Bridging tradition and innovation: strengthening food system resilience through Indigenous Guardian partnerships and knowledge sharing in the Sierra Nevada and British Columbia
Summary. Indigenous communities in California's Sierra Nevada and British Columbia strengthen food system resilience by combining traditional knowledge with modern tools. Through Guardian programs and participatory mapping, these communities restore stewardship of lands and waters while reclaiming data sovereignty. Elders transmit Indigenous knowledge through oral traditions and hands-on practice, enabling climate adaptation and food sovereignty. The study demonstrates that integrating Indigenous governance with emerging technologies creates resilient, culturally-grounded food systems.
Cite this article
Fontana, N. M., Mercer, B., Wallace, B., & Allen, R.. (2025). Bridging tradition and innovation: strengthening food system resilience through Indigenous Guardian partnerships and knowledge sharing in the Sierra Nevada and British Columbia. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1573391
Fontana, Nina M., et al. “Bridging tradition and innovation: strengthening food system resilience through Indigenous Guardian partnerships and knowledge sharing in the Sierra Nevada and British Columbia.” Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1573391.
Fontana, Nina M., Brenden Mercer, Brian Wallace, and Rebecca Allen. 2025. “Bridging tradition and innovation: strengthening food system resilience through Indigenous Guardian partnerships and knowledge sharing in the Sierra Nevada and British Columbia.” Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1573391.
@article{fontana-2025-bridging-tradition-innovation-strengthening-food,
title = {Bridging tradition and innovation: strengthening food system resilience through Indigenous Guardian partnerships and knowledge sharing in the Sierra Nevada and British Columbia},
author = {Nina M. Fontana and Brenden Mercer and Brian Wallace and Rebecca Allen},
journal = {Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.3389/fsufs.2025.1573391},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1573391}
}
TY - JOUR TI - Bridging tradition and innovation: strengthening food system resilience through Indigenous Guardian partnerships and knowledge sharing in the Sierra Nevada and British Columbia AU - Nina M. Fontana AU - Brenden Mercer AU - Brian Wallace AU - Rebecca Allen JO - Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems PY - 2025 DO - 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1573391 UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1573391 ER -
Details
- DOI
- 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1573391
- Countries
- Canada, United States
- Regions
- North America
- Categories
- indigenous-innovation, food-systems, climate-and-environment, general-innovation
- Added
- 2026-05-01