Background
Food shortages have been documented amongst Native American populations in New Mexico from as early as the mid-1600’s. Since then, Native American’s have been making voluntary and involuntary changes to their diets as a result of the availability of food and the use of commodity foods. There are multiple sources over the years linking food insecurity to preventable health conditions like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and some cancer conditions. On a national scale, food insecurity trends for Native American’s continues to increase. Despite policies intended to expand food assistance programs, Native American’s are still twice as likely to be food insecure compared to whites. The high cost of healthy, nutrition-dense foods, coupled with limited availability and selection in low-income communities, contributes to food insecurity. Further the complexity and ability to navigate access to food assistance programs is also linked to food insecurity causes.
Despite federally funded food programs, Native American families still experience food insecurity. In 2010 the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System reported that 17% of Native American women reported not having enough food to eat during their pregnancy and that 16% of women with WIC did not have enough food.
Despite federally funded food programs, Native American families still experience food insecurity. In 2010 the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System reported that 17% of Native American women reported not having enough food to eat during their pregnancy and that 16% of women with WIC did not have enough food.
Three Sisters Native Farmers CollaborationChanging Woman Initiative acknowledges that traditional food systems have long supported the health and wellbeing of our communities. In serving Native American and Indigenous families, CWI believes in community partnerships with Native American/Indigenous farms to create pathways for getting traditional grown foods to the tables of growing families, without the common barriers of federally funded food programs. We believe that re-introducing nutritional traditional foods to the next generation through pregnancy will have long term impact on decreasing preventable health conditions like diabetes and obesity. It also will strengthen the relationship between Native American mothers and the land, which is supporting the growth of their babies.
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Our Plan
- CWI will collaborate with 5-6 Native Farms in NM to develop nutritional food baskets to be given to prenatal and post-partum families in our care.
- Traditional recipes known to support pregnancy, lactation, and postpartum changes in mothers will be created.
- Nutrition assessment for all prenatal and postpartum family.
- Nutrition classes for all CWI clients.
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