Cyndy García-Weyandt, Ph.D. at 10 AM

Assistant Professor, Department of Critical Ethnic Studies, Kalamazoo College

“The Science of Our Mother Corn: A Case Study of the Adaptation of Northern Mexican Corn in Michigan”

In the Spring of 2021, Kalamazoo College students began the project “Tatéi Niwetsika: Planting Traditional Knowledge and Flavors” with the intention of learning about traditional agriculture, Native Maize from Mexico, food sovereignty, and the connection between Wixárika language and culture in Nayarit, Mexico. In November of 2022, we harvested the first crop of Native Maize, and thus the teachings of Our Mother Corn.

From a community perspective and active participation in the field of research, this presentation discusses the importance and relevance of cultivating Native seeds using traditional agriculture. The author shares from multiple perspectives the activities that link academic research and community work in Tepic and Kalamazoo.

Bio: Cyndy Margarita García-Weyandt’s ancestral homeland is in San Juan Sayultepec Nochixtlán, Oaxaca, México. Cyndy is a mother, a poeta, an immigrant, and an assistant professor in the Department of Critical Ethnic Studies at Kalamazoo College. She is the coordinator and co-founder of Proyecto Taniuki in Zitakua, Mexico. She received a Ph.D. in culture and performance from the University of California, Los Angeles. In her research, she collaborates with urban Wixárika (Huichol) communities in Mexico to better understand their relationships with Our Mother Corn (“Native Corn”).

John Brittenham at 11:30 AM

Restoration Ecologist, Blue Heron Ministries

“Propagating Native Seeds The Easy Way”

Join John Brittenham, restoration ecologist with Blue Heron Ministries, to learn how to collect seeds and grow them with minimal effort. John will share his experience of raising native plants and planting them with groups as well as personally. If you love the idea of raising your own native plants, but are intimidated to do it yourself, this talk is for you!

Bio: John has worked at Blue Heron Ministries as a restoration ecologist for the past 11 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Huntington University and a Master of Environmental Science degree from Taylor University. John is passionate about growing native plants, creating native habitats, and sharing this love of the natural world with others. In his free time, you will find John spending as much time as possible with his wife and four kids and working to make his five-acre property a small ecological gem.

Doug Peconge & Dani Tippman at 1 PM

Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, Cultural Resource Extension Office

“Myaamia Connection To the Land”

Members of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma Cultural Resource Extension Office will speak about the Myaamia people from history to present, including their removal from Indiana in 1846 and where the Myaamia are today.  They will discuss current Tribe initiatives within the region, including projects around food sovereignty and cultural identity.

Pictured above: Pond at the Cultural Resource Extension Office of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma

Blue Fox Farms

Northeast Indiana Local Food Network

Elkhart County Food Council