Heritage seeds & plants
Available on request through the season. Trade is a real option, not a courtesy — if you are holding something worth growing on, say so.
Request by season
Research & selected work
The record.
Current research, the food sovereignty work at every scale, and a sample of delivered engagements — rather than a list of capabilities.
The same work, at every scale
Food sovereignty, from the field to Rome.
The same question runs through all of it: who decides what grows, who it feeds, and on whose terms. A treaty covering one farm field and an instrument negotiated at the UN are the same kind of agreement, argued in different rooms.
International
Rome · Geneva · Sri Lanka · Bogotá · Beijing- North American Focal Point, Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism at the UN Committee on World Food Security2023–28 term
- Led the North American CSIPM delegation to the 50th CFS Plenary, Rome. Delegate and speaker at CFS52; side-event panellist at CFS53 on land rights, climate and agroecology2024, 2025
- Opening plenary speaker, Nyéléni Global Forum, Sri Lanka2025
- CSIPM Coordination Committee, methodology team, Brasília2025
- La Via Campesina — the movement of some 200 million peasants and small-scale food producers that coined food sovereignty. 8th International Conference, Bogotá; North America Leadership Meeting; Women’s Agroecology Exchange, Oaxaca2023–24
- ICARRD+20, the FAO international conference on agrarian reform and rural development, Colombia2025
- Special invited farmer delegate and speaker, Journal of Peasant Studies 50th Anniversary Conference, Beijing2023
- Delegate and side-event speaker, UN COP27, Sharm El Sheikh2023
- La Via Campesina delegation on UNDROP to the 50th UN Human Rights Council, Geneva2022
National
Across Canada- Co-Chair, International Programs Committee, National Farmers Union2023–
- Lead Contributor, National Indigenous Solidarity Strategy, NFU2024
- Board Vice President, Food Secure CanadaOngoing
- National panels and keynotes, Food Secure Canada2023, 2024
Regional
Manitoulin Island · Tkaronto · Ontario- Northern Ontario Outreach Coordinator and Indigenous Farmer Mentor, Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario2025–
- Northern Food Sovereignty Week — BIPOC CaucusRecurring
- Chair, Peel Food Action Council · Founding board member, Indigenous Women of NiagaraPast
- Ga Gitigemi Gamik seed sanctuary and land-based learning centreKagawong, since 2020
Networks & affiliations
Celeste works through these bodies rather than alongside them. The CSIPM is the largest international space of civil society and Indigenous Peoples’ organisations working on food security, and an autonomous part of the reformed CFS.
- La Via Campesina · 200 million
- CSIPM
- UN Committee on World Food Security
- National Farmers Union
- Food Secure Canada
- Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario
- Peel Food Action Council
- Indigenous Women of Niagara
The same work, in your hands
Seeds, plants & goods
Seed volume is deliberately small right now — most of the year goes to teaching and advising. What is available goes out by sale or by trade, by season rather than from a shelf. Shirts and goods carry the work further than a seed packet can.
Rematriation
If you are holding a variety with Indigenous origins and you want it to get back where it belongs, get in touch. That work is free.
Always openThe Seven Sisters garden
How the varieties work together in one planting rather than as separate crops. Taught for farms, schools and groups — the teaching Celeste has brought to EFAO conferences.
Book a sessionShirts & goods
T-shirts and other goods carrying the work. Every sale puts something back into the sanctuary at Kagawong.
Ask what is in stockThe seed sanctuary
The land-based side, at Kagawong since 2020 — an Indigenous seed sanctuary and land-based learning centre. Its own site lives at wewillplantlodge.com.
Manitoulin Island
Selected work
Research & selected work
Two live research partnerships, and a sample of delivered engagements — teaching, curriculum, facilitation and policy work — rather than a list of capabilities.
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SSHRC Partnership Development Grant
York University 2026– Co-applicant on a multi-year research partnership into land governance, sovereignty and rematriation, working on the Ontario case study. With York University, McMaster, Calgary, Regina, Toronto Metropolitan University, the Chiefs of Ontario and the National Farmers Union. -
Nyéléni Aquaculture Campaign
with NAMA and the WFFP Current Research assistant, conducting interviews for a case study on the harms of industrial aquaculture — ecosystem contamination, disruption of wild fish, community intimidation and worker violations — and on the communities who have organised against it. Part of the campaign agreed at Nyéléni 2025 by the World Forum of Fisher Peoples, La Via Campesina, the World March of Women and the International Indian Treaty Council. Findings go to the UN FAO Committee on Fisheries, and as evidence to the Global People’s Tribunal in 2027. - Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority 2026 Mamaw Kimiciminan Indigenous Food Sovereignty Gathering, Thunder Bay — a seed sovereignty circle and seed sharing table, and the Seven Sisters teaching and cooking demonstration.
- Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario 2021–23 Conference presentations on Traditional Ecological Knowledge, the Seven Sisters garden and regenerative farming. Northern Coordinator.
- UN Committee on World Food Security 2024 North American Focal Point for the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples’ Mechanism, Rome.
- National Farmers Union 2021, 2024 National Convention workshops on traditional agriculture. Lead contributor to the National Indigenous Solidarity Strategy.
- Food Secure Canada 2023–24 National panels and keynotes. Board member.
- La Via Campesina 2022–25 Delegation to the UN Human Rights Council, Geneva. Women’s Agroecology Exchange, Oaxaca. COP28 and the Nyéléni International Conference.
- Niagara Catholic DSB & District School Board of Niagara 2016–20 Indigenous Education Consultant. Developed and facilitated Indigenous programming and professional development for educators; liaison between the boards and local Indigenous communities.
- Niagara College 2017–19 Adjunct Professor, School of Environment and Horticulture. Designed and taught courses in Traditional Indigenous Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous politics and land justice.
- Canadian Biotechnology Action Network Consulting Mexico corn and seed regulations.
- Universities & colleges 2021–25 Guest sessions and seminars including Lakehead University, the University of Toronto First Nations House, and a fireside chat with Knowledge Keepers at the Canadian Association of Geographers 75th meeting.
- Niagara Regional Native Centre 2017–18 Directed the Three Fires Community Justice Program — post-charge diversion, court liaison, healing circles.
- Weengushk Film Institute 2019–20 Program strategy, public relations and grant writing, M’Chigeeng First Nation.
- MIT Solve & Pow Wow Pitch 2022–23 Global Challenges finalist for Seeding Indigenous Solutions, hosted at MIT in Boston to present the work. Pow Wow Pitch Ontario winner.
Media, film & publications
- National Farmers Union Film Depth of Field: Films About Farming — a short documentary on Ga Gitigemi Gamik, one of forty farms filmed across Canada. Federally funded through Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, screened at community events nationwide, and now a classroom resource. Watch it here.
- Indigenous Climate Hub Podcast Three-part series on Indigenous climate work. Celeste also hosts the Cultural Seeds Podcast.
- The Chronicle Journal Press Seed-saving local grow program explored — ahead of a session at Fort William First Nation, Thunder Bay.
- The Manitoulin Expositor Press Cultural Seeds empowers Indigenous traditional agricultural practices.
- Exchange Press Writing Raspberry Meditation and other pieces — author page.
- National Farmers Union Writing Contributions on land rematriation, right relations and Mexico’s food sovereignty. Further pieces for the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario.
- National Family Farm Coalition Writing WTO Out of Agriculture.
- NFU National Convention Talk Empowerment through Reclaiming Traditional Agriculture — full session online.
Working on something related?
Research collaborations, co-authorship, advisory roles and delegations — get in touch.
