Tribal Agriculture: Preserving our Future with Lessons from the Past and Present

Tribal Agriculture: Preserving our Future with Lessons from the Past and Present, with Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson

Join Conservation Lands & Resources in welcoming Dr. Michael Kotutwa Johnson as he showcases resiliency and lessons learned from past and present tribal agriculture. Since time immemorial tribes in the Southwest have been growing crops in semi-arid regions needed to survive. The agriculture practices of these tribes are place-based, and the crops they raise not only provide subsistence but also a sense of cultural identity. He will go into more depth on why tribal systems are so resilient, their importance to their communities, and my attempts to continue to revitalize these systems.  
 

Saturday, February 7, 2026. 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

• Historic Canoa Ranch
• Free • Registration recommended • Walk-ins welcome, as space permits.
• To register: www.explore.pima.gov 

For more information: www.pima.gov/CLR, EEducation@pima.gov, or 520-724-5375 

Learn more about this presenter: 

Michael Kotutwa Johnson is an Assistant Professor/Extension Specialist of Indigenous Resilience at the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment and a core faculty member of the Indigenous Resilience Center. Dr. Johnson is a Hopi tribal member and avid Hopi dryland farmer. He often mentions he is a 250th-generation Hopi farmer. His research focuses on Indigenous Land Use Management schemes, such as Indigenous agriculture and the intersections of policy, science, and law. His academic work consists of peer-reviewed journal articles and tribal outreach. He recently started the Fred Aptvi Foundation, focusing on growing traditional Hopi crops, establishing a community seed bank, and developing a Hopi youth agriculture program that includes the Hopi language.