Indigenous Food Systems: Habitat Expansion and Environmental Co-Construction with Lyla June 

Lyla June (Diné/Tsétsêhéstâhese) will discuss native food systems in pre-Columbian times. Through her doctoral work she has seen that a common denominator in these systems is the strategy of habitat expansion. Whether it's burning grasslands to maintain habitat for deer, buffalo, antelope, etc., or building intertidal rock walls to catch sediment for clam habitat, Native people have a knack for building a home for their food in reciprocal relationships. Through this maintenance of the home of edible plants and animals, whom they see as relatives, food can come through consensual and respectful relationships.