Fertile Ground II: Growing the Seeds of Native American Health, which was held May 2-4 in Minneapolis focused on determining meaningful steps to increase policy efforts related to improved nutrition, greater access to healthy foods, enhanced food sovereignty, and better health outcomes in Indian Country.
“We already have so many wonderful examples to rely on as we prepare more policy and advocacy work around health, nutrition and food,” said Lori Watso, chair of the SMSC’s Seeds of Native Health philanthropic campaign to improve Native nutrition. “The bold ideas we discussed at Fertile Ground II have a real opportunity to make change throughout Native Country, and I am so encouraged by this.”
Conference attendees were in strong agreement that critical next steps are needed in two directions:• Lessons learned will be brought back to support action by Native American communities to increase food and health sovereignty so that health is improved for everyone.• National-level strategies will be developed to align and unite efforts with financial and technical resources.
While participants proposed an array of potential next steps for national movement forward, some also left with their own next steps for their tribe or community. For example, four tribes are planning a tribal health summit in Kansas where Raph Wahwassuck of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and Missty Lechner of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska will incorporate information on how development and adoption of a tribal food code can improve health and support food sovereignty.
“Achieving healthy Native communities is only possible with these Native-led strategies and the collaborative support to achieve them,” said Jill Birnbaum, vice president of advocacy at the American Heart Association.
Other event highlights included a video message from Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; a cooking demonstration by The Sioux Chef; an inspiring message from Notah Begay III; and a presentation from Native youth leaders on their vision for a healthier future. A full report of the conference proceedings will be published in the near future.
Native Americans face the highest rates of childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases in the United States. Without a dramatic and sustained investment in shifting these health trends, the future health and wellbeing of Native peoples and tribal nations are in jeopardy. “Fertile Ground II” seeks to explore Native-led advocacy and policy changes that can help address this health crisis.
“Fertile Ground II” is a continuation of the SMSC and AHA’s partnership, begun in 2015, to accelerate the development of a national framework to improve Native American nutrition and health. In October 2015, the two organizations convened representatives from 41 national philanthropic organizations to discuss the food crisis in Indian Country at Fertile Ground: Planting the Seeds for Native American Nutrition and Health. At the conference, participants agreed on concrete steps to develop solutions to this critical issue, including holding a second convening focused on Native-led advocacy and policy work.
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