Guest: Skya Ducheneaux, Executive Director of Akiptan

Host: Tish Mindemann

Duration: ~32 minutes

Release Date: 8/14/2025

In this compelling episode, host Tish Mindemann speaks with Skya Ducheneaux, a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation and Executive Director of Akiptan, a Native-led agricultural CDFI. Skya shares her journey from ranching to finance, and how Akiptan is reshaping access to capital in Indian Country. The conversation dives deep into the systemic barriers tribal citizens face, the unique role of CDFIs, and Akiptan’s innovative approaches to lending, education, and succession planning.

• What is a CDFI and how it differs from traditional banks
• The cultural and systemic barriers to capital access in Indian Country
• Akiptan’s philosophy: “Built by producers, for producers”
• The importance of sweat equity and character in lending decisions
• Trust land, leasing, and the myth of un-mortgageable Native land
• The Monopoly metaphor: understanding economic disparity
• Akiptan’s impact metrics and redefining success
• The Yuwinyeya Grant: succession planning as a tool for generational wealth

• Akiptan Website
• Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF)
• Reimagining Native Food Economies Report
• Four Bands Community Fund
• USDA Value-Added Producer Grants
• Bureau of Indian Affairs – Trust Land Mortgage Info

In this special episode of Rooted Wisdom, we take you inside the 11th Annual Native American Youth in Agriculture Leadership Summit, hosted by the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas. This immersive week-long experience brings together Native youth from across Indian Country to explore agriculture, leadership, and community through hands-on learning and collaboration.

You’ll hear from a powerful lineup of guests and participants who are shaping the future of Indigenous agriculture:

• Dr. Janeal Yancy from the University of Arkansas shares her expertise on small and large ruminants and how they are used in agricultural research and education.
• Teresa Jackson and Tiffany Grant from Oklahoma Tribal Engagement Partners (OKTEP) discuss their summit track focused on health and nutrition—highlighting how these areas are foundational to food systems and community well-being.
• Trenton Kissee, Chris Azbell, Courtney Natseway, and Anna Sterner of the Muscogee Nation reflect on their roles in supporting Native youth and building sustainable food systems rooted in sovereignty and tradition.
• And of course, we hear directly from summit participants, who share their personal journeys, insights, and the impact of this transformative experience.

Theme of the Year: Grow Your Potential — a call to action for Native youth to embrace leadership, understand agricultural risk, and build a future rooted in knowledge and community.

What You’ll Learn:

• The role of livestock in agricultural education and research
• How nutrition and health intersect with food sovereignty
• The importance of culturally relevant education and intertribal collaboration

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about the Youth Summit and IFAI’s youth programs: indigenousfoodandag.com/youth-programs
• Oklahoma Tribal Engagement Partners (OKTEP): oktep.com
• Muscogee (Creek) Nation: muscogeenation.com

In our final episode of the Makin' Scratch series, we speak to the CEO and founder of Makocee, Nick Hernandez (Oglala Sioux). Makocee, which means 'homeland' in the Oglala Sioux language, is a central location for local poultry as an access point for their products on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Nick talks about how he got the idea for Makocee, what the organization does for producers, and how Indian Country poultry producers are increasing.

For more information about Makocee or to reach out to them visit their website: https://makoceag.org/

Continuing with our special series on the poultry industry in Indian Country, we have 3 egg-cellent ladies on this episode. Kathrine Minthorn (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation) the Technical Assistance Network Associate Director from IAC talks about her own experience as an egg producer and how she helps her community. Amelia Evans-Brow (Yup’ik & Passamaquoddy) a Technical Assistance Specialist at IAC, known colloquially as the Chicken Ribbon Skirt lady, talks about her love for her feathered friends and how IAC is trying to encourage more Native producers to take the leap into poultry production. Also on the podcast is Cary Fremin (Native Village of Dot Lake) a former Technical Assistance Specialist for IAC and a council member for her village talks about the challenges of raising chickens in the wilds of Alaska.

