DOWAGIAC — The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians will co-host the 2019 Great Lakes Intertribal Food Summit in partnership with Intertribal Agricultural Council starting with an opening ceremony at 8:30 a.m. today and ending Sunday. The event will take place at Pokagon Band’s Rodgers Lake campus, 58620 Sink Road, Dowagiac.

The Great Lakes Intertribal Food Summit is a regional, travelling summit which brings together several hundred native farmers, ranchers, gardeners, chefs, businesses, policymakers, tribal agriculture staff, native nonprofits working in agriculture, food producers and tribal leaders to share and learn together around traditional food and agriculture, and food sovereignty, said organizers

The event is open to the public, with immersive, hands-on workshops on topics such as sustainability, food security, production practices, traditional harvest and meal preparation. Additional workshops run through Friday.

On Saturday, a day-long Intertribal Foods Festival includes small group demonstrations and food-tasting stations with interactive activities for all ages. On Sunday, a presentation and lunch will round out the program.

A concurrent Youth Summit will also run throughout the event, open to high school-aged youth.