Kiksuyapi Collective

Harvesting Kinship, Sowing Sovereignty, a project by Kiksuyapi Collective, is an education and wellness program that recreates a community garden on ancestral lands at Isleta Pueblo, with a focus on Indigenous knowledge, youth leadership, and food sovereignty. Its aims are to cultivate a vibrant garden by 2026 through traditional Pueblo farming techniques, host various culture- and environment-oriented programs and workshops, offer internships for Indigenous youth, integrate Tiwa language into programming, distribute culturally relevant produce, and strengthen intergenerational ties. This effort will primarily serve Indigenous youth, families, and elders from central New Mexico, engaging them in outdoor activities and instruction related to local farming practices and cultural heritage. By cultivating ecological and cultural relationships and imparting Indigenous leadership values, the program will lay a foundation for a sustainable future centered on land, language, and community care.

The "Water Connects Us: Isleta Outdoor Stewardship Academy", a year-round initiative led by Kiksuyapi Collective and the Isleta Pueblo Department of Natural Resources, focuses on enhancing access to culturally relevant outdoor activities for Indigenous youth and their families. The program engenders appreciation for the outdoors and responsibility towards natural resources by engaging participants in an array of activities — from hiking and bird watching to traditional agriculture and habitat restoration — and emphasizing outdoor safety, teamwork, and respect for the land. The ultimate outcomes of the program will include strengthened connections to the Isleta Pueblo's lands, waters, and traditions; heightened environmental literacy; a more profound understanding of Pueblo lands and waters via the integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) with environmental science; and awareness of career opportunities in Tribal natural resource management.