Ryan T. Conway (Pakawi)
What if we understood the plants and animals around us as non-human kin, here to help us serve our purpose in the Cosmos? What if corn were more than a commodity? What if we understood her as a spiritual being, tied not just to our nutritional survival, but to our vital, umbilical connection to Mother Earth, and a gift from our Creator? A Native perspective on the Beloved Community would consider all these beings as integral to our vision of an achievable, better world...and, moreover, would consider our care for them as a fundamental prerequisite for restoring balance within the human community. If these sacred kin can once again be recognized as those who nourish us and heal us...might we also be willing to renew our relationships with them, so that they may teach us about wisdoms we have obviously long forgotten? The sharing of a single, sacred seed is a spiritual act of renewal, an object lesson in faith, and a material manifestation of solidarity. Join us as we braid together a vision of Alliance suitable for renewing our relationships and co-creating our Beloved Community.

Ryan T. Conway (Pakawi) is a seasoned community organizer, farmer, and independent researcher with extensive experience in food systems and policy governance. As a proud citizen of the Shawnee Tribe, Ryan actively engages in tribal life by teaching the Shawnee language and cultivating ceremonial corn, while researching and preserving traditional medicine and foodways through the IU Institute for Indigenous Knowledge. With a rich background spanning academic research, nonprofit leadership, and small-business ownership, Ryan applies a holistic and integrative approach to research design and project execution, fostering innovative and community-centered solutions. Examples include the Shawnee Seed Sanctuary, a new 501c3 he is empowered to Direct by a board of Shawnee Elders, and the Prophetstown Seed Alliance, a growing network of seed-saving and food-sovereignty among the 14+ tribes of the original Prophetstown Alliance.