IN THIS ISSUE: Indigenous knowledge at the food systems forefront

First paragraphs: Welcome to the winter 2024–2025 issue of JAFSCD! On our cover, we share a photo from the article Hāloa: The long breath of Hawaiian sovereignty, water rights, and Indigenous law, by Puanani Apoliona-Brown. The historical photo depicts a Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana (aka PKO or ‘Ohana) press conference at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, on January 31, 1977. PKO was a small group of Native Hawaiian activists who organized to stop the bombing of a sacred island that the U.S. Navy had used for target practice since World War II. Featured in the foreground are Leimomi Apoliona (at the left) and Dr. Emmett Aluli (at the right). The article’s author, Ms. Apoliona-Brown, is the daughter of Leimomi Apoliona and one of the research fellows whose work is shared in this issue. We are pleased to feature a special section of articles produced by the Tribal Food Systems Research Fellows of the First Nations Development Institute. These emerging Indigenous scholars include Danya Carroll, Lynn Mad Plume, Nicole Redvers, Puanani Apoliona-Brown, Daniel Hayden, Amber Hayden, Stafford Rotehrakwas Maracle, Jennifer Tewathahá:kwa Maracle, Stephen Lougheed, and Jasmine Jimerson. A thematic analysis of this special collection of papers is provided in our first Indigenous Food Sover­eignty column, authored by Mapuana Antonio, Joseph Brewer, Richard Elm-Hill, Michael Kotutwa Johnson, Tabitha Robin, A-Dae Romero-Briones, Lois Stevens, and Keith Williams. We see this column and the first special collection of papers as the beginning of an ongoing effort to solicit and publish the work of Indigenous food system researchers, and we are grateful for the support of First Nations Development Institute to make this happen. A special debt of gratitude goes to Keith Williams for his Herculean work serving as associate editor for this special section, including mentoring authors and editing their manuscripts. Keith is very generous with his time and values helping young and emerging Indigenous researchers. We are privileged to have him engaged with JAFSCD! . . .