Presenter: Mia Luisi

Faculty Sponsor: Deborah Keisch

School: UMass Amherst

Research Area: Public Health and Epidemiology

Session: Poster Session 1, 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM, Auditorium, A26

ABSTRACT

The Land Back movement strives to return lands to Indigenous stewardship, hence revitalizing Indigenous foodways and sovereignty. Indigenous communities disproportionately bear the ongoing effects of colonization; as such, many Indigenous traditions have been overshadowed in a dominant Euro-American society. The disruption of traditional foodways and the extensive loss of tribal lands has led to an alarming rise in chronic disease rates amongst Indigenous communities. To counter these impacts, food sovereignty initiatives are currently working to reestablish Indigenous food systems and reclaim cultural connections to land. One of these efforts, the Belchertown-Nipmuc Farm Conservation Alliance (BNFCA), aims to rematriate the Lampson Brook Farm land parcel to the state-recognized Hassanamisco Nipmuc Band. The use of various communication and outreach strategies have been employed by the BNFCA to increase awareness and improve education amongst the Belchertown community and to gain public support for the rematriation of Nipmuc lands. This reclamation of stewardship means restoring balanced relationships with the lands, ensuring the collective thriving of people, land, and all else that inhabit the land. Through this approach, the BNFCA hopes to improve Indigenous health and well-being while strengthening communities to build a stronger, more sustainable future.