Diné Agroecology Resilience is a community-led design initiative that has evolved over more than a decade to strengthen cultural stewardship, build regenerative economic opportunities, and restore ecological health across the Black Mesa region of Diné ancestral land. Nihikeya starts by engaging communities through the stewardship instructions given to the Diné under Diné Fundamental Law, a pathway to plan and enact projects under Hózhóogo Na’at’áh (The Four Pillars of Diné Knowledge), and a space to share and listen under Hooghan Dialogues. Together, these frameworks allow Nihikeya and the community to co-identify local priorities and design solutions grounded in Indigenous knowledge and self-determination.

The resulting projects integrate ecological restoration with community organizing, youth workforce development, food sovereignty, and cultural revitalization. At Tsé Adahnidilwoo’í (Sliding Rock) Farm, we host farm tours at demonstration sites to empower community members to replicate accessible restoration practices, and we train youth in regenerative agriculture and land restoration to assist local farmers and ranchers. Our watershed restoration techniques have restored 56 traditional agricultural fields, constructed rock check dams, and improved livestock ponds. We also increase what we call Ecological Literacy through the documentation of ecological knowledge and Place Names.

The project also creates “community readiness” by combining traditional ecological knowledge with conservation planning and technical expertise, enabling communities to shape future land management plans and advocate for policies that reflect their priorities. In centering clan matriarchal leadership, Indigenous self-governance, and hands-on restoration, Diné Agroecology Resilience demonstrates how culturally grounded design can simultaneously restore landscapes, revitalize food systems, strengthen community capacity for climate resilience and environmental justice.