Cherokee Nation Seed Bank and Native Plant Site
I first learned about this seed bank because it features in the Pat Gwin essay “What if the Seeds do not Sprout?” From Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the United States. A key part of this essay and the initial struggle of the Seed Bank was the role of forced relocation in hindering Cherokee people from being able to grow these heirloom varieties. Because their seeds were meant to thrive in their original territories, such as the warm, humid mountains of Western NC, these plants were not and are not necessarily the easiest to grow in Oklahoma, where the Cherokee Nation has been relegated to since the Trail of Tears. Despite this struggle, seeds are now sent out annually to Cherokee Nation citizens by the Seed Bank, and they are indeed sprouting and reproducing.
A crucial part of the website, the Seed Bank, and the revitalization of these heirloom seeds is how exactly they are grown. The Seed Bank provides specific instructions on care for each seed, both to ensure its growth and to prevent hybridization of the seed type, which could lead to the loss of these heirloom varieties. To grow heirloom Cherokee seeds is not the same as growing a packet of seeds you can pick up at Home Depot, or even a local farmer’s market, and it shouldn't be. Being explicit about the needs of these plants, from seed to table, allows Cherokee people to explore their traditional agricultural practices, something crucial to all native peoples but especially to a nation that’s historically known for its agrarianism.