Honoring Indigenous Stewardship, From Sierra Leone to the Kitchen Table

At Feeding Mouths Filling Minds, we don't just talk about sustainable solutions—we build them alongside the communities who’ve been sustaining their ecosystems for generations.

On this International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we’re reflecting on the 2024 global theme—protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact—with a deeply personal lens.

One of the collaborations closest to our hearts is @Koinadugu College in Sierra Leone, a community-led initiative that shares our core belief: real impact isn’t about quick wins—it’s about building systems that last. We didn’t come in with the answers. Local leaders told us what they needed. We listened, partnered, and helped resource what has now become a thriving institution. That’s the power of local knowledge—and the stickiness of community-led solutions.

We’re also proud of the work of FMFM's own @Derek Nicholas, whose recently published book, Through Food We Know Ourselves, challenges us to honor the language, foodways, and land stewardship traditions of the Indigenous communities he represents. His leadership reminds us: food is never just food. It’s culture. It’s identity. It’s resistance.

Today, and every day, we recommit to protecting the rights, agency, and ancestral wisdom of Indigenous communities. Their knowledge leads. We follow.

We stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities and with those working to uphold their dignity, health, and agency.