FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Jars of organic honey and recipe booklets produced by the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma. Some of the many bison that roam Quapaw tribal lands. Greenhouses where many of the decorative plants and organic microgreens, tomatoes and cucumbers are grown for use by the tribe’s hotels and casinos. Angus cattle that are part of the tribe’s ranching operations.
THE QUAPAW TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA M
ost of the lands of the 5,000-member Quapaw Tribe sit on the Tar Creek Su- perfund site, former home to lead and
zinc mining. The chat piles left behind have contaminated groundwater, pond, river and soil, causing many health problems for local residents. The tribe has used a clean-up grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to form the Quapaw Services Authority (QSA), a tribal authority to oversee site restoration. It is mending the soil, fixing the property for drainage and creating ponds to turn it into something more useful, according to a recent interview with Business Committee Chairman John Berrey. While the federal government frowns upon re-inhabiting some areas, it does allow agriculture. Of the 5,000 acres managed by the tribe, 2,000 acres are cropland. Bison and cattle herds graze on the remainder. With the formation of QSA, the tribe has expanded its businesses from construc-
20 AMERICAN INDIAN SUMMER 2018
tion and hospitality to ranching beef and bison, operating five greenhouses and a coffee roasting plant and recently building a multimillion-dollar USDA inspected bison and beef processing plant. The tribe uses these locally raised and processed beef and bison meat products to supply its casino and hotel restaurants as well as convenience stores. The greenhouses operate year-round and produce the ornamentals or decorative plants used for the casinos and hotels. The bulk of their vegetables (cucumbers, toma- toes and microgreens), herbs and spices go to their restaurants. Greenhouse manager Gilbert Johnston said they also keep 70 bee- hives for honey production, with plans to expand to 100. According to Quapaw tribal member
Mitch Albright, the tribe donates about 20,000 pounds of meat per year to the local schools, elder and daycare centers to provide the pro-
tein that these facilities are unable to. Since the premium cuts of meat go to the restaurants, the tribe sometimes has a hard time selling the middle meat, and has begun to process the excess into beef sticks and beef jerky sold in its convenience stores. The Quapaw Tribe recently purchased a
commercial coffee roaster to begin providing coffee products for the casinos, Quapaw trib- al offices and the Quapaw Cattle Company. Roasting and blend development by Alberto Baez, barista, has created many different blends that can be customized for individual clients. Baez states that they use 100 percent Arabica beans from a number of sources and strive to source from Indigenous groups. Quapaw Tribe offers tours of their facilities Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. To sched- ule a tour, please contact Mitch Albright at
malbright@quapawservices.com.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE QUAPAW TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
