Minnesota tribe leads way in launching $5 million national campaign to improve Native American nutrition
MINNEAPOLIS, March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and three nationally significant partners today announced Seeds of Native Health, a major philanthropic campaign to improve the nutrition of Native Americans across the country. The SMSC is committing $5 million to launch the campaign and plans to recruit other funding and strategic partners.
"Nutrition is very poor among many of our fellow Native Americans, which leads to major health problems," said SMSC Chairman Charlie Vig. "Our Community has a tradition of helping other tribes and Native American people. The SMSC is committed to making a major contribution and bringing others together to help develop permanent solutions to this serious problem."
Generations of extreme poverty and the loss of traditional foods have resulted in poor and inadequate diets for many Native Americans, leading to increased obesity, diabetes, and other profound health problems. "We hope this campaign will ultimately put Indian Country on the path to develop a comprehensive strategy, which does not exist today," said SMSC Vice-Chairman Keith Anderson.
The Seeds of Native Health campaign will include efforts to improve awareness of Native nutrition problems; promote the wider application of proven best practices; and encourage additional work related to food access, education and research.
"Native health problems have many causes, but we know that many of these problems can be traced to poor nutrition," said SMSC Secretary/Treasurer Lori Watso, who has spent much of her career in community public health.
"Traditional Native foods have a much higher nutritional value than what is most easily accessible today," Watso continued. "By promoting best practices, evidence-based methods, and the re-introduction of healthy cultural practices, we believe that tribal governments, nonprofits, and grassroots practitioners can collectively make lasting strides towards a better future."
Having donated more than $325 million since opening its Gaming Enterprise in the 1990s, as well as providing more than $500 million in economic development loans to other tribes, the SMSC is the largest philanthropic benefactor for Indian Country nationally and one of the largest charitable givers in Minnesota.
Seeds of Native Health partners
The SMSC has enlisted three nationally significant strategic partners in the campaign: First Nations Development Institute, the Notah Begay III Foundation, and the University of Minnesota.
First Nations has longstanding expertise in efforts to eliminate food insecurity, build the health of communities, and support entrepreneurship and economic development. It is receiving $1.4 million from the SMSC for re-granting to projects relating to food access, food sovereignty, and capacity building.
The Notah Begay III Foundation is dedicated to promoting wellness among Indian children. It is receiving $1.1 million from the SMSC for re-granting to projects relating to childhood nutrition.
The University of Minnesota's campaign role will include serving as the convening partner for a new series of annual conferences on Native American nutrition; developing appropriate cultural interfaces between academic research and its application by Native communities; and creating a repository of best practices and national expertise.
Visit www.SeedsOfNativeHealth.org for complete announcement details.
Click here for video of the announcement.
Click here for a photo from the announcement (Left to right: First Nations Development Institute President Michael Roberts; SMSC Secretary/Treasurer Lori Watso; Dean Brian Buhr, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences; SMSC Vice-Chairman Keith Anderson; Notah Begay III Foundation Founder Notah Begay; Notah Begay III Foundation Executive Director Justin Huenemann).
A copy of the campaign logo is available upon request.
Media contact
Tricia Nissen
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SOURCE Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
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