Karli Moore, 30, is a community-engaged foodways scholar from the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Raised on her family’s farm, Karli developed a deep connection to the relationship between land, food, community, and culture. Today, she sees Native land stewardship, knowledge-sharing, and the restoration of traditional foodways as powerful tools for improving the health and wellness of both her community and Lumbee homeland.
Using her background in agricultural systems and tribal government, Karli is working to reconnect her community with traditional Lumbee foods and cultural practices.
Through her Dreamstarter grant, Karli founded The Lumbee Food Collective—a group of Elders and knowledge keepers who specialize in traditional farming and cooking practices. Together, they share their knowledge with the broader Lumbee community through hands-on seminars, workshops, and cultural food demonstrations.
Already, Karli and The Lumbee Food Collective have hosted two community demonstrations centered around traditional Lumbee foods such as sweet potatoes and root vegetables. The workshops have been such a success that community members have begun donating food, supplies, and resources to support future events. Thanks to that outpouring of support, the collective has been able to expand programming for an additional six months beyond Karli’s original grant year!
These workshops help reconnect Lumbee Tribal members not only with traditional foods, but also with one another. So far, The Lumbee Food Collective’s public Facebook page has grown to 856 followers, along with 65 email subscribers who actively participate in and follow the collective’s events and programming.
The workshops also create opportunities to uplift the knowledge of Elders and teachers while encouraging younger generations to learn and carry these traditions forward. Through the momentum Karli has built, more Lumbee youth are gaining access to cultural knowledge, traditional foodways, and community-centered wellness practices.
Running Strong for American Indian Youth is proud to support Karli and The Lumbee Food Collective as they continue creating opportunities for cultural connection, education, and healthier futures for Native communities.
Inspired by Karli’s journey? Follow along for more stories from our Dreamstarter program and learn how Running Strong continues to support Native changemakers across Indian Country.
