|
Unsurprisingly, in the United States our legacy is complicated by the realities of widespread land and resource theft by colonial settlers from Native nations, including their seeds. This legacy reverberates today in that many seeds valuable to Native communities are held in seed banks with limited access. Many USDA banks make their seeds available to the public but obtaining them often involves a lengthy bureaucratic process.3 In addition to the difficulties that Native people face when seeking to rematriate seeds connected to their cultural history and cuisine, tracing the exact heritage of seeds over time is time-consuming and in some cases impossible. Some seed companies today, including Fedco, pay Indigenous Royalties to recognize Native seed breeders both past and present.
The intricacies of patent law present problems of their own. Theoretically, the purpose of the patent system is to encourage competition and innovation in the marketplace, but in practice the patent system further consolidates power in the corporate seed industry.4 For this reason, organizations like the Open Source Seed Initiative work to keep as many seed varieties as possible firmly in the public domain.
The basic process of seed saving remains close to its historic origins: growers begin by selecting the best seeds from the healthiest open-pollinated plants, which ensures genetic quality. Then they carefully dry the seeds to prevent mold and decay, storing them in a cool, dark place to promote the highest germination rate. In indigenous systems of thought, seeds are considered living beings with consciousness. The relationship takes on a reciprocal responsibility, more akin to a bond shared with family members than with an object that is owned.5
| 
