ZUNI, NM (Jan. 19, 2026) — As 2026 begins, the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is preparing to expand and deepen its food sovereignty programming in the Pueblo of Zuni. Building on years of culturally grounded, community-rooted work, the ZYEP team is evolving how it collaborates with families and local partners, refining popular community workshops, and expanding youth programming
The nonprofit organization is embarking on a two-year, apprentice-style project that will allow the team to work even more closely with families as they develop their own gardens. It also will incorporate a heavy cultural component.
According to Tahlia Natachu-Eriacho, ZYEP’s executive director, ZYEP will mentor a small cohort of families through the growing season, setting up infrastructure and sharing traditional protocols and practices. She noted that it’s a more intensive approach than what they’ve done up to this point.
“We’ve seen the outcomes from our previous initiatives flourish, and this was our sign to deepen our impact,” she said. “For example, so many Zuni families are gardening now with the support of our annual garden and rain harvest initiative. At this point, we need to dive further into food sovereignty and traditional Zuni practices and knowledge in order to show it’s not just about having a garden, it’s about the continuation of culture and our connection to land.
“We are so grateful to our supporters, especially the community members who share this knowledge. The members of our Agricultural Advisory Committee and food sovereignty team are looking forward to sharing what they know.”
In this pilot project, the ZYEP food sovereignty team will work with three families this year and three new families in 2027.
“They’ve all been through our food sovereignty programs and are looking to take their knowledge and skills to the next level,” said Brittny Seowtewa, ZYEP’s food sovereignty coordinator.
Since 2020, ZYEP has distributed 50 to 100 garden kits to local families at the beginning of each growing season. These kits provided tools, shade cloth, soil, traditional seeds, seed starts, and much more.
“At this point, we’ve fulfilled the goals of the old program,” Seowtewa said. “Now, we can support infrastructure such as fencing, raised beds, gutters and water storage tanks. We’ll still provide traditional seeds and seed starts, and we can go deeper with our ancestral knowledge.”
Traditionally, Zuni people passed down agricultural knowledge through immersive, hands-on learning across generations. This combined oral traditions, stories, ceremony, and practical work like water conservation and seed saving.
Intergenerational mentorship is critical. Seowtewa said one of the program goals is to empower families so they can teach others what they learned.
This year, ZYEP also is deepening its relationship with the Zuni Senior Center and Zuni Head Start. The food sovereignty team will work closely with both local organizations to support their agriculture; at press time, the team was preparing to assess their existing gardens and create a collaborative plan for the growing season.
“We’re going to host two community workshops here at Ho’n A:wan Park as well, both of which will be free and open to the public,” Seowtewa added. “The spring workshop will focus on planting, soil health, garden prep, seed starts and cultural education, and the fall workshop will be dedicated to seed saving and healthy recipes.”
Then it will be time for Family Cook Nights to return. Held once per month from October to December, this popular series of multigenerational cooking classes gives Zuni families opportunities to learn how to make healthy plant-based recipes together.
ZYEP provides the necessary recipes, ingredients and specialized tools for each class—this past fall, kits included a rice cooker and an electric griddle—and then families join the youth project via Google Meet so they can cook together.
In October, the Halloween-themed menu featured ratatouille, Frankenstein pesto pasta, and spider sorbet. In November, the team shifted gears and presented an Asian-themed menu with ramen, steamed edamame, carrot salad, and mango sticky rice.
“During last year’s program assessment, families shared that they are interested in Asian cuisine,” Seowtewa said. “We saw ramen was a top interest, but most recipes involved more than 20 steps. So, we created a simplified recipe. We also were excited to feature the carrot salad, which was a viral recipe on TikTok!”
In December, the Family Cook Night coincided with shi’deshkwi, Zuni’s winter solstice fasting period. The team focused on easy vegan dishes, including Three Sisters stew (squash, beans and corn), blue corn pancakes, and banana cake.
The ZYEP team shared their recipes online and at the grocery store, and Seowtewa said all their printed recipe books were snapped up quickly.
Although the growing season is still a few months away, the ZYEP food sovereignty team is already busy. On Wednesday, Jan. 14, they prepared and served an evening meal for approximately 50 community members at Family Night for the Delapna:we Project.
“We served a bison Three Sisters stew, wheatberry salad with prickly pear dressing, and blue corn sweet tamales,” Seowtewa said. “It was the same recipe we served to Zuni Public School District teachers last year, and they raved about it!”
Now they are shifting gears to prepare for their first major youth program of 2026, which will be held during the ZPSD spring break in March. Designed for children ages 6 to 18, the program will incorporate art, four different physical activities, and Shiwi Chefs.
“We’ve traditionally offered this week of activities right before our summer camp, but we feel it’s important to provide organized opportunities during spring break as well,” Natachu-Eriacho shared. “This move also allows us to expand Summer Camp from four weeks to five, and we’re really excited about that.”
During spring break, children will be divided into age groups. Seowtewa said younger children ages 6 to 12 will have Shiwi Chefs in the morning, while teenagers will participate in the afternoon.
Assisting Seowtewa with 2026 programming are Food Sovereignty Leader Khassia Hattie and new Food Sovereignty Leader DeVon Bowekaty. Bowekaty joined the team on Jan. 5 after serving as a 2025 summer art intern and then as a mentor in ZYEP’s Rooted in Healthy Traditions fall after-school program.
“I found out about the position in November, and I thought I’d give it a shot,” he said. “I was nervous, but I’m looking forward to being part of this team and working with youth.”
“He’s super good with the kids,” Seowtewa said with a smile. “We’re growing our team, we’re evolving with our families—it’s going to be a great year for food sovereignty at ZYEP!”
With guidance from its Agricultural Advisory Committee, ZYEP’s food sovereignty initiative is dedicated to providing access to resources, instruction and knowledge sharing to people of all ages and abilities. The initiative is made possible with support from Newman’s Own Foundation, the New Mexico Department of Health’s Healthy Kids Healthy Communities, Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples, CoBank and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
To learn more about the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its programs, and for information about making donations, partnering with ZYEP, and volunteering, call (505) 782-8000 or visit zyep.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest news and events, follow the nonprofit youth organization on Facebook (/zuniyouthenrichmentproject), Instagram (@zuniyouthenrichmentproject), YouTube (/ZuniYouth), and TikTok (/zyep09).
Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is dedicated to promoting resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong, healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions. ZYEP fulfills its mission by providing positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that contribute to the healthy development of Zuni youth. ZYEP strives to provide every child with the encouragement and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
