Bring Fruit Trees to Native American Reservations

Dear friends,

We have just launched the very beginning of an incredible project to restore the nearly lost Navajo peach trees. These sacred trees were nearly wiped out after intentional burning and subsequent decimation of Indigenous food systems by the US government during the forced removal of the Navajo people from their lands around Canyon de Chelly. Yet, against all odds, many trees clung to life alongside the dedicated elders who remained their caretakers over the decades.

Thanks in large part to the incredible research of Reagan Wytsalucy, we are now collaborating with her to propagate seeds from the historic trees and elders she has worked with for years. Our shared goal is to bring these resilient trees back across Navajo lands and directly into family backyards. This initiative is part of a multi-year project partnering with both the Navajo and Zuni tribes, and we look forward to sharing photos and updates as the project unfolds.

We could really use your support as we take on this ambitious, long-term endeavor. Bringing back a tree that was almost lost represents far more than planting fruit — it honors deep food traditions, traditional ecological knowledge, and the immense resilience of Indigenous peoples. Together, we are resurrecting and rekindling Native food sovereignty built on ancestral foods and wisdom.

A huge thank you to everyone who has made this initial launch possible, including our key partners in this work: Reagan Wytsalucy of Utah State Extension, Dr. Matthew Tafoya at Navajo Technical University, and generous funding support from the Arbor Day Foundation.

If you are able, a donation toward planting and restoring these historic peach trees would be deeply appreciated!

To a peach-filled future,

The FTPF Team