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This week, Indigenous agribusiness leaders, U.S. government officials, and state representatives are on a trade mission in Canada.
They’re working on developing export markets for Indigenous businesses and products.
U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor says it’s the first of its kind focused on Indigenous producers.
“So we have participants on this trade mission that are tribal producers with the ‘Made/Produced by American Indians,’ which is the official trademark. And we also have producers from the Native Hawaiian community operating on Native Hawaiian homeland.”
Taylor says they’re having standard business to business meetings, but they’re also facilitating high-level nation to nation policy discussions.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan (member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe/D-MN) is part of the delegation.
She says the trade mission is giving Indigenous producers additional skills and opportunities.
“I think having peers who are part of this trip, as well as experts who can help to remove obstacles, and think about what is possible has been incredibly powerful.”
The delegation also includes more than a dozen tribal agribusinesses and agricultural leaders from 13 Native Nations, a representative from the Intertribal Agricultural Council Board, and officials from Maine, North Carolina, and Oregon agriculture departments.
Products include tea, poultry, wine, honey, popcorn, wild rice, and salmon.
This week, RFA’s Ed Hubbard, third from right, is in Vancouver for a USDA trade mission. Among those attending is USDA Under Secretary for Trade Alexis Taylor, center. As part of the event, stakeholders participated in a roundtable to discuss opportunities for #SAF growth. pic.twitter.com/iDRf5hL2fF
— Renewable Fuels Association (@EthanolRFA) June 19, 2024
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- Courtesy 4KINSHIP
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- Courtesy 4KINSHIP
National Go Skate Day is June 21 and a special event is being held on the Navajo Nation at the Two Grey Hills Skate Park in Two Grey Hills, N.M.
Jill Fratis has more.
Amy Denet Deal (Diné) is the creator of Diné Skate Garden Project and founder of 4KINSHIP.
She has worked closely alongside fellow Indigenous skater Shawnshine Harrison (Diné).
She says it’s a year of firsts for the project.
“This is the first time we’ve celebrated Go Skate Day on Navajo Nation, so pretty amazing day. I think we’re supposed to get a little thunderstorms in the afternoon to make it really exciting.”
Denet Deal says this is also in celebration of the one-year anniversary of their mentorship programs, and as part of that celebration there will be giveaways and skating competitions.
While kids and teenagers were the initial target for these festivities, Deal says it brings people of all ages together.
“It’s been so beautiful this year to see how it’s brought this community together. It’s intergenerational community center. It’s grandma and grandpa, it’s you know (Navajo language) it’s aunties and uncles, it’s the little tiny babies are there. People are driving up, setting up little bon-fire, and like hanging out there for their kids. It just warms my heart every time I go out there, and to see families show up.”
With the 2024 Olympics coming up in July, Denet Deal is confident one of the skaters from the Navajo Nation will be joining them during the next competition in 2028.
“There’s just no question we’re going to have an Olympic athlete. Because those kids are so focused, they’ve come so far in just one year, that we’re just trying to keep up with them.”
Denet Deal says the major player in the success of the Indigenous skateboard world is Shawnshine Harrison.
Harrison has been working with the youth for years, and says it’s because of him that the Diné Skate Garden Project is so successful.
“I have just seen someone, he’s just a natural leader. He’s just a community hero, because consistency is so important for our kids…to have somebody who has such a kind and good heart, and who is so passionate about skateboarding, that that’s the guy that’s like, teaching them, and I can’t say enough positive things about this. He’s a skatepark hero. He really is.”
The National Go Skate Day celebration will take place on Friday.
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