One of First Nations Development Institute’s recent grantees was the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, based in Portland, Oregon. It represents fishers from the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation.
Through the generosity of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, we provided the commission with a $44,403 grant so it can help the tribes improve the handling, marketing and, thus, the profitability of fish that are caught and sold by Native American fishers. The goals are to promote fish quality through education about national food safety standards; educate participating elders and tribal fishers about these requirements so they can help educate others in the community about food system control; and develop an entrepreneurial business model that fishers can implement to assist with their family businesses.
The four tribes have long used the river as an integral part of tribal culture, diet and economy. However, tribal fishermen have been at the bottom of the fish-marketing chain and have not shared in its full economic value. This project is improving that situation through the entrepreneurial program, which includes proper food handling, harvest safety practices, and business and marketing strategies. It also includes education on value-added fish products such as frozen, smoked or canned goods.
According to the commission, "these tribes have always shared a common understanding that their very existence depends on the respectful enjoyment of the Columbia River Basin's vast land and water resources, and that their very souls and spirits are inextricably tied to the natural world and its myriad inhabitants. Among those inhabitants, none were more important than the teeming millions of anadromous fish enriching the basin's rivers and streams."
The commission notes that, despite some differences in language and cultural practices, the people of these tribes shared the foundation of a regional economy based on salmon. "To the extent the resource permits, tribal people continue to fish for ceremonial, subsistence and commercial purposes employing, as they always have, a variety of technologies. Tribal people fish from wooden scaffolds and from boats, use set nets, spears, dip nets and poles and lines. Tribal people still maintain a dietary preference for salmon, and its role in ceremonial life remains preeminent. Salmon is important and necessary for physical health and for spiritual well-being."
“Eliminating food insecurity is an important issue for Native communities throughout the United States,” said Michael E. Roberts, president of First Nations. “Strengthening Native food systems and alleviating food insecurity are key efforts of ours, so we are very happy to support this effort in the Columbia River basin.”
“It was really fun! It helped me prepare for life in the real world.”
That’s just one comment from one student among the nearly 200 who participated in First Nations Development Institute’s October 2012 “Crazy Cash City” event in New Mexico. And what she said is exactly what we wanted her to experience.
First Nations, in partnership with First Financial Credit Union, provided the “Crazy Cash City” money-spending simulation in Gallup for local high school students, the majority of whom are Native American. The exercise – which was a test of a new pilot program – was intended as an experiential learning opportunity for kids taking a financial literacy class this semester.
The event was held at the Rio West Mall and consisted of six two-hour reality fairs in which the students had to navigate a series of simulated financial tasks and challenges designed to teach basic budgeting and banking skills. It was all in fun – since they were spending play money and not really buying things – but it was also informative and highly interactive.
All participants were given a folder containing a fictitious family profile that listed what their income was, the income of a spouse, the age of any children, and any outstanding debt or benefits they received. The high school kids then visited about 10 booths that provided various choices for housing, transportation, child care and more, and they were asked to make smart financial decisions based on their family profile. At the conclusion of the seminar, the students were expected to have a fully balanced budget that they logged in their check register and budgeting sheet.
First Financial Credit Union and First Nations Development Institute received a grant from the National Credit Union Foundationto provide this unique experience. It provided funding for partner schools and covered things such as bus transportation, refreshments and student toolkits with calculators, check registers and others budgeting aids. Local businesses and organizations provided volunteers to help staff the event.
“We could lecture for two hours about budgeting, but experiential learning gives students a chance to actually live out what they will face in the future,” said Michael E. Roberts, First Nations president. Shawn Spruce, First Nations’ financial education consultant, added: “They interact, laugh, learn and have a lot of fun, and it’s much livelier than a regular classroom. Many of these students are currently taking a financial education course, too, so this seminar enables them to put what they have learned into practice.”
Since it was a pilot project, First Nations collected feedback from participants to conduct an evaluation of the simulation model. We’ll be compiling the data and writing a report to address strengths and weaknesses of the program, enabling First Nations to improve the model for possible use at schools all over.
