In this episode, we explore stewarding land with indigenous wisdom in the modern day, merging ancient ancestral practices with emerging technologies with Joshua Kwaku Asiedu and Bailey Hutchison.

Born and raised in Milan, Italy, Joshua Kwaku Asiedu is the son of an Akwapim-Ghanaian father and a Neapolitan-Italian mother. He never felt at ease in the materialistic, consumerist, and Eurocentric environment of his upbringing. After seven years of profound and transformative experiences—exploring both modern and remote corners of the world, and living within a diverse range of social settings, families, indigenous communities, and environments—Joshua concluded that the modern Western world, with its focus on materialism, consumerism, and superficiality, is increasingly disconnected from Mother Nature, the true source of independence, freedom, and inner growth.

As a third-generation grower and herbalist, Bailey Hutchison specializes in Afro-Indigenous ethnobotany—the study of traditions and customs surrounding plants and their roles in medical, religious, and spiritual contexts. To deepen her ancestral understanding, she embarked on a three-year immersive journey, conducting independent studies in Trinidad and Tobago. As the founder of TruCulture Community Market, she is dedicated to imparting invaluable Black agrarian skills, ethnobotanical knowledge, and the ancient art of herbal healing within her community.

Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is a series, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, in which we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this podcast brings together prominent activists, artists, and weavers with the rising generation of Black land stewards for inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future.

This podcast is hosted by Crysta Bloom and Clara AgborTabi, and co-produced by Crysta Bloom and Zera Bloom. Our theme music is created by Naima Penniman and Zera Bloom. Our artwork and graphics is created by Crysta Bloom. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is presented by Soul Fire Farm.

Find out more about Joshua's work at https://www.asaase.net/ and on social media @learntolive_learntolive

Follow Bailey's work at @truculturecommunity on instagram

Find Soul Fire Farm at https://www.soulfirefarm.org/ and on social media @soulfirefarm

Follow Crysta Bloom's work at https://www.embodiedbloom.com/ and on social media @crystaembodiedbloom

Follow zera bloom on social media at @zera.bloom

Learn more about Naima Penniman's work at https://www.naimainfinity.com and on social media at @naimainfinity

Notes:

Joshua mentions the healer Malidoma Patrice Somé, author of The Healing Wisdom of Africa and Of Water and the Spirit.