by Krisanne Keiser
In 2019, Cal Poly Humboldt students envisioned a project that would re-indigenize the campus by creating the Rou Dalagurr Food Sovereignty Lab & Cultural Workspace.
According to the summer 2021 FSL Progress Report, this new indigenized space is “dedicated to the research, practice, and preservation of food sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge. 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 Food Sovereignty Lab serves to “unify our students, faculty, local tribes, and communities; to center and support tribal sovereignty, natural resource management, and preservation practices; and to provide students with culturally appropriate education in Indigenous natural resource management that respects Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination and serves our community.”
To help the public and Cal Poly Humboldt students understand the practice of food sovereignty, there will be an online film series via zoom that highlights the importance of revitalizing traditional food sources in March and April.
The first film, “Inhabitant: Indigenous Perspectives on Restoring Our World,” will be presented by the Social Justice Summit on Thursday, March 3 at 7 p.m. PST.
The second film, “Voices From the Barrens: Native People, Blueberries & Sovereignty,” will be shown Thursday, March 24 at 7 p.m. PST.
“Gather” will be shown on Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m. PST.
The third part will be a double feature. “El Cacao: The Challenge of Fair Trade,” and “No Place to Grow,” featuring a discussion with filmmaker Michelle Aguilar, will be shown on Thursday, April 24 at 7 p.m. PST.
Interested parties can register online at https://forms.gle/UtD35UCCF89LJqY27