The purpose of the event was to give the youngsters the opportunity to practice good spending and budgeting habits prior to entering the “real world” after graduation. The idea was to promote smart and informed decisions that will last a lifetime. This is crucial to Native American communities. Learning how to manage finances ensures that Native people will be more likely to save and to challenge financial service providers to develop products that respond to their particular needs. Such programs result in increased investment levels and economic growth in Native communities. Part of First Nations’ mission is to give Native Americans the tools necessary to empower them to take control of their future. When armed with tools such as financial literacy, we believe Native people have the capacity to strengthen both themselves and their communities.
Special thanks go to Spruce and to Benjamin Marks, our research and program officer, who along with Dale Dedrick of First Financial Credit Union organized and facilitated the event, and to outstanding volunteer Liz Sparks from the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (U.S. Interior Department).
First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) wants to eliminate food insecurity among senior citizens in Native American communities, and we are joined in that effort by AARP Foundation. With foundation funding, we were able to award four grants to Native American communities this past summer in Arizona, New Mexico and Oklahoma that will help address the issue. It’s part of our Native American Food Security project which, in turn, is part of our larger Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative (NAFSI).
One of those grant recipients is Sipaulovi Development Corporationin Arizona. Sipaulovi is a self-governing Hopi village founded in the early 1700s on Second Mesa. Of the 900 village residents, 28% are elders over 55, while 40% are youth up to age 18.
With its $25,000 grant, Sipaulovi is working to ensure elder food security by reclaiming locally controlled food systems based on traditional knowledge, contemporary practices, and coming together for the common good. Activities focus on restoring seed and water sources, reviving community farming and gardening, and growing, processing and sharing food in the traditional manner.
The gardens will be a reliable source of healthy food for elders, who have restored and revived traditional farm plots and are working to engage community members in farming and reviving traditional farming practices while providing foods for families and individuals.
Besides the grant funding, First Nations has also provided technical assistance to Sipaulovi. In July 2012, we provided training on program evaluation, food policy and food assessment. We did this in association with other NAFSI grantees so Sipaulovi and the others could benefit by networking with each other.
Other $25,000 food-security grants went to Santo Domingo Pueblo and Pueblo of Nambé, both in New Mexico, and to the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma.
The Native American Food Security project assists Native American tribes or organizations working to eliminate food insecurity among senior populations. National statistics document that Native Americans continue to experience high rates of poverty, contributing to significant food insecurity in many Native American communities. According to the most recent American Community Survey, about 26% of American Indians live at or below the poverty line. The same survey indicates that roughly 12% of all Native Americans living in poverty are age 55 and older. Other studies conducted by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging note that Native American seniors suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and other negative health indicators when compared to other senior groups in the United States.
First Nations' work in food systems is at the intersection between food systems/food security and economic development. We support tribes and Native communities as they strengthen food systems in their communities, improve health and nutrition and build food security. First Nations increases the control over Native agriculture and food systems by providing financial and technical support, including training materials, to projects that address the agriculture and food sectors in Native communities.
In 2012, the USDA reported that nearly one in four (23 percent) of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) households are food insecure compared to 15 percent of all U.S. households. Additionally, statistics indicate that AI/AN struggle with higher rates of diabetes and obesity. Native farmers and ranchers hold the key to addressing food insecurity and diet-related illnesses. They can help revitalize traditional Native lifeways by growing, harvesting, and distributing traditional foods. Their efforts, however, are hindered by climate change, lack of resources, and support.
First Nations and the CHS Foundation have partnered to help Native farmers and ranchers address food security in Native communities by providing education, training and other strategies that they can use to build on and utilize existing community assets. One such approach is farming and ranching cooperatives that help reduce the cost of food production. By consolidating resources, efforts and knowledge, farmers and ranchers can increase access to fresh foods in manner that is cost-effective and culturally appropriate.
First Nations and the CHS Foundation have developed the Cooperatives Education Training Project to help Native farmers and ranchers on the Navajo Nation develop strategies and best practices for cooperative farming and ranching. This project focuses on farm boards, farm committees and existing organizations that function in the capacity resembling that of a cooperative, such as community farms and community ranches. First Nations and CHS Foundation are working to strengthen the efforts of these organizations through training, education and assistance. The goal is to increase opportunities, collaboration, and develop strategies unique to their communities in a manner that is consistent with Navajo cultural beliefs of kinship and working cooperatively as was conducted in previous generations.
Native farmers and ranchers not only hold the key to addressing food insecurity and diet-related health issues, but they also have the capacity to strengthen communities, contribute to the local economy and create self-sufficiency.
