Food and Agricultural Grants Awarded to Native American Tribes

Native American Legislative Update - September 2012

Food and Agricultural Grants Awarded to Native American Tribes

In mid-July, the First Nations Development Institute – a Colorado-based non-profit – announced a set of grants totaling $450,000 for projects intended to improve Native control of their food-systems and promote economic development in the surrounding communities. The Institute’s Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative (NAFSI) awarded the grants to 11 tribes across the country. The projects include:

• Developing an entrepreneurial program to empower tribal fishermen along the Columbia River in Oregon to participate more effectively in the fish-marketing chain.
• Introducing and revitalizing traditional food and agriculture practices in Arizona, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and New Mexico.
• Establishing nutrition education programs and farm-to-school food programs for school lunches.
• Starting community gardens, which will provide fresh produce for Alaskan Natives who lack access to affordably-priced fruits and vegetables

These projects will help address a wide range of food-related problems, such as food insecurity, food deserts, and poor health and nutrition.

Read more about the projects here.