Native Elder Hunger is Subject of New First Nations Development Institute Report & Video

LONGMONT, Colorado (Feb. 12, 2016) – First Nations Development Institute (First Nations [ http://www.firstnations.org ]) has just published a new report titled "Senior Hunger and Food Insecurity in Indian Country: Community-Based Solutions to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Tribal Elders." It describes numerous successful projects aimed at addressing this issue, plus it explores several challenges that face tribal communities as they struggle with senior food insecurity.

First Nations, with support from AARP Foundation [ http://www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation/ ], launched the Native American Food Security Project in 2012 to find sustainable solutions to senior hunger and food insecurity in rural and reservation-based Native communities. To publication date, the project has resulted in numerous gardens, farms and other community-based food solutions that have yielded more than 12,000 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables and meat for Native seniors.

The full report is available as a free download from the First Nations online Knowledge Center at this link: http://www.firstnations.org/knowledge-center/foods-health [ http://www.firstnations.org/knowledge-center/foods-health ]. (Note: You may have to create a free account if you don't already have one in order to download the report. Your account will also give you free access to numerous other reports and resources in the Knowledge Center.)

In addition to the report, First Nations recently posted a new related video on its YouTube Channel that it titled "Combating Elder Hunger in Native America." It can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYV58m20DE8 [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYV58m20DE8 ]. It also explores the issue of food security among Native American seniors through interviews with elders and program managers at Native pueblos in New Mexico. (This video is a companion piece to another video titled "Traditional Food Systems: The Changing Landscape of Native Food Sources" that was posted in October 2015. Both videos were produced by First Nations with support from AARP Foundation, and they were shot and edited by students and faculty at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The "Traditional Food Systems" video can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/6q3zrLdFbLE [ https://youtu.be/6q3zrLdFbLE ]. It features insights from elders and others involved in food-systems work at three pueblos in New Mexico: Cochiti, Nambé and Santo Domingo. In particular, it asks elders to describe what the food systems were like in the pueblos back when they were younger and how they have changed.)

About First Nations Development Institute

For more than 35 years, using a three-pronged strategy of educating grassroots practitioners, advocating for systemic change, and capitalizing Indian communities, First Nations has been working to restore Native American control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own – be they land, human potential, cultural heritage, or natural resources – and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native American communities. First Nations serves Native American communities throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.firstnations.org [ http://www.firstnations.org ].