For more information on the roundtable discussions mentioned in the episode email

[email protected] or [email protected]

In this special series, we will be exploring the poultry industry in Indian Country. In the first episode we speak to Dr. Fred Dustan Clark, Assistant Professor/Extension Poultry Health Veterinarian, Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and Associate Director of the Poultry Center at the University of Arkansas. He gives us a peak inside what's happening with the bird flu, and how it is affecting the poultry industry (recorded in March 2025). If you have questions here are numbers that were mentioned in the podcast you can reach out to for help.

Dr. Clark - 479-957-4245

USDA - 866-536-7593

Arkansas Poultry Disease Hotline - 501-823-1746

Backyard and Hobby Poultry in Arkansas Online Course

In this episode of Rooted Wisdom, host Tish Mindemann interviews Dr. Josie Rudolphi and Kaycee Captain, two members of the collaboration between traditional and Indigenous mental health initiatives. Josie Rudolphi, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist at the University of Illinois, discusses the North Central Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Center (NCFRSAC), while Kaycee Captain, a Tribal outreach and policy specialist and policy team member at the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI), shares insights on the collaboration between IFAI and NCFRSAC.

RESOURCES

farmstress.org

FARM AID 1-800-FARMAID (327-6843)

National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988 or Text HOME to 741741

Iowa Concern Hotline 1-800-447-1985

Farm Angel Network https://www.farmerangelnetwork.com/

🎙️ Rooted Wisdom Podcast: Season 2, Episode 1 🎙️

In this episode, we dive into the vital topic of rural development in Indian Country. Join host Tish Mindemann as she speaks with Carly Griffith Hotvedt, Executive Director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative and a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Carly shares insights on how Tribal nations are investing in rural America through food and agriculture, benefiting both Native and non-Native communities.

Key topics include:

Tune in to learn how these initiatives are fostering growth, resilience, and sustainability in rural areas. 🌾✨

Podcast Summary: Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: The Vital Role of Tribal Food and Agriculture

In this special episode of "Rooted Wisdom," we celebrate Native American Heritage Month by exploring the significant contributions of tribal food and agriculture. Hosted by Mary Belle Zook, Communications Director at the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI), the episode features insightful conversations with Carly Griffith Hotvedt, Executive Director of IFAI, and Kelli Case, Senior Staff Attorney at IFAI.

Carly emphasizes the crucial link between tribal sovereignty and food sovereignty, stating, "We can't be truly sovereign unless we can feed our own people." This episode delves into the diverse agricultural practices across different tribes, highlighting how each community tailors its food systems to its unique needs and traditions.

Listeners will learn about the global impact of Indigenous agriculture, with many staple foods like corn, beans, and potatoes having origins in Indigenous practices. The episode also addresses the exploitation of Indigenous knowledge, particularly in the realm of medicinal plants.

The discussion underscores the resilience and innovation of tribal agriculture, especially in response to the challenges posed by the pandemic. Tribes are making significant investments in infrastructure to ensure food security and sovereignty, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting the health and well-being of future generations.

Tune in to discover how you can support Native food producers, learn about Indigenous agricultural practices, and celebrate the rich traditions of tribal food and agriculture this Native American Heritage Month.

On this episode of Rooted Wisdom, hear from the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative's Summer Wilkie on how IFAI has supported Native youth programming since the organization's formation. IFAI has helped tackle the large need for youth engagement, mentorships, and networking around food and agriculture across Indian Country through the annual Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Leadership Summit for more than a decade. 

As part of the University of Arkansas School of Law, IFAI also helps meet the needs of Tribal students across the university through the Native American Student Services. NASS offers academic support, internships, cultural programming, and helps Native students foster a sense of belonging and success. 

Don't miss out on this insightful episode and learn more about the initiatives that empower students to thrive both academically and culturally. 

On this insightful episode of Rooted Wisdom, produced by the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, hear from IFAI's Director of Tribal Enterprise, Steven Shedd J.D., citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, on how IFAI's Tribal Enterprise team helps Tribal Nations navigate food and agricultural development opportunities and facilitate food safety training and education across the country.