Tribal Food Sovereignty: Building a Bridge
On April 29, 2026, the Reimagining the Land-Grant University Speaker Series welcomed Michael Kotutwa Johnson to UC Davis Hart Hall for a discussion on Tribal food sovereignty. A 252nd-generation Hopi farmer and University of Arizona extension specialist, Dr. Johnson shared how Indigenous agriculture is grounded in relationships, responsibility, and respect for the land. Blending traditional knowledge with academic research, he highlighted the resilience of Indigenous farming systems and encouraged participants to rethink how Indigenous knowledge and science can work together to create more sustainable and equitable food systems.
From Landless to Land Back: Enacting Amah Mutsun Land Rematriation in Coastal California
On February 27, 2026, the Reimagining the Land-Grant University Speaker Series welcomed Alexii Sigona, PhD, for a discussion on the movement from “landless to Land Back” through the lens of Amah Mutsun land rematriation in coastal California. Drawing on Indigenous studies, environmental justice, and community-engaged research, Sigona examined how Tribal communities are reclaiming relationships to ancestral lands while challenging conventional approaches to conservation and restoration. The talk invited participants to rethink stewardship, restoration, and the role of universities in supporting Indigenous sovereignty and collaborative land care.
Learnings from California Natural Resources Agency with Geneva Thompson
On February 25, 2025, UC Davis Grand Challenges’ Reimagining the Land-grant University hosted Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs, Geneva Thompson for a presentation and discussion on the California Natural Resources Agency’s approach to Truth and Healing with Native Nations. Deputy Secretary Thompson’s talk explored how the CNRA’s Tribal Stewardship Strategy and investments in Tribal Nature Based Solutions inform other institutions’ approaches to reckoning with a history of harm.
Truth and Healing in California
On June 7th, 2024, UC Davis Grand Challenges’ Reimagining the Land-grant University hosted Tribal Affairs Secretary Christina Snider-Ashtari for a presentation and discussion California’s Truth and Healing Council and other State led efforts.
