reclamation ˌre-klə-ˈmā-shən noun
1. rescuing from error and returning to a rightful course
2. the conversion of wasteland into land suitable for use of habitation or cultivation
3. the recovery of useful substances from waste products
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The word reclamation has appeared in 66 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Aug. 3 in “For the Navajo Nation, a Fight for Better Food Gains New Urgency” by Amelia Nierenberg:
Even before the coronavirus pandemic dealt an exceptionally brutal blow to the Navajo — who call themselves the Diné, which means “the People” — Ms. Brown wanted to grow her own food. She spent last winter collecting seeds from Indigenous seed banks and researching Indigenous methods. Her small garden is already feeding her family, and she is looking forward to the fall harvest.
Her backyard garden isn’t meant just to replace a trip to the grocery store. Ms. Brown is part of a movement for food sovereignty, a global effort to give people control of their food supply and nutrition. It is a public health endeavor, an economic reclamation, an environmental protest and for many, a spiritual quest. Gardeners aim to grow healthy foods that are connected to their traditions, and to revive old methods of cultivation.
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