The Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Project is working to achieve a world in which all Native people can access a nutritionally adequate and culturally appropriate diet from a sustainable food system that honors all living things, builds community capacity and increases the overall health of the land and people. The community driven effort empowers the people to engage in food sovereignty by incorporating traditional food culture into their lives and tribal programs. This effort to uphold strengthen food sovereignty has led to increased access to traditional foods and knowledge through programs such as: in the community through many different sectors such ...

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This project aims to employ indigenous food lessons at the Muckleshoot Tribal School that incorporate ancient teachings and are intertwined with science, technology, engineering, art, health and mathematics. Indigenous food lessons are embedded into state learning standards for all subjects, teachers are perfecting their skills to pass down to their tribal students and lessons are being conducted within the traditional territories of the Muckleshoot people. Perhaps the most innovative strategy is the careful attention to the social emotional learning and outcomes of this necessary curriculum. Since its inception tribal school staff feel confident and prioritizing cultural connections to their teaching ...

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The NW Tribal Food Sovereignty Coalition serves as an opportunity for tribal organizations to convene efforts that are driven by cultural revitalization, empowering communities, and the use of innovative strategies to improve the health of the people. The project WEAVE-NW (Wellness for Every American Indian to Achieve and View Health Equity) is a partnership between Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country (GHWIC). The project addresses chronic diseases including heart disease, stroke, and type-2 diabetes among American Indian/Alaska Native populations. Each community project that ...

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Sakari Farms, located in Tumalo, Oregon, is a Native-owned and operated farm and seed bank. Sakari Farms works in collaboration with the Central Oregon Seed Exchange as a unique cold climate-based seed bank and houses a Northwest Tribal Seed Bank dedicated to regional and national Tribal members only. In addition to seeds, the farm provides technical assistance through on-farm classes. Currently, Sakari Farms is growing speciality tribal peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and Native flowers, using historical Indigenous plants in collaboration with increasing the yield of historical seed for tribal members via Farm production and Value Added Tribal Food Products. Sakari Farms ...

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The Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) Salmon Marketing Program (SMP) provides fishers from four member tribes with resources to help them carry on the tradition of making a living from fishing, whether that be from commercial, over-the-bank, or value-added fish sales. The SMP promotes direct sales and marketing of salmon, and assists fisherfolk in connecting with local markets, even coordinating with local buyers to bring them directly to the river for fish sales. The Salmon Marketing Program also assists with market access to farmers markets and wholesale distribution, and conducts food safety trainings to educate fishers on on quality ...

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The Swinomish Community Environmental Health Program improves and sustains the community’s health and well-being, viewing local, healthy, and traditional foods and medicines as a key aspect of feeding both the body and the spirit for a healthy community. They have built and maintained the 13 Moons Community Garden in partnership with the Northwest Indian College, an Elders and preschool garden, and increased knowledge of, interest in, and access to traditional plants, including preparation, preservation and uses. The program also studies the impacts of climate change on traditional foods and resultant negative effects to community health and has developed a community-based ...

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Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) is one of 12 Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) in the United States and the only one that serves Urban Indian Health Programs across the nation. UIHI recognizes research, data, and evaluation as indigenous values. They utilize the strengths of western science and are grounded in traditional ways of knowing as they conduct research and evaluation, collect and analyze data, and provide disease surveillance. Urban Indian Health Institute’s indigenous evaluation framework is inclusive of American Indians and Alaska Natives living in urban settings. This framework includes the core values of decolonizing data, centering of community, centering ...

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