[Un]Freedom in Tribal Nations: The Politics of Food and Housing Security

March 3rd, 2025 

4:15 pm - 5:45 pm

Oliva Hall, Cummings Art Center, Connecticut College

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Members of the Eastern Pequot Tribal Nation and university professors will discuss different ways to understand the origins, document the effects, and formulate solutions to food and housing insecurity and sovereignty at the local level, in our region and around the world.

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The panel brought together Eastern Pequot leaders and Connecticut College faculty and staff for dynamic, educational and thought-provoking dialogue. Within a framework of Indigenous values, including land stewardship and community engagement, speakers discussed the interconnectedness of housing sovereignty, food justice and self-determination. Tribe members highlighted how oral tradition, elders and maternal wisdom are crucial in educating the next generation to live in reciprocity with the earth. Food was analyzed as a cultural mechanism for preserving the health and identity of a group of people. Looking towards the future, the panelists emphasized the importance of solidarity in bringing Indigenous nations into conversation with policymakers, expressing that conquest and dispossession are not only historical but also contemporary realities. Grounded in a tone of hope and resilience in the face of oppression, the event served as a call to action for audience members and panelists alike.

--Aurora Kreyche CC’25

The discussion was deeply moving, highlighting personal experiences and systemic issues around land stewardship and indigenous sovereignty. What does it mean for us to be better stewards of the land? For indigenous communities, land and food are intertwined. The loss of land is not just the loss of ownership, but a severance from resources, cultural identity, and self-sufficiency. Food carries deep symbolic and historical significance, yet settler colonialism has eroded those traditions and diminished access to culturally appropriate resources. Past injustices cannot be remedied with a land acknowledgment. Acknowledging the ownership of the land without meaningful action and intentional conversations risks becoming performative. It is not the conclusion of a conversation; it is the beginning of a commitment to justice and restitution. The injustices faced by indigenous people do not just reside in the past. They are ongoing, and now, more than ever, we need to have an open, collaborative conversation. The talk concluded with a call for the listeners to illuminate what we learned.

--Natalia Hall, CC’25

Location & Parking Information

• Follow [Un]Freedom parking and event signs

• Oliva Hall is located on the first floor of the Cummings Art Center.

• The South Parking Lot is the closest to the Cummings Art Center and Open to the Public.