EP 84 – Blackfoot Food Systems

What does it mean to care for the land–not simply as a resource, but as a living relative?

In this episode of the Rural Routes to Climate Solutions podcast, Tawnya Plain Eagle speaks with Dr. Linda ManyGuns, a member of Siksika Nation, retired professor and advisor to the Siksikaitsitapi Agriculture Project (SAP).

Together, they explore Blackfoot food systems, agriculture and food sovereignty–from traditional harvesting practices and historic trade routes to the deep knowledge Blackfoot people hold about the land. Linda also shares why regeneration is more than restoring soil or ecosystems. It is about renewing relationships–with the land, with culture and across generations.

Their conversation looks at the importance of land-based learning, creating opportunities for young people to reconnect with traditional knowledge and understanding agriculture as a responsibility to care for the land and those who come after us.

The episode closes with a powerful story about Linda’s grandfather–and how it inspired her to begin a journey of her own.

“Our elders loved the land and we have to learn to love the land again.” — Dr. Linda ManyGuns

In this episode

03:54 – Meet Dr. Linda ManyGuns
05:05 – Linda’s connection to agriculture and the land
06:50 – Food sovereignty, trade and relationships
10:20 – Blackfoot ecological knowledge and Western science
13:14 – Sakomitapi and understanding the land as a person
14:54 – What does regeneration mean?
17:47 – Indigenous food sovereignty and future generations
21:38 – Traditional food systems and harvesting practices
26:19 – Land-based learning and reconnecting with knowledge
29:30 – Agriculture and responsibility to the land
31:54 – Encouraging younger generations to explore agriculture
35:06 – Linda’s story about her grandfather
37:22 – Closing remarks