Plenty continues to help develop projects with Native Americans. (left) The gardens at Pine Ridge South Dakota. photo by Anita Whipple Projects:

Pine Ridge Community Gardens Project Soy Huichol: Huichol Center for Cultural Survival and Traditional Arts, Mexico, Summer 2003 Volunteers Build Kitchen and Eating Facility, Summer 2002 Plenty Donates Ambulance to Rosebud Reservation, Spring 2002 The Pine Ridge Hemp Project, Hemp and Native Americans, Spring 1998 The Pine Ridge Hemp House, Summer 1999

Any objective assessment of the condition of the human species today leaves little doubt that we are in need of a serious re-evaluation of our habits of consumption and management of natural resources. Early in Plenty's 29 year history we became aware that, in our time, the stewards and caretakers of the values and principles we need to adopt, for the sake of the world, are most commonly found among the most materially poor and subjugated populations on the planet--the Indigenous People. We learned this first living among the Maya. To us, this was akin to the 49ers discovering gold in California, only the gold we discovered in Guatemala was more precious. Its value was not subject to market forces or the ravages of time and weather.

The ancient Maya, like other Native Peoples, were among history's most resourceful traders. What could we, eager but naive and youthful gringos from Tennessee, offer in exchange for this "gold" we were mining by the heartfull? They would soon teach us: the noble soybean, solar panels, CB radios for village health workers, PVC piping for potable water systems. These appropriate technologies became our currency, offered in exchange for the Mayan gold--a cultural consciousness and awareness that opened our eyes to the state of the world and revealed our mission to us: If indeed we were to accomplish anything in our passion to make the world healthier and more fair, kinder and more peaceful, a most important key would be our partnership with the Indigenous Peoples of the earth.

Over the years our understanding of indigenous has evolved to a realization that indigenous cultures are simply those which are founded in a spiritual understanding of life. Indigenous isn't about blood lines. It's about consciousness. Plenty is constantly seeking to build cooperative relationships with indigenous visionaries in order to expand sovereignty and consciousness for us all.