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Ian Thompson
Jan 106 min read
A Deep Walk in the Snow
I used to live for snow days in the winters when I was a kid. A day off school that was unplanned meant that nothing could be there...
225 views4 comments


Ian Thompson
Dec 21, 20244 min read
In Memorium of a Friend
Yesterday, we lost a dear friend and the Choctaw community lost a true cultural champion with the passing of Tom Colvin. I remember the...
563 views2 comments


Ian Thompson
Oct 20, 202411 min read
Bringing Back the Ancient Choctaw Hunt
The old time Tribal folks used to say that when a hunter harvests a wild animal, it’s only because that animal has chosen to sacrifice...
470 views1 comment


Ian Thompson
Sep 23, 20241 min read
Making A Choctaw Bow and Arrows from the Land We Live On
Traditional archery is the art of our grandfathers. With time-honored craftsmanship, they melded tree, stick, stone and feather to...
350 views0 comments


Ian Thompson
Jul 7, 20245 min read
Nan Awaya Farm gets Designated as a Natural Area!
Nan Awaya means Place of Growth in the Choctaw language. In 2015 we started Nan Awaya Farm as a hands-on experiment to see what could...
363 views5 comments


Ian Thompson
Jun 3, 20245 min read
Choctaw Blackberry Dumplings (Indigenous-Style)
It's June. After two summers of drought, seeing the hills and seeps of the farm come alive in a vibrant blanket of green native plants...
564 views0 comments


Ian Thompson
Apr 29, 20247 min read
Be the Cow You Wish You Had
A wise person once pointed out a fact about life: change is the only thing that's constant. This wisdom applies to the land just as well...
167 views1 comment

Ian Thompson
Mar 2, 20246 min read
Something from Deep Culture is Calling
One of the coolest Choctaw oral traditions describes something that comes out of the last Ice Age. According to the account, mammoths...
405 views0 comments


Ian Thompson
Feb 11, 20247 min read
Choctaw Food Book Second Edition
It's been a little while since we shared a post from the farm, but that is certainly not for a lack of writing. For the past several...
1,085 views3 comments


Ian Thompson
Nov 19, 20237 min read
Winterset Chert: Home Stone
Just about everyone and their grandma associates stone arrowheads with Native American ancestors. That's not wrong. The art of chipped...
367 views2 comments


Ian Thompson
Oct 22, 20234 min read
Choctaw Persimmon Bread
Out working on the farm yesterday, we noticed our persimmons are just starting to get ripe. Persimmons are a fairly abundant tree in the...
520 views0 comments


Ian Thompson
Aug 13, 202311 min read
Prairie Restoration Experiments Update
One mishap. It was silly, even comical, but the aftermath has seen me babying a gashed up knee for two weeks now. The buffalo, somehow...
327 views3 comments


Ian Thompson
Jul 30, 20236 min read
Tallahatta Quartzite, Choctaw Silver Stone
Through this post, we'd like to share a path of learning and reconnecting that we’ve been exploring at Nan Awaya Farm this summer. ...
575 views1 comment


Ian Thompson
Jul 8, 202321 min read
How to Braintan a Buffalo Robe
Wrapping up in a traditionally tanned buffalo robe on a cold evening is something special. The leather side is supple, almost like a...
944 views1 comment


Ian Thompson
May 29, 202311 min read
The Ancient Art of Stone Tool Bison Hides
Bison hide tanning is a deep traditional art. It was practiced by Native American ancestors at the end of the last Ice Age, and the...
498 views3 comments


Ian Thompson
May 14, 20236 min read
Sandy Seep: Managing Rare Habitat
Almost half of Nan Awaya Farm is made up of an uncommon and threatened habitat type. Known as an acid hillside seep, it's a unique kind...
235 views1 comment


Ian Thompson
Mar 10, 20239 min read
Clovis Point Challenge
This winter, I took on a self-challenge to learn how to make one of the most ancient Native American traditional arts. Through this...
268 views1 comment

Ian Thompson
Feb 4, 20236 min read
Choctaw Heritage on the Prairie
We've got a Choctaw friend who loves the ocean. Water is simply a part of who she is. She says that her ancestors must have come from...
328 views2 comments


Ian Thompson
Jan 14, 20235 min read
A New, Fun, Cultural Way to Recycle
At Nan Awaya Farm we're committed to making our operation and our home life as easy on the land as we possibly can. One part of that...
413 views1 comment


Ian Thompson
Dec 4, 20225 min read
Buffalo Break Rocks!
Buffalo have a well-earned reputation for being tough animals. Under the right circumstances, several different parts of their bodies...
372 views3 comments
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