During the Indian Reorganization Era, which took place between the late 1920s through the 1930s, the U.S. government began winding down its assimilation policies and made moves to reaffirm Tribal self-governance. The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, also known as the Indian New Deal, had three main goals: strengthen Tribal self-governance, reconsolidate tribal lands, and promote economic development. The Indian Reorganization Act did emphasize the need to involve Native peoples when the federal government made policies affecting their communities and it provided some new opportunities for self-governance. However, oversight from the Bureau of Indian Affairs continued a long history of paternalism and left little room for Tribal governance based on cultural values and protocols. Few Native individuals or communities were able to become financially self-sustaining as a result of this “Indian New Deal.” In the present day, many have mixed positions and opinions of how well these goals were achieved/realized.

Spirit Plate is part of the Whetstone Radio Collective. Learn more about this episode of Spirit Plate at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Min 1:35: Introduction of the show and then intro of Shiloh
• Min 3:45: Shiloh family’s history and how she decided this was her passion
• Min 8:00 Overview of the dinner parties and how their effects on the community
• Min 12:30 Introduction of the Sacred Roots - Food Sovereignty Program
• Min 16:00 Difficulties in creating and maintaining the Space and Opportunities for Urban Indians in Food Sovereignty via Sacred Roots
• Min 20:00: Introduction of the Pop-up in Detriot
• Min 22:30: Introduction to present-day work
• Min 25:00: Working with the Native American Food Sovereignty
• Min 29:55: Connecting her role in the Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance team to Spirit Plate and what she thinks the future hold
• 32:00 Looking ahead