Native Roots

"In order to create viable, vibrant Native communities – communities that incorporate the important culture and traditions of Native food systems into everyday life and economies - we must first understand not only the downfall in current systems, but where the opportunities lie," says Alecia Bell-Sheeter of First Nations Development Institute and author of the Food Sovereignty Assessment Tool (FSAT). "In order to get where we want to be, we need to know where we are."

The food sovereignty assessment, also known as a "community food assessment" in other communities, is a collaborative and participatory process that systematically examines a range of community food assets, so as to inform change actions and to make the community food secure. The Food Sovereignty Assessment Tool takes a solution-oriented approach that looks at assets and resources as well as problems. The assessment promotes community food security by increasing knowledge about food related needs and resources, and by building collaboration and capacity. FSATs can (and should) be conducted by communities and their members, using a participatory approach that advocates for community control of the food system.

This document highlights the interconnections between health, community development, economic development and culture. It also discusses the importance of Native asset control in the local agricultural system. According to the author, Native communities own many assets that are related to agriculture, the most important asset being land. Native Americans own over 54 million acres in the United States, making them collectively the single largest private owner of agricultural land. Yet many native people and communities do not control this land, and lease it out to non-native farmers for cultivation and management. Much of the land is highly fragmented, with a checkerboard pattern of ownership which causes a variety of problems regarding its usage. Some who work in the area of Indian agriculture believe that Native control of Native lands, and resolution of fractionated land, are the single most important issues facing Indian agriculture.

The author reviews of some of the failures of past food systems when reservations were established and malnutrition and hunger were primary food issues until the 1950s. This was followed by an increase in Federal food aid, yet diets still lacked fruits, vegetables and milk. Unhealthy food items were continuing to replace nutrient dense traditional foods. The author argues that today, food insecurity is a real issue affecting up to one fourth of Native American households, meaning they do not have access to enough food to meet their basic needs. Further, many have difficulty accessing healthy or culturally appropriate foods.