The CHS Foundation (www.chsfoundation.org) is the major giving entity of CHS Inc. (www.chsinc.com), the nation’s leading farmer-owned cooperative. As a part of the CHS stewardship focus, the CHS Foundation is committed to investing in the future of rural America, agriculture and cooperative business through education and leadership development.
CHS was represented at the First Nations L.E.A.D. Conference by William J. Nelson (right), vice president of CHS Inc. Corporate Citizenship and president of the CHS Foundation. Pictured with William are, left to right, Maggie Biscarr from AARP Foundation, and Sarah EchoHawk and Jackie Francke, both with First Nations.
We advertised it as a diverse meeting of Native minds, and it proved to be just that.
In late September 2012, more than 120 Native Americans and others gathered for a few days at First Nations’ 17th L.E.A.D. Institute Conference, held at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino on the Gila River Indian Community in Chandler, Arizona, just south of Phoenix.
We had attendees from numerous states and tribal nations, including participants, professionals and presenters from nonprofit organizations, foundations and companies, all of whom are deeply dedicated to making Indian Country better and stronger. There were leaders, activists, grantmakers, program experts, scholars, practitioners, policy-makers, wonks, geeks, workers, visionaries and others. And judging from the evaluations, attendees across the board gained a ton of great ideas, information, inspiration and reinforcement.
Our L.E.A.D. Conference is one of the many ways we advance Indian Country’s economic justice agenda. It’s a chance for us to both teach and learn, to stay in touch with existing and emerging leaders in Indian Country, and to generate ideas on how we and our funders can better serve Native Peoples. The annual event is a component of First Nations’ innovative “Leadership and Entrepreneurial Apprenticeship Development” (L.E.A.D.) program, which is designed to provide training, mentorship and networking opportunities to Native American nonprofit and philanthropic professionals.
The professional tracks at this year’s conference included nonprofit capacity building, asset building and food systems. We also combined the L.E.A.D. Conference with extra training sessions that were specifically designed for grantee organizations under our Native Youth and Culture Fund, and our Native Agriculture and Food Systems Initiative. We believe that showcasing work being done in these areas, including best practices and emerging trends, is key to strengthening the capacity of Native institutions, and to practitioners doing essential work in Native communities.
Sessions covered topics such as food systems, financing strategies for food enterprises, Native plant seeds and value-added food products, to Native financial institutions, development accounts and innovative financial education models, to communications planning, event promotion, community coalitions, and branding. Two highly popular general sessions were the Funders' Panel featuring representatives of several grant-making foundations, and the welcome address by Gov. Gregory Mendoza of the Gila River Indian Community. We also had vendors offering merchandise and professional services.
Our thanks to First Nations’ staff members and others who put a tremendous amount of time and energy into mounting this annual conference, and to all the attendees and presenters who dedicated a considerable amount of time and resources to attend.
December 4 is “Colorado Gives Day.” On that date, many Colorado-based nonprofit organizations will be actively seeking online donations from their friends, fans and supporters.
We are too! And we would sincerely appreciate any year-end, tax-deductible contribution you might make to First Nations Development Institute.You DON’T have to be a Colorado resident, just a generous soul from anywhere in the world. You can even give now or schedule your gift, in advance, for delivery on December 4.
Although based in Colorado, First Nations serves Native communities all across the United States, so your gift will have national scope and impact.
organizations working to eliminate food insecurity among senior populations. National statistics document that Native Americans continue to experience high rates of poverty, contributing to significant food insecurity in many Native American communities. According to the most recent American Community Survey, about 26% of American Indians live at or below the poverty line. The same survey indicates that roughly 12% of all Native Americans living in poverty are age 55 and older. Other studies conducted by the National Resource Center on Native American Aging note that Native American seniors suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and other negative health indicators when compared to other senior groups in the United States.
justice agenda. It’s a chance for us to both teach and learn, to stay in touch with existing and emerging leaders in Indian Country, and to generate ideas on how we and our funders can better serve Native Peoples. The annual event is a component of First Nations’ innovative “Leadership and Entrepreneurial Apprenticeship Development” (L.E.A.D.) program, which is designed to provide training, mentorship and networking opportunities to Native American nonprofit and philanthropic professionals.
