From Soil to Stars
In-Depth Soil Health Exploration and Stargazing on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation
In May, at our ‘Stars and Soil’ event on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, we dedicated a day to hands-on learning and reflection with Cheyenne women land stewards.
This event, part of our Rooted in the Land program, featured an in-depth exploration of soil health through compaction testing and assessments, insights into plant uses from an expert ethnobotanist, and an exploration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) shared by tribal members.
The day concluded with stargazing under a sky free from light pollution, where the group admired the Waxing Gibbous moon and listened to native star stories.
Photography by Miah Chalfant
Women in Ranching’s Rooted in the Land program centers Indigenous Women in Ranching, celebrating their knowledge and expertise. The program was developed by Indigenous women for Indigenous women and aims to empower them through knowledge transfer, cultivating skills for leadership and growth, and honoring cultural traditions through a series of engaging in-person and virtual events tailored to the unique needs of each community.
Women in Ranching aims to support Indigenous communities in perpetuating Traditional Ecological Knowledge through a shared understanding of our kinship roles, relatedness, and languages. We seek to articulate a sacred and sophisticated perspective of our relationship to the land that values creativity, innovation, and resilience, ultimately rooted in Indigenous knowledge.
Our programs are centered on healing and nurturing the wholeness of the women we serve. Through the lens of “Whole Woman Care,” we intend to nurture all aspects of a woman’s life, including physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions to promote overall well-being. Through whole woman care, storytelling, and elevating the culture particular to each of the two tribal nations identified above, we are increasing equity, elevating community, sharing power, and building the next generation of agricultural leaders.