Mariaelena Huambachano is an assistant professor of environmental humanities and Native American and Indigenous studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. Photos courtesy of www.mariaelena-huambachano.com
Mariaelena Huambachano is an Indigenous scholar, native to Peru, with Quechua ancestry, who also lived for many years in , the Indigenous name for New Zealand. There she completed her undergraduate and graduate studies and formed long-lasting relationships with Māori, the Indigenous people of New Zealand. She joined 鶹Ƶin 2021 as an assistant professor to help build the (CGIC). Courses taught by Huambachano include food fights and treaty rights, Indigenous food cosmologies and reclaiming Indigenous intellectual sovereignty. She is a faculty affiliate across several programs and departments in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) and Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs including the , the , and the .
Food is often seen as a basic human right, but millions do not have food security because of factors like poverty, lack of access to affordable and nutritious food, inadequate social safety nets and environmental challenges. This is worse for vulnerable and marginalized people, like many Indigenous communities around the world. Huambachano is serving on her second United Nations (UN) providing evidence-based recommendations to policymakers. She calls this her “labor of love.”
The HLPE is the science-policy interface of the UN’s Committee on World Food Security (CFS). This group of experts develops a comprehensive report on how food system inequalities contribute to food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition. It also provides the CFS with recommendations on how to address these inequalities because, the report notes, these disparities diminish the quality of life and productivity, perpetuate poverty and hinder economic growth for the affected communities.
Huambachano engages in hands-on research through community-based projects in many regions.
We spoke with Huambachano to discuss her teaching and scholarship at A&S as well as her work for the UN.
Students go on an international journey learning about food and climate justice, governance, agroecology and public policy. I draw from my interdisciplinary approach to Indigenous studies, environmental studies, sustainable development and the long-lasting friendships I’ve made with many Indigenous communities all over the world, to focus on the value of knowledge sharing across networks of global Indigenous allies.
Students find it very interesting to learn about what other Indigenous communities are doing in other parts of the world beyond Central New York. They begin to understand the importance of learning about (TEK), community-driven development and resilience and the positive effects this can have on communities and the environment.
Huambachano at the United Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at UN Headquarters in New York City. She says, “There I can connect and strengthen global relationships with other Indigenous peoples. Syracuse’s proximity to other Indigenous groups is a great benefit.”
鶹Ƶhas a small but growing body of Indigenous scholars, and I have synergies with several. We have many connections to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Onondaga and the Mohawk Nations. I feel a responsibility to extend relationships across the Pacific and knowledge sharing about the values and belief systems of Māori and Quechua Peoples.
Also, Syracuse’s location enhances opportunities to collaborate with many great universities and programs on the East Coast. Currently, 鶹Ƶhas a minor, but many students want to major in this field. I hope to see the program grow.
I was invited in May 2022 to apply and was accepted. Our task was to draft a report called . This panel focused on food security, Indigenous food systems and environmental justice in three regions that I have first-hand knowledge in: South America, Asia-Pacific and North America.
Working toward repositioning the value of Indigenous knowledge and belief systems in higher education and policymaking is important. Many Elders have tenaciously paved the way for us to continue with this work. It’s been a hard road for Indigenous scholars like me to have my work acknowledged, especially on the international stage, so the invitation was a big opportunity. I also hope my commitment and service can inspire the younger generation, who are the future leaders of the global movement for environmental and social justice. It is demanding work, but I do it with passion and conviction–it is my “labor of love.”
The Indigenous dish pictured shows traditional foods from smaller vegetable gardens, grown and harvested for the community to ensure their physical well-being. This practice is also inherently more sustainable and healthier for the land and soil than large-scale, industrial farming.
The UN defines “food security” as having access to safe and nutritious food. This concept extends from your kitchen to the system that produces and delivers it. For Indigenous communities, genuine food security is more than meeting caloric needs, it encompasses spiritual and physical nourishment, providing a pathway to pass down traditions and values to future generations. This is food sovereignty. It extends the significance of food beyond mere calorie intake, encompassing a community’s autonomy and right to control its food systems, to include spiritual nourishment, cultural history and long-term health.
