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The Rou Dalagurr: Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute’s Indigenous Foods Festival took place on Saturday, May 4th from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival focuses on uplifting Indigenous food sovereignty across many regions. The event will include an outdoor area where several organizations will host tables, demonstrations, workshops, educational materials, food, and art. There will also be a larger forum space, where discussion panels and speaker presentations around food sovereignty and Indigenous foodways will take place throughout the festival. The festival is funded by the Sustainable Humboldt Innovative Futures Trust (SHIFT), the Cowell Foundation, the Humboldt Ethnic Studies Council, and community donors!

"The Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab & Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute is the first of its kind in the California State University system and leading the way in innovative and community-based research with Indigenous nations,” said Dr. Kaitlin Reed, co-director of the lab. The Lab is an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort that is student-designed and community-informed.

The purpose of the FSL is to provide an opportunity to work directly with the surrounding communities, tribal nations, and national and international scholars and community leaders to center, learn, and engage with Indigenous science, environmental management, and preservation practices. The lab builds national and international connections that foreground Indigenous voices in rigorous academic research, publications and community-centered programming, connecting youth to higher education, policy development, economic development, and climate resiliency.

“From the beginning the development of the lab has been guided by tribal community representatives and passionate student advocates and research assistants. We are so proud of the work all of the students have done to make this project so successful. We are also grateful for the many community donors who supported us along the way,” said Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy, co-director of the lab.

The lab continues to fundraise to support our upcoming events and workshops; installation of an outdoor classroom; building of an Indigenous garden; and supporting ongoing programming like future food festivals and youth-led projects. To support the lab, please visit our donation page. To find out additional information, check us out on Facebook @FoodSovereigntyLab and on Instagram @hsu_nas.

Indigenous Foods Festival 2024

On Saturday, May 4th, 2024, the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab and Traditional Ecological Knowledges Institute held the Indigenous Foods Festival, as part of the Cal Poly Humboldt’s campus-wide Food Summit. This event was the second of an annual festival that the Lab plans to hold each year, focusing on uplifting Indigenous food sovereignty across many regions. This inspiring event centered around the important work that folks across communities are doing to elevate Indigenous knowledges and foodways. The festival was attended by over 250 people!  

The event took place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Due to campus closure, we held the event at the D Street Neighborhood Center in Goudi'ni (arcata). The festival featured an indoor tabling area with 16 tribal and non-profit organizations and businesses from both our local and wider regions, offering demonstrations, informational materials, food, merchandise, and art. These organizations included: UIHS Potawot Community Food Garden, Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, Pathways of Purpose, Nutritious School Lunch Initiative, Save California Salmon, Centro Del Pueblo, Karuk Tribe Food Sovereignty Program, Northtown Books, Black To Our Roots, The Food Sovereignty Lab, The Cultural Conservancy, Northern California Tribal Court Coalition, Intertribal Agricultural Council, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Klamath-Trinity Resource Conservation District, and Oceanside Jams. We were so happy to have Frybread Love and Pupuseria San Miguel providing food at the event; we were also able to offer free food vouchers to students!

Please see our IFF 2024 Report at this link:[Work in Progress]