Lakota ethnobotanist Paul Red Elk is leading an ambitious project to revive corn, squash, beans and other crops using ancient indigenous seeds.

Red Elk and a group of Indian youth are working at the Science Museum of Minnesota with a collection of ancient seeds. One strain of corn dates back 2,000 years and one squash seed is 800 years old.

The goal is to reintroduce the seeds on reservations in Minnesota. Red Lake says the crops are more nutritious that current strains, a view confirmed by nutritionists at the University of Minnesota.

Get the Story:
Ancient seeds crop up again (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 8/29)
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Museum learns from seeds (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 8/29)

Relevant Links:
Science Museum of Minnesota - http://www.smm.org

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