Using traditional foods and food preservation of the Great Plains American Indians to address food insecurity and chronic disease in the Great Plains tribal regions

Abstract

The American Indian (AI) population has a history that goes back at least 10,000 years on the land of the Great Plains. Their traditional foods helped them survive on a land that no other human had ever stepped foot on; however, traditional foods and food ways were erased during colonial occupation of tribal lands and the relocation of tribes to resource poor reservations.

The purpose of this project is to evaluate how traditional AI foods and preservation of these foods can be used to address the high rates of food insecurity and chronic disease in the AI population. The project will explore the history, traditional foods, and traditional food preservation of the Great Plains AI. It will also consider modern day food preservation methods and how they can be used to preserve traditional foods.

Grant funding to North Dakota State University and Cankdeska Cikana Community tribal College allowed for the creation of online modules that teach how to preserve traditional foods using modern and traditional food preservation methods. These modules can be used to increase food preservation knowledge in Spirit Lake Nation along with other tribal communities. The hope is that the modules offer a way to empower AI individuals to increase food sovereignty and food security while lowering chronic disease in their own homes.