Event highlights connection between plants and Indigenous communities in N.C.

The UNC American Indian Center and North Carolina Botanical Garden hosted a virtual event Thursday about the importance of the connection between plants and Indigenous communities in the state.

The event is a part of a series of “Lunchbox Talks," where professionals discuss various topics in nature and sustainability.

Randi Byrd, a professional affiliate of the University of Vermont's leadership for sustainability master's program and former community engagement coordinator for the AIC, presented on the importance of using the skills of Indigenous communities to help create healthy lifestyles.

During the event, Byrd discussed the Healthy Native North Carolinians Network. Run by the AIC, the initiative equips both tribal and urban Indian organizations with the tools to create healthier environments within their communities.

She noted the work of communities using gardens, such as the Coharie Tribe.

Tabatha Brewer, the HNNC coordinator for the Coharie Tribe, said the Coharie Tribe in southeastern North Carolina has expanded its garden from a small plot of raised beds behind the tribal center to a total of about 13 acres of farmland.

The community works together to plant and harvest crops such as potatoes, squash, okra and sorghum, which are then distributed within the community. Brewer said one of the most valuable experiences for her was watching elders and youth work together.

“It’s how we’re trying to keep traditions alive,” she said.

Jesalyn Keziah, the AIC's community engagement program officer and a member of the Lumbee Tribe, said she believes in the importance of sharing the knowledge of elders.

“Our community is very intergenerational, so having that direct togetherness of passing down knowledge, traditions, being in spaces together between our elders and our youth and everyone in between is so meaningful,” Keziah said.

Another way Indigenous communities in North Carolina are preserving their cultural identity through plants is with the N.C. Native American Ethnobotany Project, Byrd said. The project aims to research community plant use and helps build medicinal and wild plant gardens.

The project collected information about native wild plants from elders in the Coharie, Haliwa-Saponi and Waccamaw Siouan tribes. 

Byrd said she worked with Tracie Locklear, an ethnobotanist from the Lumbee Tribe who directs the N.C. Native American Ethnobotany Project, to collect and publish the results of this study on a website. 

The project is ongoing. Moving forward, Byrd said, she hopes to collect the knowledge of more tribes in North Carolina.

Keziah said an upcoming American Indian Cultural Garden is another way she hopes to preserve traditions. The garden will affirm Native identity and provide a space for cultural events and even outdoor classes. 

“It’s not about the garden space, it’s about all the stories to come,” Keziah said during last week's event.

Along with the series of Lunchbox Talks, the Native American Garden at the NCBG has been created and sustained with input from Native community members across the state. The AIC also uses NCBG’s space to host events like a Native plant symposium and a seed swap.

The next Lunchbox Talk will be held in a hybrid format on March 24 from 12 to 1 p.m.

Ryan E. Emaunel, an associate professor of hydrology at Duke University, will present about the erasure of Indigenous perspectives in preserving North Carolina's coastal plain and the importance of uncovering and amplifying them.

“We’re part of efforts that are larger than the University," Byrd said. "We have a lot to learn and a lot to share with each other to make this planet a place for all life to thrive."

In order to support Native communities across the state, it’s important to know who they are and where they’re located. This map shows the locations of tribal and urban communities across North Carolina.

@eliza_benbow | @DTHCityState

elevate@dailytarheel.com | city@dailytarheel.com 

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