Resurgent Land, Culture & Food Systems on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, with Lakota Woman Kelsey Scott

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Kelsey Scott is a 4th generation cow producer and 125th generation land steward at DX Ranch, on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Kelsey is a Lakota woman and citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, and Chief Strategy Officer for the Intertribal Agriculture Council, owner of a direct-to-consumer regenerative beef operation called DX Beef, part of the education and internship programs her family runs, a featured presence in the recent documentary film Common Ground, the first Native American student to give the student address at a commencement ceremony for South Dakota State University, and daughter of the first Native American to head the Farm Service Agency, and all of these roles have been to significant and growing effect.
There is an extraordinary regeneration of land, culture, and regional food systems underway in this country. Largely, it seems, flying under the radar - along with its empowering federal government support. The successes range from Kelsey’s own business, to global premiums being achieved for tribal enterprises as part of an American Indian Foods Program, to a new Intertribal Food Business Centre being set up to model that regeneration of regional food systems – for the benefit of all. Meanwhile, Kelsey’s father Zach Ducheneaux continues to lead the Farm Service Agency, just landing his key legacy piece to date. And the flourishing return of native grasses on their land continues apace, as if singing a tune of gratitude for it all.
We first met Kelsey and her young family back in Montana, at the CREATE program reunion that featured in episode 215. We talk about her unlikely presence and subsequent transformation in that program too. Then we come full circle with her beautiful musical story at the end.
This episode has chapter markers and a transcript (available on most apps now too). The transcript is AI generated and imperfect, but hopefully provides greater access for those who need or like to read.
Recorded 3 August 2024.
Title slide: Kelsey during our conversation (pic: Olivia Cheng).
See more photos on the website, and for more from behind the scenes, become a member via the Patreon page.
Music:
Green Shoots, by The Nomadics.
Regeneration, by Amelia Barden, from Regenerating Australia.
The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by g

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1. Music, Preview, Introduction & Supporter Thanks (00:00:00)

2. Seeing limitless potential (00:03:30)

3. A family’s healing (00:05:30)

4. Unlikely presence & transformation at Nicole Masters’ CREATE program (00:12:30)

5. The story of DX Ranch, family & Reservation (00:20:40)

6. What characterizes the leadership you've witnessed? (00:24:30)

7. The transformative evolving of a people with the horse (00:28:30)

8. Learning programs with horses (& flies?!) (00:33:25)

9. Are you experiencing more interest in connection with First Nations? (00:38:00)

10. Thirty words for snow (& what means more than ‘regenerative agriculture’ to First Nations here) (00:40:00)

11. Applying this on the ranch? (00:45:20)

12. DX Beef – Running a direct-to-consumer business (00:49:35)

13. Great successes with the Intertribal Agriculture Council (00:54:40)

14. Regenerative economics & global American Indian Foods Program & labelling (00:58:30)

15. The new federal government-backed Intertribal Food Business Centre to model the regeneration of regional food systems (00:59:40)

16. Her Dad’s lending system legacy piece as the first Native American Administrator of the Farm Service Agency (01:02:40)

17. Buffalo restoration & the power of intertribal programs (01:05:30)

18. Project HELP: education that helps us navigate chaos – with horses (01:09:20)

19. An extended family of Project HELP alumni & mentors (01:16:10)

20. A big vision (01:20:08)

21. Music story and cultural farewell (01:23:28)