Swine Chat with Ian Thompson

The Livestock Conservancy

Welcome to our first Swine Chat! This week we are excited to welcome Ian Thompson to chat about how the Choctaw Hog has influenced the Choctaw Nation. Ian Thompson began learning how to chip stone arrowheads from his uncle at the age of seven. Through his youth, Ian learned a variety of Choctaw traditional arts including hidework and archery. Balancing this cultural education with a western education, he perused a course of study in anthropology and Native American studies, completing his undergraduate work at the University of Missouri and Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. Dr. Thompson’s dissertation brought to light aspects of sleeping traditional knowledge for revitalization by the Choctaw community. Ian is both a Registered Professional Archaeologist and a Tribal Council-certified community language and culture instructor. Currently, he serves as Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and as President of the Oklahoma Bison Association. For the past 12 years, Dr. Thompson’s research has focused on the revitalization of the Indigenous Choctaw foodway as an avenue for improving health and quality of life for community members. This work was the research basis for Choctaw Nation’s Growing Hope Program and the book “Indigenous Choctaw Food,” which holistically presents the pre-colonial Choctaw foodway. In 2015 Ian and his wife Amy set up Nan Awaya Farmstead (www.nanawaya.com). This small family bison ranch combines Choctaw traditional land management with modern regenerative agriculture. Its mission is to produce healthy food while improving the land and supporting the Choctaw community and traditional culture. Find more from The Livestock Conservancy on their Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.