About Us


Our
Story
IndigineiTEA: Brewing a Sustainable Future, One Cup at a Time
Our Roots: A Vision Shared
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IndigineiTEA isn't just a company; it's the culmination of a shared dream by passionate individuals dedicated to empowering Indigenous communities and fostering a sustainable future. The company originated when academics, farmers, chefs, Urban Indian Organizations (UIO), tribal environmental directors, and community members envisioned a world where Indigenous food sovereignty built around a regional eastern woodland sustainable food system was not just a concept but a reality.
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The Power of Collaboration
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Troy Wiipongwii, PhD, MPP (Chickahominy Descendant), Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Conservation at William & Mary’s Institute for Integrative Conservation (IIC), along with his colleague and mentors Zach Conrad, PhD, MPH, and Matthias Leu, PhD, through the support of Jeffres Trust and in collaboration with several tribal communities, launched a Software based Indigenous food sovereignty project. Through community feedback, it became apparent that there was a need to build programming to support access and knowledge of Indigenous foods for the community. In collaboration with the Baltimore American Indian Center (BAIC), an Indigenous food program was launched. While launching this program, Wiipongwii was introduced to Ben Friton through the Eastern Chickahominy Environmental Director, Jessica Phillips (Eastern Chickahominy Citizen). Ben Friton, a polyculture farmer, ecosystem designer, champion of Indigenous communities, and director of the REED Center for Ecosystem Reintegration, brought his expertise in regenerative polyculture systems to the table. With Wiipongwii's team, the Indigenous food program evolved into a large-scale Indigenous Peoples Feast with many Indigenous foods supplied by the REED Center. The Inaugural Indigenous Peoples Feast at William & Mary, a collaborative effort involving numerous tribes and chefs, further fueled a vision for a sustainable regional Indigenous food system.
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From Feast to Enterprise
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A mastermind session followed, uniting Indigenous chefs, foragers, academics, farmers, activists, and entrepreneurs. Ashley Senegal (Chickahominy), Christina Thorodoru (Lumbee), Diosa Hall (Mohawk), Ed Hunt (Lumbee), Jay Grebe (Rappahannock), Tomilita Peterson (Lumbee), Jessica Phillips (Eastern Chickahominy), Angela Locklear-Queen (Lumbee), Lou Thomman, Ben Friton, Troy Wiipongwii (Chickahominy descendant, Will Payne, Will Clear, Jasmine Anderson (Sault Ste Marie, Pamunkey descendant) Joe Rocchi (Pamunkey), Damien Nichols, Orlando Vilali and many others were part of the early conversations. The collective brainstorming led to a bold strategy: Indigenous-led, ecologically sustainable enterprises, one being IndigeiTEA, the other Traditional Eastern Woodland Foodways Alliance (TEWFA), that would serve as a pilot for building Indigenous food supply chains and an anchor institution to build around.
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Our Mission: Building a Sustainable Food System
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IndigineiTEA was born from this shared vision. We are majority-owned by Native people from the eastern woodland regions. We focus on Indigenous teas, spices, and broths derived from native plants. As one of the first Yaupon-focused tea companies that are Indigenous-owned (the first is CatSpring Yaupon), we are committed to promoting truly Indigenous blends. Plants that can be used in teas and spices dominate early succession parts of food forests. As our partner food forests mature, we will introduce new products and markets to provide long-term economic opportunities for farmers in the region who have transitioned to polyculture systems.
Our Impact: The Anchor Institution
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We believe that IndigeiTEA should serve as an anchor institution that invests profits into grant and investment pools to support our region's capacity building for this large sustainable food system undertaking. When you choose IndigineiTEA, you're not just enjoying a delicious beverage but planting seeds for a greener future.
Join Us: Be Part of the Change
We invite you to join our movement. As we embark on our fundraising journey, we seek partners who share our passion for sustainability, economic revitalization, and great tea. Together, we can create a world where everyone can access healthy, sustainable food and Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities thrive.
IndigineiTEA: Healing Teast from Indigenous Roots