<
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/how-a-navajo-scientist-is-helping-to-restore-traditional-peach-horticulture.htm>
"People have grown peach trees in the vast desert landscape of the southwestern
United States for hundreds of years. Peach orchards in Canyon de Chelly
National Monument were first sown by predecessors of the Hopi people and in the
1700s by the Navajos. They were part of a local economy of shepherding,
small-scale farming, hunting, and gathering. Of the orchard fruits adopted by
the Navajo people, the peach became the most culturally significant. It was a
versatile food, trade good, and feature of traditional ceremonies. The peaches
are now predominantly modern varieties, but young Navajo horticulturist Reagan
Wytsalucy, who is collaborating with the National Park Service at Canyon de
Chelly, understands there’s great interest in returning to the centuries-old,
traditional peaches. Her groundbreaking research shows why.
Wytsalucy is working with Indigenous communities to increase the availability
of traditional crops for original uses. She hopes this will counter food
insecurity, increase resiliency, and perpetuate traditional cultural knowledge.
She has devoted much of her career to finding the traditional peaches of the
Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni people. Along the way, she has made remarkable
discoveries and developed a deeper bond with her own heritage. Through her
academic and professional training in horticulture, she combines the science of
genetic and physiological research with the insights of traditional knowledge.
Her findings are significant for heritage preservation, cultural resource
management, and biodiversity conservation."
Via
Reasons to be Cheerful:
<
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/what-were-reading-toronto-suburb-mass-transit/>
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
