Seeds of Eden

Our food sovereignty development partner, Jonathon Okuté Maza, did not waste any time this Spring. Seeds were planted, prayers were offered, and under incubated light, onions and peppers have begun to emerge from the soil! Transplants to a bigger home are in the works!

Seeds of Eden is drawing close to launching our food sovereignty garden this Spring alongside our new recovery home in McLaughlin, South Dakota.

Stay tuned for updates — things are getting spicy. 🌱🌶️

We are also excited! 🌱

The WestHemIndigenousNetwork continues the series on the work happening in the Bear Soldier District at Standing Rock. In this episode, Isaiah Keller Executive Director and Co-Founder of Seeds of Eden, sits down to talk about something that often gets overlooked when we talk about rebuilding communities, mental health and recovery. Seeds of Eden has become a leader in recovery housing, helping people rebuild stability in their lives. And as Isaiah explains, that stability is really the foundation of a functioning society. From there, the conversation moves into the Plant Project and the work starting on the ground. We’ve already seen onions sprouting directly from Standing Rock soil, and the first garden site at the McLaughlin women’s home is being prepared for crops like potatoes, onions, corn, and beans.

But the biggest takeaway from the conversation is this: community buy-in is everything. When community voices are involved and people feel ownership over the work, that’s when real change can take hold. We also talk about the importance of tracking measurable outcomes, not just for funding, but to understand what’s working so models like this can expand to other Indigenous nations. This conversation is about more than gardens. It’s about recovery, stability, and rebuilding the foundation of healthy communities!

The episode is streaming now on the Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R50TZxf4Ajs
or on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2xZgXAnlv2ZkZsiN00t7av?si=Bi7neRFvTAObiVDTor6W6A

🌱We’ve got a head start on our food sovereignty garden at our newest upcoming recovery home “plant,” no pun intended.

Thanks to the help of Jonathon Okuté Maza at WestHemIndigenousNetwork we’ve got Spanish Utah onions already breaking ground, with plans for corn, potatoes, and beans to follow! This is more than a garden—it’s healing, responsibility, recovery, and self-sustainability in action!

Next step… all we need is a female bison and a calf 😄🦬

🎉 Congratulations, Tanya Gibbs!

Honoring Tanya Gibbs, a citizen of the and Managing Partner of Mshkawzi Law (a RES sponsor!), as a 2026 Native American 40 Under 40 awardee. Tanya has championed Indigenous economic development, tribal law, and non-gaming tribal enterprises while leading major finance transactions and empowering Native communities across the U.S. and Canada.

She will be honored at RES 2026, taking place March 23–26, 2026 in Las Vegas, NV at Caesars Palace Hotel & Casino.

➡️ Register for RES: https://bit.ly/4hUQYQN

🌱 SRCDC is Hiring! – Food Sovereignty Specialist

The Standing Rock Community Development Corporation is looking for a dependable and passionate individual to help strengthen community food systems in Fort Yates, ND.

This role will support local gardens, lead workshops on gardening and cooking, and work with youth and elders to grow food knowledge in our community.

Details:
• $20–$24/hour (DOE)
• Full-time | Start: April 2026 | Open Until Filled
• Based in Fort Yates

Reliable transportation and weekend garden maintenance availability required.

📚 College students welcome — flexible spring schedule with full-time summer transition.

SRCDC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

📩 Send resume + cover letter to:
[email protected]

Please share! 🌿

Interesting development in the alcohol industry lately. Reports are showing that more Americans are pursuing sobriety and recovery, causing stockpiles of unsold alcohol and reductions in production.

That tells an important story. Recovery efforts, sobriety initiatives, and the drift towards healthier lifestyles are having a real impact on the market.

Here in North Dakota, the long-standing culture of acceptability around underage drinking is also being challenged and rewritten. Communities, families, and recovery advocates are stepping up and drawing a new line for the next generation.

When individuals reclaim their lives from addiction, it doesn’t just change families and communities—it shifts entire industries.

I’ll take that as a win for America. 🇺🇸

Is The World Going Sober? $830 Million Wiped Of Liquor Stocks, As Jim Beam Halts Output As Jim Beam, Kentucky's bourbon icon, halts some production in 2026, almost $830 million has been erased from spirits market value. As wellness rises, drinking is not.

Episode 6: “The Plant Project Consortium”

In this episode of The RedShirt Podcast, we’re in McLaughlin, South Dakota with Chairwoman Bobbi Jamerson of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Bear Soldier District and Executive Director Isaiah Keller of Seeds of Eden to discuss something urgent and foundational: a real, actionable plan for Food Sovereignty.

This conversation focuses on the Plant Project not as an idea, but as a strategy. Together, we break down how tribal leadership, land-based initiatives, and grassroots partnerships are coming together to build systems that restore local food production, reduce dependency, and create long-term sustainability rooted in culture and community.

This episode is about moving from conversation to coordination—creating a future where our communities feed themselves again.

Food sovereignty isn’t a slogan, it’s a plan!

Food Sovereignty & Beyond The Red Shirt Podcast · Episode