Gardening Kids! Native Youth Help Boost Agricultural Traditions With Garden Boxes, Seed Libraries By EFRAIN VILLA
Digesting complex social issues and being socially engaged citizens can be difficult for adults, let alone children. But nurturing a strong sense of altruism early on in kids’ lives can put them on a path marked by purpose. In our culturally rich state, it is also important for history and tradition to be integrated into efforts involving youth leadership development. For more than two decades, the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women (CSVANW), a New Mexico nonprofit, has been focused on indigenous rights, including supporting Native advocates working to prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking and sex trafficking in New Mexico’s tribal communities. When launching initiatives and programming involving children, CSVANW does so with “recognition that Indigenous youth are leaders of today and stand on the frontlines within our communities with the love they have for the people and their land,” according to the group’s website. In that spirit, CSVANW launched a multifaceted community gardening program last spring through a grant from the First Nations Development Institute. The objective was to help equip indigenous people in New Mexico with the materials and know-how to grow food for themselves while honor- Lily Sandoval, 10, waters plants in a garden box. Courtesy photos. ing their agricultural traditions. Although the connection between being able to grow one’s own food and antiviolence initiatives may not be immediately obvious to people unfamiliar with colonial history, Jovita Belgarde, Native youth program coordinator at CSVANW, says the historical and present links are straightforward. “Food sovereignty is a big part of violence prevention because hunger is a result of systemic violence,” says Belgarde. “Many of our indigenous ways of being with the land were taken from us. When you teach young people how to plant today, that’s a revolutionary act of reclaiming culture, reclaiming identity and reclaiming our food systems. It’s a beautiful thing. Also, when people have their basic needs met, like access to food, they are better able to handle difficult situations.” Other benefits of growing one’s own food at home include knowing the origins of one’s meals, access to nutritious produce without harmful additives and pesticides, and mental health boosts from outdoor exercise. In indigenous communities, rekindling a rich history of agricultural traditions and alleviating the effects of limited access to healthy food options can also be important achievements. continued on page 14
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New Mexico Kids!
May/June 2022
