TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — The Cherokee Nation is expanding its commitment to preserving traditional agriculture with the launch of Harvesting Our Heritage, a new initiative that will provide heirloom seeds to Community and Cultural Outreach-participating organizations across the country for community gardens and citizen distribution.
“The Harvesting Our Heritage program represents a significant step forward in our mission to preserve and promote Cherokee agricultural traditions,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. “By partnering with our Community and Cultural Outreach-participating Cherokee community organizations, we're creating sustainable networks of seed stewards who will help maintain and adapt these precious varieties for future generations.” Through this program, participating CCO organizations will receive specialized seed packets containing traditional Cherokee corn, beans, and squash or pumpkin varieties. These packets contain larger quantities than standard individual distributions, enabling communities to establish sustainable growing operations. Cherokee citizens can learn more about the tribe’s annual distribution of heirloom seeds by going online to this link.
“Harvesting Our Heritage is about more than just growing crops,” said Deputy Chief Bryan Warner. “It's about nurturing community bonds, preserving our agricultural knowledge, and ensuring our traditional crops continue to evolve and thrive in diverse environments across the country.” To support participating organizations, the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank will produce educational videos throughout the growing season, providing guidance on planting, cultivation, harvesting, and seed storage techniques. This educational component aims to ensure successful growing seasons and enable communities to maintain their own seed stocks for future distribution to their members. “What makes this program particularly exciting is its potential for long-term impact,” said Secretary of Natural Resources Christina Justice. “As these seeds are grown in different environments, they naturally adapt to local conditions, becoming more resilient to specific challenges like heat or drought. This adaptation process strengthens our seed stock while deepening community connections to our agricultural heritage.” The program emphasizes community-based seed stewardship, encouraging participating groups to maintain their crops collectively and share both harvested seeds and agricultural knowledge within their communities.
Later this year, the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank will expand with the installment of a new heirloom seeds garden at the Male Seminary Recreation Center (Markoma Gym) in Tahlequah. The expansion will double the space for growing, allowing the Seed Bank to produce more seeds and help meet the growing demand for heirloom crops for years to come.
The Harvesting Our Heritage program is available to all CCO-participating organizations. CCO organizations already signed up for the program include Cherokees of the Inland Empire (Los Angeles), Cherokees of the Northern Central Valley (Sacramento), Desert Cherokees (Tucson, Ariz.), Willamette Tsa-La-Gi Community (Eugene, Ore.), Cherokee Community of North Texas, Central Texas Cherokee Township (Austin, Texas), Mt. Hood Cherokees (Portland, Ore.), New Mexico Cherokees, Georgia Cherokee Alliance, Kansas City Cherokee Community, Capital City Cherokee Community (Washington D.C.), Cherokee Community of Puget Sound (Seattle, Wash.), Adair County Historical & Genealogical Association, Old Saline Cherokee Association, Cherokees for Black Indian History Preservation, Rogers County Cherokee Association, Washington County Cherokees Association, People’s Cherokee Community Inc., Illinois River Area Community Organization, Family Support Center of Oaks, Indian Women’s Pocohontas Club, and Cherokee Cemeteries Restoration Association.
“I think this is a wonderful program that will do nothing but benefit the community groups that choose to participate,” said Illinois River Area Community Organization President Faye Morrison. “One of the major benefits of the program is the food security it can bring. With the prices of groceries being as high as they are, a community garden can be a great resource for providing families with fresh, healthy foods to add to their menus.”
Although seeds grown and shared through the Harvesting Our Heritage program this year are not certified heirloom seeds due to the exacting standards of that certification, the tribe is optimistic that future CCO organization-based sites can participate at the certified level.
“We are already on course to achieving a milestone in engaging grassroots organizations on the reservation and at-large in growing and sharing these culturally relevant seeds,” said Cherokee Nation Deputy Secretary of State Canaan Duncan. “In future years our hope is that some of these sites will take the next step and become certified Cherokee heirloom gardens.”
CCO organizations interested in participating in the Harvesting Our Heritage program can contact the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank at