Bring Fruit Trees to Native American Reservations

The past month has been a fruitful one for Trees for Tribes and the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation. From May 14-19th, FTPF traveled across northern Minnesota to plant over 200 fruit trees on three very remote Reservations. 

Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians: The Oshkiimaajitahdah Institute of Technology received 43 trees to extend the orchard planted here last year, which survived the -40 degree winter amazingly well! Extremely cold-hardy varieties are thriving at this community orchard which is the only one of its kind on the entire reservation.

Leech Lake Band of Chippewa Indians: Our third year here, we worked with the tribal Department of Forestry to create a 65 tree orchard at the new community garden site in the center of town. Our new friend Orville, a veteran and ex-logger, is the new caretaker of the orchard. He told us he feels as though he is finally able to balance his years of logging by planting and caring for this orchard.

White Earth Nation: FTPF partnered for the first time with the renowned indigenous rights group Honor the Earth to plant 100 fruit trees at three locations across the reservation, including a behavioral health center, indigenous-based school, and Honor the Earth's headquarters. Their founder and famous environmental activist leader Winona LaDuke began the planting by blessing the orchard through a prayer for past, present, and future environmental protectors, reminding us all of the rich histories of food cultivation that must be carried on as we fight for modern Native peoples' right for food sovereignty and health.

These remote tribal lands are very real food deserts, and our work to bring perennial sources of nutrition to native populations in this harsh climate is of immediate importance--and with your support, FTPF will return to plant more fruit trees here next year. Please consider donating towards the cause for Native food freedom today.