Our Purpose
Rooted in Culture.
Restoring through Land.
Rising for the Future.
Atsapáq is a Quechan-led, land-based nonprofit rooted in the belief that food sovereignty and cultural revitalization are inseparable. We are cultivating not only crops, but a renewed sense of identity, wellness, and community resilience.
Founded by Lena Ortega, a citizen of the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, Atsapáq emerged from a personal call to return home, to heal generational wounds through reconnection with the land. From a single shovel and donated seeds, a vision began to bloom: a farm that could nourish not just bodies, but spirits and systems.
"This isn’t just a garden. It’s a movement. A homecoming. A living act of cultural restoration."
Mission/Vision
Our Mission
To empower the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe and surrounding communities through food sovereignty, land stewardship, cultural preservation, and community wellness.
Our Vision
We envision a vibrant, self-sustaining Quechan-led food and land system built on Traditional Ecological Knowledge and committed to serving the next seven generations.
Approach
Our Approach
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Regenerative Farming rooted in Indigenous values
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Cultural Education and intergenerational programming
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Seed Sovereignty through rematriation and community libraries
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Health and Healing through traditional foodways and movement
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Land Protection and Policy Advocacy led by Quechan voices
Success isn’t measured in acres or yields — it’s measured in relationships, restoration, and resilience.
Programs
Our Programs
Producer Support & Land Access
We support emerging and established Native producers in California:
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Tool & seed-sharing initiatives
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Guidance on local, state, and federa grant opportunities
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Peer mentorship from Native producers
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Land access planning and resource navigation
Our goal is to ensure that first foods can be cultivated on Quechan terms.
Seed Rematriation & Farming Education
We are actively reclaiming ancestral seeds, Quechan sweet corn, tepary beans, squash, and restoring them to Quechan soil.
Our educational programs include:
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Climate-adapted farming practices
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Traditional seed saving techniques
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Intergenerational workshops rooted in seasonal cycles
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Hands-on learning with elders and youth
This is more than agriculture. It’s Indigenous cultural revitalization in action.
Youth Engagement & Cultural Foodways
We center youth as stewards of our future and co-creators of the present. Our youth programs include:
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Farm-to-school partnerships
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Cooking and storytelling workshops
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Paid internships for Tribal youth
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Seasonal food ceremonies and garden-based gatherings
We are building what many of us never had, rooted, culturally-informed food education.
Community Wellness Through Food & Culture
We believe that food, culture, and wellness are deeply interconnected.
Our wellness offerings include:
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Raised-bed installations for families
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Seasonal nutrition and traditional food education
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Collaboration with Tribal health, parks, and education partners
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Cultural gatherings focused on healing, movement, and song
This is where nourishment becomes belonging.
Land Stewardship
Protecting What Remains
Land is not a backdrop to our work, it is the foundation. Our lands are sacred, storied, and sovereign.
Protect Kw’tsán Campaign
We are co-leaders in a grassroots movement to protect 390,000+ acres of ancestral Quechan homelands, including sacred trails, geoglyphs, and spiritual sites.
We engage Tribal leaders, youth, and allies in cultural protocol, legal advocacy, and intergenerational storytelling to ensure this land remains protected for generations.
Learn more at ProtectKwtsan.org