Akiing was born of these times, our organizations and our community. Akiing, or the land to which the people belong, is a four-year-old organization, we intend to grow into  a strategic regional initiative in the Great Lakes region. We are requesting support for strategic planning and capacity building as well as the development of our initial set of pilot projects in renewable energy, hemp and land trust development.  We need to create the legal and organizational structures to carry out our responsibilities to our land and future generations.  Our request is for $400,000 a year for two years. 

Our work is focused on the Anishinaabe prophecy of the 7th Fire which speaks of a time when our people will have a choice between two paths: one well-worn and scorched, the other green. We are told to choose the green path and light the 8th fire.  This project outlines the green path, based on Indigenous values and economics, the Rights of Nature, as well as the creation of collaborative land conservancy work.

Background: 

We have lived here for ten thousand years.  Anishinaabe economics defines a way of life based on Minobimaatisiiwin, the Good Life. In the terms of modern economic analysis, this would equate to Gross National Happiness indexing, and remains a foundational model for Indigenous economics. Wealth is not defined in dollars or beaver pelts, yet the appropriation of our wealth has caused us material and spiritual poverty.  The land and water of Akiing supports a generous economy of wild rice, maple syrup, fisheries, farming and land based economics with value added processing . We see the clear wisdom of this economic model, and the potential to work regionally to support this work, as well as the innovations of renewable energy and light manufacturing.  Indeed, we see that the regional model is the essential model for the next economy- from regional hemp value added materials , manufacturing,, to food systems and energy systems.  

 Our history is full of trade, and regional in nature, manifested in many ways by the treaties and the voice of Indigenous leaders like Louis Riel, the Metis patriot, who was elected to the provincial government of Manitoba, advocating for a multi racial democracy.  He was ahead of his time,  hung for treason.  Throughout the ensuing century, much was taken from our people, yet we remain, with seven large reservations  in northern Minnesota, many more throughout Akiing and a vision. 

In the l960s and l970s, persecution of our people continued and the influx of industrial infrastructure into the north expanded, bringing pipelines, logging and the beginning of industrial agriculture to our region, as well as federal policies which began to move from termination to self determination.  One half  of our tribal members now live off reservation, as a result of these policies and repression. 

 The resistance of Anishinaabe people to the assaults on our wild rice, our lands, and our waters continued to grow, and legal cases by the end of the 20th century reaffirmed the rights of the Anishinaabe to the l837, 1854 and l842 treaty territories.  Work to protect the l855 treaty territory continued, and the emergence of the non profit advocacy sector on White Earth reservation with the White Earth Land Recovery Project and later Akiing grew.  In the late l980s, we began to change our economy, not only with the advent of tribal gaming, but also with the restoration of value added control over our wild rice economy; and land restoration. We formed organizations like the White Earth Land Recovery Project and began to purchase back land within the reservation borders, now holding a former elementary school, maple sugar bush, wild rice processing facility and l500 acres. New organizations emerged regionally. Food sovereignty work has grown deeply    Today Anishinaabe Agriculture continues work to restore food systems and heritage varieties, particularly, corn, beans, squash, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes and tobacco.  Our work is focused on post petroleum agriculture and horse based farming operations. We grow and train youth and horses. We have over two decades of experience in farming and in regional food system work. And in 2016,  we completed an integrated Food Sovereignty Plan for the Mille Lacs band of Anishinaabe outlining a strategic plan involving food sheds, integrated agriculture programs and access to significant markets in the Twin Cities and elsewhere. 

The battles over Line 3, as well as the Enbridge Sandpiper, and mining projects like Polymet and Twin Metals pushed again into our territories, and Honor the Earth, as one of many organizations rose to the occasion and mounted significant resistance to the Enbridge invasion supporting grassroots education, outreach and resistance.  There are tens of thousands of Water Protectors who joined us on the ground, and during the course of this battle, Honor the Earth our sister organization, has developed one of the largest climate justice and just transition followings regionally and nationally. We intend to use this political and social power for transformation.    People deserve a green future. That’s this plan. And in this work, based on the tears, victories and earned trust ,we deepened our allies and our collective commitment to the transformation necessary to protect our future generations. This work honors that commitment.