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John,
I wanted to make sure you saw Deborah’s email from earlier.
Treaty rights entered into by the U.S. government and Native Tribes require the federal government to ensure that Tribes across the country have adequate food resources, but the government has failed to fulfill this promise. As a result, Native communities face food insecurity at three times the rate of white U.S. residents.1
By allowing Tribal communities to manage their own nutrition programs, they can ensure that the foods were produced in local communities and self-govern all of the programs, which include food production, inspection, and distribution, as well as management of natural and cultural resources.
All communities should have the fundamental right to self-determination.
Join us in sending messages to Congress urging them to support Tribal sovereignty by upholding treaty rights and allowing Tribal communities to have control over nutrition programs.
Thank you for all you do,
Meredith Dodson
Senior Director of Public Policy, CHN Action
[1]Seeds of Native Health: A Campaign for Indigenous Nutrition
-- DEBORAH'S EMAIL --
John,
As Native American Heritage Month comes to a close, we want to celebrate more than 400 years of Native resilience and power.
Due to centuries of racist and genocidal policies, Tribal Nations were forcibly removed from their homes and ancestral lands, and as a result, many struggle to put food to the table and lack access to many of their traditional foods. The effects of this are felt to this day.
Native communities face food insecurity at 3 times the rate of white U.S. residents, with approximately 25% of Native peoples receiving some type of federal food assistance.1 Providing food security is enshrined in the treaty rights between Tribal nations and the U.S. in exchange for forcibly taking Native lands and waters, yet the federal government has failed to live up to its end of the treaties.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for numerous nutrition programs across the country that support vulnerable communities. Two of those programs―the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)―provide nutrition assistance to roughly 800,000 Tribal residents and low-income seniors. However this isn’t enough.
Right now, families who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) are prohibited from participating in both nutrition programs in the same month.2
Even though nearly all FDPIR participants are also eligible for SNAP, they can’t access both programs at once.3 Many rely on FDPIR as their primary or sole source of food and need additional support.
Send a direct message to Congress telling them to fulfill the U.S. government's promise of food sovereignty and self-determination for Tribes as part of treaty rights.
In the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act―the Farm Bill introduced in the Senate by Agricultural Committee Chair, Senator Debbie Stabenow―there are provisions for Tribal nutrition programs that would:[4]
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Authorize the dual use of FDPIR and SNAP.
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Authorize $5 million through fiscal years 2024-2029 for purchasing traditional and locally- and regionally-grown foods for recipients of FDPIR. Funds subject to annual appropriations.
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Authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into self-determination contracts with Tribes and Tribal Organizations for the procurement of food package items.
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Authorize the Secretary to waive or modify some regulatory requirements under certain emergency scenarios.
The passage of these provisions would be a huge win for Tribal communities. Managing these important services themselves would also better reflect Tribal Nations’ status as sovereign governments, which are owed government-to-government relationships with the U.S. federal government.
Tell Congress: Increase Tribal self-determination and uphold treaty promises by allowing Tribal Nations to manage their own food supply.
Thank you for all you do,
Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, CHN Action
[1]Seeds of Native Health: A Campaign for Indigenous Nutrition
[2]FDPIR Factsheet
[3] Tribal Food Assistance: A Comparison of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
[4] SUMMARY OF TRIBALLY SPECIFIC PROVISIONS IN SENATE AGRICULTURE MAJORITY COMMITTEE Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act of 2024
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