The Stories That Started to Define Cultivating Culture in 2025

**By Shaun Griswold | December 31, 2025**

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**Cultivating Culture** launched in spring 2025 with a mission to showcase Native American sovereignty in food and Native language revitalization wherever these vital aspects are present. Supported by the MacArthur Foundation, our storytelling follows a farm-to-table path—rooted in Indigeneity at every step, from seed to harvest, kitchen to plate, and voice to story.

We explore how language and traditional knowledge rise up through food systems, and how asking for a second helping can be an act of cultural preservation and resistance.

Please support our year-end campaign. [CLICK HERE TO DONATE]

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As we close out the year, we wanted to share some of the work *Cultivating Culture* has published since spring 2025. Our coverage includes:

– Bison revitalization
– Graduation regalia protections
– Conversations with Indigenous chefs sharing recipes
– Tracking the impact of federal policies on Native food systems
– Visits to restaurants showcasing Native food principles in action

If you appreciate our work, please consider a donation to help us continue reporting on Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the coming year.

We hope you enjoy reading about what we’ve accomplished in 2025, and look forward to deepening our coverage on how food and language shape tribal sovereignty in 2026.

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### Class of 2025 Leads the Way for Indigenous Graduation Regalia
*By Shaun Griswold and Bella Davis*

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An emergency authorization from the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council to slaughter 18 buffalo from the tribe’s herd will produce thousands of pounds of meat for community members facing uncertain food assistance during the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Additionally, the Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife Department and the Blackfeet Commodity Office are moving forward with an elk harvest to provide more meat.

“With federal restrictions and the shutdown disrupting vital resources, the Blackfeet Nation is turning to its own natural resources and community partnerships to ensure that families continue to have access to food,” the tribe said in a statement.

These actions are among many examples of how tribes across the United States are proactively preparing for an increase in demand for food aid, seeking to provide some direction amid growing confusion and chaos as the federal government shutdown persists.

With each passing day, the shutdown represents yet another day the federal government fails to meet its treaty and trust obligations to tribes.

On day 29 of the shutdown, as Congress failed to pass a federal budget to reopen the government, members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs heard from tribal leaders about the drastic impact—and ongoing challenges—facing Indian Country in education, commerce, food security, and housing development.

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Read the full article:
**“No one should be ashamed of getting food for their family” | Tribal and Native-Led Food Banks Meet Increased Needs Under SNAP Cuts**
*By Elyse Wild*

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**Additional Updates:**
– *D.C. Briefs: US Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians*
– *Breaking: Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Cheyenne Leader and Former U.S. Senator, Walks On*
– *Zuni Youth Enrichment Project Joins 10th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference, Strengthens Partnerships for 2026 Food Sovereignty Work*

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Thank you for following *Cultivating Culture*. Your support helps amplify Indigenous voices and stories rooted in sovereignty, tradition, and resilience.
https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/the-stories-that-started-to-define-cultivating-culture-in-2025

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