The White House held a tribal nations summit recently to support Native American and Alaskan Native tribes.
- Heather Dawn Thompson, director of the Office of Tribal Relations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, explained that the agency has a unique relationship with Indian country as much of it is located on rural land, and the USDA oversees research and economic development of rural America.
- The USDA has created the Tribal Advisory Committee, which is meant to give people of Indian country a voice to help advise the USDA on decisions regarding farming, forests, research and more, she said.
- The USDA is working with tribal nations to teach them how to properly store and save seeds to promote indigenous seed sovereignty, according to Thompson.
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WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 15: U.S. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden attends the 2021 Tribal Nations Summit at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on November 15, 2021 in Washington, DC. The summit, which coincides with national Native American Heritage Month, creates the opportunity for Tribal leaders to engage directly with officials from the Biden Administration. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - November 30: US President Joe Biden greets Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland during the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit at the Department of the Interior on November 30, 2022 in Washington, DC. The Summit will feature new Administration announcements and efforts to implement key policy initiatives supporting Tribal communities. (Photo by Pete Marovich/Getty Images)
Midwestern Farm with Silo and Soybean Field at Sunset (Photo By ebacklund / Adobe Stock)
