Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:The target population of this work is the five Wabanaki communities in Maine. These communities are the Mi'kmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Passamaquoddy at Pleasant Point, Passamaquoddy at Indian Township, and Penobscot Nation. The indigenous population in Maine is estimated at over 13,000 people, most living on or near one of the 5 reservations, spread over three large rural counties (Aroostook, Washington, and Penobscot). Because reliable tribal data on demographic characteristics is limited, state and federal sources are used to show the scope of the inequities faced by tribal people. According to the 2020 American Community Survey, the population of Maine is the oldest in the country with a median age in Maine of 45 years and the largest proportion of individuals over 65 years of age. In contrast, the Wabanaki population is comparatively young with 60% being under 35 years of age. This reflects a high birth rate and decreased life span with life expectancy ~55 years, as compared to 79 years for other Mainers. There is also a higher rate of disability; 32.2% of working-aged AI/AN in Maine reported having a disability as compared to 14.7% for the general population. Healthy Maine 2020 indicates that 23% of tribal members report making less than $10,000/year with median income of $15,540. Although educational attainment rates are improving, Wabanaki people are still experiencing lower rates than other groups, with only 50% of tribal members estimated to receive a high school diploma or equivalent. These demographic characteristics shed light on structural inequities that correlate with the health disparities this project seeks to address. The results of the 2010 Wabanaki Health Needs Assessment (the largest health assessment/ data set of tribal people east of the Mississippi) show stark disparities in health outcomes for Wabanaki people. The second round of the health assessment was scheduled for 2020 but due to pandemic was delayed until late 2022. Data collected is currently being analyzed and the results will provide benchmark statistics for this project. Results of the 2010 assessment confirmed that Wabanaki adults experience disproportionately high rates of diabetes and obesity; are almost twice as likely to smoke; and report lower engagement in physical activity. These factors are well-known as causal and corollary to negative health outcomes and lead to the ultimate disparity of shortened life expectancy as compared with white counterparts. Tribal members ranked diabetes and obesity among the top priorities for intervention. Results of the 2010 HNA highlighted the following disparities: • 25% engage in vigorous physical activity as compared to 57% in Maine • 56% engage in any physical activity as compared to 77% in Maine • 44% who have no physical activity as compared with 23% in Maine • 6% consume 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables as compared to 19% in Maine • 49% are current smokers as compared to 23% in Maine • 50% are obese • 17% diagnosed with diabetes • 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes • 1.6 times more likely to be obese • 2.8 times as likely to smoke With this in mind we continue creating healthy eating, active living programs that include walking and biking opportunities, increasing access to healthier foods, providing education on nutrition, developing breastfeeding supports, and expanding vaccination awareness and access are all ways of intervening to reduce health disparities among Wabanaki people. Nutrition plays a critical role in addressing health disparities. National dietary guidelines recommend consuming at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, yet the 2010 HNA results show only 6% of Wabanaki are meeting that goal. Under this funding stream, Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness Division for Land Wellness with created partnerships with tribal food pantries and established the Food Sovereignty Committee to increase access to and awareness of healthy, traditional, community grown food that is sustainable and honors and revitalizes indigenous food systems. This funding stream was a true catalyst for the Ktanaqson ("Abundance" in Passamaquoddy), it succeeded in providing community members with opportunities to engage with Native food producers, to reconnect with their pre-colonization diet, to create a network of food security workers and a mechanism to distribute healthy foods directly to community members through a mobile food pantry. Ktanaqson, now sustained under new funding streams to continue the development of food procurement policies and procedures, the delivery of health foods to 750-1000 families per month, and the organization of traditional food production, storage, and preparation. The long-term goal is to contribute to sustainable tribal food systems. Changes/Problems:We entered this award in 2022 amid community closures due to covid - there were times where we had low participation or a need to reschedule due to an outbreak or community closures. That said, other than rescheduling to meet community needs there were not any major changes to the project. about the future of the project While our CFP grant has ended, we continue food systems work through other funding sources. To repeat what was stated earlier in the report: This funding stream was a true catalyst for the Ktanaqson ("Abundance" in Passamaquoddy), it succeeded in providing community members with opportunities to engage with Native food producers, to reconnect with their pre-colonization diet, to create a network of food security workers and a mechanism to distribute healthy foods directly to community members through a mobile food pantry. Ktanaqson, now sustained under new funding streams to continue the development of food procurement policies and procedures, the delivery of health foods to 750-1000 families per month, and the organization of traditional food production, storage, and preparation. The long-term goal is to contribute to sustainable tribal food systems. