Dream of Wild Health

Welcome to Dream of Wild Health’s giving page!

The mission of Dream of Wild Health is to restore health and well-being in the Native community by recovering knowledge of and access to healthy Indigenous foods, medicines, and lifeways.

Dream of Wild Health (DWH) was established in 1998 as a garden program of Peta Wakan Tipi, founded in 1986 by our beloved late founder, Sally Auger. What began as a vision to restore and preserve the sacred connection between Native people and the land has blossomed into a thriving 30-acre farm, native fruit orchard, and pollinator meadow in Hugo, MN. In addition to our farm, DWH operates an urban office along the American Indian Cultural Corridor in Minneapolis, which is home to one of the nation’s largest urban Native populations. Together, these sites allow us to serve Native communities across the Twin Cities metro and beyond. 

As one of the longest continually operating Native-led organizations in Minneapolis, DWH has been deeply rooted in community and cultural continuity for 28 years. We achieve this through farm-based production and Indigenous food distribution, our culturally-grounded youth programming, community outreach & education, and network leadership initiatives. Each year, our programs reach more than 15,000 people, from our youngest community members to Elders, making a lasting impact on the health of our relatives.

This Give to the Max Day, we are reaching out to our community to support our Native Youth Education and Leadership Program! Our youth program empowers Native youth, ages 8–18+, through year-round, culturally grounded learning and leadership opportunities. Rooted in our Hugo farm and community spaces, the program provides a supportive environment where youth connect with the land, learn about regenerative organic agriculture, traditional foodways, and nutrition, and gain critical employment and life skills.

Your donation fuels our impactful programming and ensures we can sustain these vital efforts for generations to come. As our beloved late Cultural Director, Ernie Whiteman, often reminded us, “We grow seeds and leaders.” This vision continues to guide our work, nurturing the future of our land, our community, and our shared journey toward health and cultural renewal. 

We encourage you to stay connected to Dream of Wild Health! You can find us on Facebook or Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter to read about regular updates on our work!

Pidamaya (Dakota), Miigwech (Ojibwe), Pinagigi (Ho-Chunk), Ahéhee' (Diné), Ho’hou (Arapaho), Kherkhem (Tiwa), Chiokoe (Yoeme), WetAXkoosšteéRAt (Arikara) Thank you!

The Dream of Wild Health Team, Youth and Community