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The Indigenous Food Sovereignty program is a tribal community micro-farming initiative developed by the Indigenous People’s Network of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and fiscally sponsored by the Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust (PPLT), a tribal 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The program is the brainchild of Musquant Nompashim Netas (aka Irving “Rocky” Johnson), leader of the Ninigret Nehantic Nahaganset Clan and Chief Sequan Pijaki, Chairman of the Pocasset Wampanoag Tribe.

The program serves marginalized communities in Rhode Island and Connecticut by teaching people how to grow their own food—herbs, fruits, and vegetables. The farming techniques are traditional Native American, which means never using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. The program provides hands-on training, but also plants and harvests fresh foods for those who are incapable of gardening, such as the elderly and the disabled.

The Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust acts as a catalyst for change, addressing critical issues related to land reclamation and conservation, agriculture and food insecurity, as well as economic development, healthcare, and preservation of history and culture—all fostering a sense of community and cultural pride among Indigenous peoples in the Northeast.

The Rhode Island Foundation’s first grant to PPLT made it possible for them to hire a grant writer. The Foundation and generous donors continue to support their efforts and initiatives.