Nookaadiziwin - A Good Life

Principal Investigator: Renee Pardello

Project Description: 

University of Minnesota Extension will partner with three Tribal Nations: Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, White Earth Nation and the Red Lake Band of Chippewa to address Indian Community Development and Tribal Youth FRTEP priorities. The Extension goal for this project is to leverage, expand and build on the past decade of FRTEP support for Tribal communities in Minnesota to secure traditional food systems and knowledge focusing on improving the health and well-being of their communities. The project partners will co-create, listen, and work with community members to achieve the following objectives and activities: 1) Improve the diet/nutrition of community members by increasing the use of traditional foods through incorporating traditional and contemporary nutrition by developing a Tribal SNAP-Ed curriculum for Tribal and Extension SNAP-Ed educators, a training of trainers for SNAP-Ed educators plus training for Tribal youth division and Boys and Girls Club staff on the youth program Corn is Red. 2) Increase the use, restoration and conservation of traditional food systems through culture camps focusing on seasonal foods and related activities; facilitating forest walks to share and improve traditional ecological knowledge; creating a network of forestry professionals across governmental units to identify opportunities for increasing access to traditional foods by habitat improvement, mitigation or special projects; and by creating a community engagement guide, a roadmap for community members to engage in public comment processes 3) Improve producers and artists entrepreneurial and business skills by facilitating entrepreneurial training, creating a directory of vendors and exploring marketing opportunities.

Project Years: 2017-2019

Funding Source: National Institute of Food and Agriculture