We are interested in biodiversity , sequestering carbon and bioremediation. Eighth Fire Project
In Anishinaabe prophecies this is referred to as the time of the Seventh Fire. In this time, it is said that we have a choice between the green path and the scorched path. With the choice to move towards the green path, the Eighth Fire will be lit. That will be a fire where we will come together, bring our minds hearts and prayers together to make a future for our children. In the heart of the Great Lakes, the Enbridge Line 3 proposal is the largest project in Enbridge history; it is a 915,000 barrel a day tar sands pipeline. This past year, we defeated a 640,000 barrel a day pipeline in the same proposed route, but the greed of the industry is insatiable. It is time to make the change. We indeed are at a crossroads between paths. I see a future which is full of promise, where we decouple our economy from fossil fuels, re-localize and create the future. I want to grow food, and I want to grow hemp. For the past twenty years, I’ve been growing traditional varieties of corn, beans squash and tobacco, all organic, heritage, and using fish fertilizer, and horses for farming. I have always grown my crops on other people’s land, and today I am asking you to help me buy a farm. This is not just about me, it is about changing the economy of our territory, the ecology and our future. We have to start somewhere, and I want to do this. With your help, we will create a set of horse and renewable based industries, focused on Native heritage foods and hemp. This is the post petroleum economy. For the past decades, I have worked to not only oppose aggressive industrial projects which would take our lifeblood, but have worked in restoration of sustainable economies- small scale food production, restoration of heritage varieties, and renewable energy. Much of our farming is done with horses, both work horses and ponies. We are interested in the post petroleum agriculture or in an enlightened farming practice. Scale is important, how we relate to our relatives with roots is important, and what we do will be the change. All this time, I have farmed on the land owned by others. Now I want to buy a farm. For the past two years, we have been growing small scale industrial hemp. We also grow traditional beans, squash, tobacco and corn varieties. All of this is on leased tribal land. We would like to expand our production and need a farm; which can accommodate our horses, our crops, and our initial hemp processing infrastructure. The farm we have located has enough outbuildings for our animals and our hemp production, and is in good shape. The farm is 38 acres, and asking price is $123,000. From here, we intend to create a small sustainable agriculture/hemp operation, with a storefront. If we exceed our goal of $l00,000 we will use it towards the farm and towards the decortication, combine and other equipment we will need for our operations. We plan to make jobs for the north country. We believe that a vertically integrated local hemp and food economy will create at least 25 jobs in the upcoming six years, and that work will reaffirm us all. And our covenant. We wish to grow hemp for fiber and also could use the additional bi-products for food, oil, and building and bedding (horse) materials. Our brand is Winona’s Hemp. Our goal is to develop the hemp industry on the White Earth Reservation, from the farming operations to light manufacturing of fiber, paper, housing and food products. We also want to work on hemp varieties which are appropriate for bio remediation, something we need to do in the north country- restore and clean our land. We intend to make a difference.
