Environmental factors and federal policies have had a large impact on the health and cultural identity of our Indigenous populations.  With increasing rates of diabetes, obesity, and cancer in Native American communities, strengthening Native food systems offers an opportunity to improve Native economies, health, and culture. This course is meant to give an overview of how health departments and public health workers can help strengthen Native food sovereignty, for the purpose of improving Native health and revitalizing Native cultures.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify contributing factors to the high prevalence of diet-related diseases in Native Americans.
• Introduce how to use a Food Sovereignty Assessment to identify a community’s food system assets.
• Identify funding sources for projects aimed at strengthening Native food sovereignty.
• Explain how tribal food policies can be used to strengthen Native health.
• Provide examples of how knowledge of Native foods can be used to improve food sovereignty.

 Target Audience:  Dietitians, Policy/ Planner, General Public Health Staff, Public Health

Duration:  ~ 45 minutes

Continuing Education Information: 1.0 Category 1 CHES Credits, 1.0 Continuing Competency

CHES Provider number:  99036

Disclosures: The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest

Format: Web-based Training, Self-Study

Created/Updated:  3/15/2017; 11/3/2021

Author(s):  Abigail Stoica, MPH

Presenter(s): Jennifer Richards, DrPH candidate