Unfortunately, environmental degradation, the loss of rights to ancestral fishing areas and hunting grounds, and the impacts of climate change and industrial food systems have eroded food sovereignty for many Indigenous communities. They can no longer grow and enjoy our ancestors’ gifts of food and instead consume processed foods, with harmful effects on their health and well-being.
There is a “values crisis” and we must redefine success beyond modern metrics like economic growth. We need a holistic perspective on the entire food system, that is inclusive of diverse cultures, knowledge and ethics. We need to cultivate crops that reflect our wisdom and histories.
Recognizing the wisdom from the Indigenous voice will ensure resilience for all people. It is vital because it enriches mainstream perspectives with wisdom and historically informed solutions. Food insecurity among Indigenous peoples, shaped by historical, cultural and socio-economic factors, is often disregarded in academic and policymaking circles. Historically, Indigenous communities have been the stewards of the land and valuable insights can be gleaned from their philosophies, practices and ecological knowledge which emphasize interconnectedness, interdependence and respect for nature. Addressing soil sovereignty and the rights of nature is crucial too, as continued pollution jeopardizes the resources for a healthy life.
Huambachano in a “seed sovereignty” workshop with a group of “Andean seed keepers,” or ladies of Choquecancha (Quechua Communities), who live at an altitude of 3,800m in the highlands of Peru.
After ten years of fieldwork in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Peru, my book, “” will be published next Spring by the University of California Press. The book is a celebration of the lore of Quechua and Māori and of the world’s Indigenous peoples in safeguarding food systems, innovation, practices and ultimately, the well-being of humankind.
I have been working closely with food sovereignty activists to understand the role of women in leading the food sovereignty movement. I’m exploring the roles that American and Oceanic Indigenous women play in “rematriating cultures of well-being,” or in other words, promoting sustainable food systems and seed and soil sovereignty initiatives.
Huambachano’s latest research is investigating the role of women in the food sovereignty movement.
My goal is to bring Indigenous women from around the world into conversation with one another about “foodways,” a cultural culinary practice and way of eating, exploring various knowledge and methods. Then we can provide research-based evidence of the synergies of TEK and better understand its attentive flexibility toward local land differences.
As part of this project, with the support of the , I held a one-day Symposium in April 2023 called, “.” I invited leading Indigenous thinkers and knowledge holders activists, such as Quechua leader and activist, , Onondaga seed keeper and Māori scholars Ի.
Currently, I am working with 鶹Ƶassociate professor to bring Māori philosopher, here for a two-week residency next spring as part of the . Her scholarship focuses on Indigenous and Māori approaches to justice and environmental well-being.
I am always collaborating and writing. In August, I contributed to a multi-authored paper, “” which was published in Nature. This is about the “values crisis” I spoke of earlier. If market-based values remain a priority, while ignoring the connections between people and nature, the world will see more biodiversity loss, climate change, pandemics and socio-environmental injustices like food insecurity.
Huambachano shows the fruits of her labor. “It takes work to plant, maintain and harvest a vegetable garden, but growing your own food and fresh produce to feed yourself and your community is food sovereignty in action.”
Yes, I just returned from attending , a workshop organized by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In addition to being part of this workshop, I was invited to deliver a public lecture entitled “Indigenous Knowledge is Key for Sustainable Food Systems and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
Next month upon invitation by the (UNESCO), I am heading to Agadir, Morocco to attend the third Indigenous and Local Knowledge Dialogue for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) assessment of transformative change, which explores the societal changes needed to protect nature and human-wellbeing. My contribution will be to review the assessment’s draft chapters and, importantly, the draft summary for policymakers; the synthesis of the assessment that provides key messages and options for action and policy for decision-makers.
As the work continues, I am acutely aware of the transformative changes needed for a just and sustainable future. I am dedicated to helping to create a world where diverse perspectives, values and methods are taken into consideration for the good of all people, and ultimately for the planet.
