Fahamisha Amkajinaki grew up in New Jersey but has returned back to her grandfather’s land in North Carolina to better understand and honor the tough efforts he went through to keep it. Fahamisha has leveraged resources in her community like the SFLR program to better understand the land and use it to its full potential. Find out what legacy Fahamisha wishes to build on the family land on this week’s episode.
Key Takeaways:
[1:40] A message from Leadership Nature.
[2:25] A quick intro about Fahamisha’s background.
[3:55] How did Fahamisha get reconnected to her grandfather’s land?
[7:35] What was the transition first like from going to a cement jungle to an actual jungle?
[11:35] Fahamisha didn’t realize how divorced she was from mother nature until she came to the family farm.
[13:05] Fahamisha shares a bit of the land’s history.
[16:15] What are Fahamisha’s goals for the property?
[24:35] Fahamisha wonders why schools in her rural community are not teaching children about nature-related topics like forestry and the environment that they’re constantly exposed to.
[28:45] How did Fahamisha first discover/get started in the SFLR program?
[39:35] Fahamisha completely understands why so many African Americans landowners are cautious to work with outsiders.
[44:00] How does Fahamisha educate her siblings and family members about the land?
[55:30] Fahamisha is so happy she came back to the land and was able to use the free resources and wisdom from experts in her community.
[57:15] What advice does Fahamisha have for other landowners?
[1:00:55] Don’t understand something at a workshop? Go again. There’s no shame in taking it all in once, twice, three times, or more.
[1:04:15] Your ancestors went through A LOT to keep that land, so honor them by understanding why and getting back in touch with it.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Website for the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities: Usendowment.org
More information on the SFLR Program: Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program (SFLR)
More information on USDA NRCS: Nrcs.usda.gov