projects that highlight the intersection of Indigenous knowledge and Western science/engineering.

Now in its third year, the program will select participants who will be recognized as Indigenous Knowledge Student Researchers.

These students will be supported in a skill development journey from January 2025 to October 2025.

They will receive airfare, lodging, and registration to present their research projects at the 2025 AISES National Conference.