The Native American Cannabis Alliance has signed three groundbreaking agreements that aim to support the use of 500,000 acres of tribal farmland for cannabis cultivation in a move that the Alliance says will provide economic sovereignty to indigenous farmers.
Native American Cannabis Alliance (NACA), a joint venture of Tim Houseberg, the executive director of Cherokee Nation-based Native Health Matters Foundation, and Everscore, the first direct-to-consumer marketplace for THC and CBD products, has signed three memorandums of understanding (MoU) with indigenous farmers from tribes such as Mohawk Nation, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Nations.
These agreements will support the use of tribal farmland for cannabis farming with agricultural services, the development of manufacturing campuses to process cannabis grown the land, workforce development, and access to offtake agreements by brands selling on the Everscore online marketplace.
Houseberg commented: “Our people come from a rich heritage of cultivation and the cannabis industry provides an historical opportunity for First Nations to work together to shape the future of the industry and provide sovereignty to our communities.
“Through NACA, indigenous farmers will be known worldwide for their quality products by brands and consumers alike.”
“The cannabis industry is experiencing explosive growth and is expected to be a $100 billion-dollar industry by 2030, but the opportunity is not shared equally,” said Jeffrey Sampson, CEO and Founder of Everscore.
“We use modern technology to bridge the fragmented supply chain and create a more collaborative, sustainable ecosystem while benefitting indigenous communities. Brands selling on Everscore will now have a one-stop option for high-quality supply built on transparency.”
Nathan Hart, Secretary of Agriculture, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, added: “The core of our agriculture operations is the health of our soils.
“We believe in a relationship where we take care of the soils, healthy soils produce healthy vegetation which produces healthy products for human consumption. We desire that our hemp programme be involved in educating others from the producers, to the processors, to the end consumers. This system of reciprocity is a core value we greatly respect.”
“As many of our traditions, cultivation has been passed down from generation to generation,” said Roger Jock, representative of the Mohawk Bear Clan people. “NACA is operated in the spirit of the tribal alliances formed hundreds of years ago with the benefit of modern technology.
“We invite our fellow tribes to explore joining NACA to activate the next generation of indigenous farmers and secure sovereignty for all.”
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