The BioFi Project has published a new article by Dr. PennElys Droz exploring the intersection of Indigenous economic revitalization and bioregional organizing. Titled “What the Trade Routes Remember,” the piece examines how Indigenous communities across North America are rebuilding trade networks, reclaiming economic agency, and creating the conditions for self-determination through place-based economic infrastructure.
The article is especially relevant for anyone engaged in bioregional work. It presents a clear argument that bioregionalism cannot fulfill its own principles without engaging peoples whose knowledge of bioregions has been shaped by deep, sustained relationship with the land.
Trade Routes as Living Memory
Droz profiles several Indigenous-led economic initiatives that are reviving traditional trade routes and building new ones. The Smokehouse Collective in Alaska harvests, processes, and distributes salmon to communities impacted by climate change. In the Mexico-US border region of Sonora, Indigenous women have built a trade network that moves agricultural products across the border on Indigenous terms. The Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation in Saskatchewan is working to renew a trade corridor connecting traditional Dakota, Lakota, and Nakota territories across the US-Canada border, establishing tariff-free supply chains with environmental oversight.
These projects share a common premise: an economy is an expression of cultural values, and rebuilding Indigenous economies means rebuilding the relational and governance structures that colonial powers sought to destroy.
The Case for Indigenous-Bioregional Coalition
The article’s central contribution is a set of principles for building accountable coalitions between Indigenous communities and bioregional organizers. Droz argues that while the two movements share foundational values, including localization, reciprocity, ecological responsibility, and collective governance, bioregional organizers must contend with real power imbalances. She outlines four guiding principles: Indigenous knowledge is relational, not extractable; Indigenous governance and land rights are foundational; knowledge holders may not hold institutional credentials; and relational capacity matters more than philosophical alignment.
A Model in Practice
The Alliance for the Mystic River Watershed in Connecticut is highlighted as a promising example. This youth co-led tribal alliance, formed in 2022 by the Mashantucket and Eastern Pequot Tribal Nations with four neighboring towns, unites over 30 partners around watershed restoration and regenerative lifeways. Its bylaws enshrine tribal sovereignty by granting Indigenous representatives equal decision-making power alongside municipal and youth leaders.
Read the Full Article
The full piece is available on the BioFi Project Substack. It was written by Dr. PennElys Droz, with editing by Félix de Rosen, Samantha Power, and Nick Paul.