The first breakout session I attended highlighted the experiences of Native youth involved in gardening and food initiatives. After their session tow of the youth, Tehonwenniserathe Levi Herne from the Akwesasne Freedom School, and Bernice Stevens from the Oneida Nation were interviewed as part of local news story. Levi described the Mohawk language immersion program at the Akwesasne Freedom School, and his own 1/4 acre garden that he tends and preserves the food from. Bernice is part of the Oneida Food Youth Group, which included a food handlers safety course, and lessons on creating a product– like a trail mix created from scratch and marketed to local organizations. The program also took the youth on medicine plant walks, and them other food preservation skills like canning. Joseph Cadotte from the Bad River Tribe’s Youth Wild Rice Stewardship program (not pictured here) also described their programs to teach youth about environmental science and traditional foods through wild rice camps that included trips to gather rice and conduct water tests; and lessons on processing rice in traditional and modern ways. (photo by Elizabeth Hoover)