Drumbeats �ֻ�ֱ�� Consortium | Drumbeats �ֻ�ֱ�� Consortium

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Drumbeats �ֻ�ֱ�� Consortium is dedicated to advancing food and energy sovereignty across �ֻ�ֱ�� Native lands. Through pioneering research and community-driven outreach, we provide the hands-on instruction necessary to build a sustainable future. Our clear mission is to cultivate knowledge and foster a new generations of local leadership.

This program is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

2026 Announcement: UAF College of Indigenous Studies awarded a new USDA NIFA �ֻ�ֱ�� Native/ Native Hawaiian grant supporting the Drumbeats: �ֻ�ֱ�� Food Systems and Cultivators Collaborative

This initiative forges new partnerships with UAF to further address food sovereignty in �ֻ�ֱ�� Native communities: centering �ֻ�ֱ�� Native knowledge to inform research, academic, and cooperative extension programming to support healthy food systems for improved wellbeing outcomes.

This collaboration creates a unique partnership with a big vision, partners include:

College of Indigenous Studies (CIS) Tribal Governance (TG),
CIS Center for One Health Research (COHR),
Cooperative Extension Service (CES),
Community and Technical College (CTC) Culinary Arts and Hospitality

The Collaborative’s work spans four major objectives:

Research & Capacity Building: conduct community-based research and share out findings on �ֻ�ֱ��’s local food systems.
Community Engagement & Outreach: establish an advisory council to inform statewide extension programming ensuring research translates to community impact .
Workforce Diversification & Curriculum Development: develop and enhance academic and vocational curriculum to strengthen and diversify �ֻ�ֱ��’s food systems workforce.
Collaboration & Framework Integration: operationalize Drumbeats Consortium as a collaborative informational hub to integrate research, academics, extension, and workforce development across partner institutions.

A few of the exciting activities planned:

CTC Culinary Arts and Hospitality will create professional culinary courses leading to an Occupational Endorsement centered on �ֻ�ֱ�� Native food traditions.
CIS Tribal Governance will continue to develop curriculum on �ֻ�ֱ�� Native food systems policy and governance, advancing leadership development.
CIS Center for One Health Research will establish a graduate researcher cohort to conduct community and place based research focused on �ֻ�ֱ�� Native’s food systems, based on advisory council guidance.
CES will integrate �ֻ�ֱ�� Native knowledge guidance into their public, statewide workshop series.

Project: Drumbeats �ֻ�ֱ��: Place-Based Solutions for �ֻ�ֱ�� Native Food & Energy Sovereignty

The Drumbeats �ֻ�ֱ�� Consortium unites academic and community outreach programs from five �ֻ�ֱ�� Native-Serving Institution campuses within the UAF College of Indigenous Studies. Each participating campus drives a critical component of our focus:

Ethnobotany (EBOT) | Kuskokwim Campus - Bethel
High Latitude Range Management (HLRM) | Northwest Campus - Nome
Sustainable Energy (SE) | Bristol Bay Campus - Dillingham
Tribal Governance & Stewardship (TGS) | College of Indigenous Studies - Fairbanks
Traditional Crafts and Native Language (TCNL) | Interior �ֻ�ֱ�� Campus - Fairbanks

Our programs offer diverse learning experiences, from distance learning to immersive, place-based instruction. We proudly support community efforts to sustain traditional ways of life.

Drumbeats supports faculty in delivering exceptional curricula in food, agricultural, and natural resource systems, traditional crafts, tribal governance, and science. By integrating place-based Indigenous and Western knowledge, we create relevant learning experiences that boost student recruitment and retention.

Photo: A 2025 �ֻ�ֱ�� Ethnobotany class on Kuskokwim Campus

Our Story

A Legacy of Growth and Partnership

Since our founding in 2005, Drumbeats has evolved from an ambitious idea into a dynamic force for Indigenous-led education. Launching our first academic programs in 2007, we expanded our focus by 2009 to include vital agricultural and subsistence sciences. A landmark moment came in 2013 with the creation of our Tribal Stewardship courses, cementing our commitment to centering Indigenous knowledge and leadership.

For the past six years, our work has been expertly guided by Principal Investigator Carrie Stevens, a Professor in the Department of Tribal Governance, in collaboration with co-program directors from the Kuskokwim, Northwest, and Bristol Bay Campuses.

Our success is a testament to our strong university and community partners and the dedicated students who champion self-determination. We are deeply grateful for their collaboration, which uplifts time-honored Indigenous knowledge and ways of being across �ֻ�ֱ��.

Explore our programs and partnerships to see how we are building a sovereign future together.

This work is supported by the �ֻ�ֱ�� Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program, [project award no. 2024-38470-43416], from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.