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This opportunity has allowed the Food Systems Team a multitude of opportunities for training in the form of allowing space to facilitate connections with other Food Security workers in Wabanaki Communities. The food Sovereignty Coordinator was able to take the mobile butchering course offered by the university of Maine and several community members attended too. The pigs used were donated by a local farm. Courses offered to the public were canning classes which included materials and skills to preserve meat, fruits and vegetables, composting clinics, seed starting events and courses to identify and harvest seasonal foods such as fiddleheads. We continue to offer and expand upon these courses through new funding streams. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The first year of this funding coincided with the implementation of Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness establishing a Center for Wabanaki Research, Knowledge, and Innovation (CWERKI). This team is working toward establishing policies for sharing the information we gather regarding programs within the tribal communities. The tribes have ownership of their own data and WPHW is entrusted as the steward. Leadership within our organization meets frequently and is always available to contacts within the tribes, information is shared on our website and through social media. In the coming year the goal is to establish a standard approach for dissemination. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness is proud to say that the primary achievement of this project has been establishing the Ktanaqson program. This project contributes to a sustainable food system that will increase access to healthy, traditional foods in tribal communities by empowering community members to be active participants in their food system. A Mobile Food Pantry was established and brings fresh produce, seasonal items and traditional foods directly into the community on a monthly basis. Traditional knowledge and recipes were shared with community members during scheduled events and activities and also in informal settings such as the monthly mobile food pantry distributions and the health fairs that happen in each community. The Food Sovereignty Committee was established, a work group comprised of food security workers and volunteers in Wabanaki Communities, Tribal leaders, Elders, dietitians alongside Native harvesters and food producers. This group is now connected and able to keep our organization informed of food security needs in each community so we can shift our program as needed to accommodate anything that arises. What was accomplished under the goals listed? This grant was instrumental in efforts by furthering the work done on the Ktanaqson (pronounced duh-nuck-son) "Abundance" project led by WPHW, creating strides towards developing a sovereign and sustainable tribal food system for all five Wabanaki communities that focuses on reconnecting traditional nutrition/food systems as the key to preserving the past, surviving the present, and securing the future. The goals (#) and objectives (#. #) for this project are: 1: To increase food access and sovereignty in the five Wabanaki communities of Maine. 1.1: To hire a Food Sovereignty Coordinator and a Food Sovereignty Educator to support project activities by 1/31/2022. 1.2: To determine mobile pantry food delivery routes, schedules, and processes with each tribal food pantry by 3/31/2022. 1.3: To generate the first round of produce from the hoop house to distribute through the mobile food pantry by 9/30/2022. A Food Sovereignty Coordinator and Food Sovereignty Educator were hired in 2022 and have successfully implemented a mobile food pantry that operates on the same schedule as the brick-and-mortar pantries in each community to supplement their shelf stable offerings with fresh produce and traditional ingredients that are less frequently available at the standard distributions. This was accomplished by working with food security workers in these communities and building relationships with food producers and distributers, native when possible. Pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and corn have been harvested from the hoophouse and Gathering Place for distribution through the mobile food pantry which brings traditional fresh foods into community on a regularly scheduled, monthly basis that is now sustained under other funding streams. 2: To increase the sustainability of food systems in the five Wabanaki communities of Maine. 2.1: To create and convene a Food Sovereignty Planning Committee that includes members from all five communities by 3/31/2022. 2.2: To develop written WPHW food procurement policies and procedures centered in sustainability and sustainable practices by 3/31/2022. The Food Sovereignty Committee met regularly during this grant period until the policies for food procurement were established and the mobile food pantry was operating on a regular schedule. WPHW produces as much food as possible in the hoophouse and at the Gathering Place for distribution and also had procurement policies in place that prioritize purchase of traditional foods from native food producers and harvesters when possible. This committee no longer meets regularly but are still in contact as needed and most importantly, know how to reach each other as needed. 3: To develop a network of vendors and suppliers of traditional and local foods. 3.1: To document written procedures for procuring foods from local tribal harvesters of traditional foods and local tribal fisherman by 5/31/2022. 3.2: To document a community game process by 9/30/2022. WPHW has an SOP to prioritize procurement of foods from native producers and harvesters when possible but also facilitates a calendar of programs now supported through other funding streams to teach community members how to grow, forage and preserve their own foods with traditional and contemporary methods. We have built relationships with many non-native food distributors for subsidized and donated fresh foods to supplement food pantry offerings. We continue to work toward a formalized game donation process and have come along way during this grant period, sending our Food Sovereignty Coordinator to a butchering course and building a relationship regarding the process with the Emergency Food Access Program (TEFAP) Team. The reality is that we will require more research and infrastructure for this to be feasible- the outcome is that we now understand what is necessary for game donation to be allowable through the mobile food pantry. The butcher needs to take a course/ certification allowing them to donate meat they process and label that meat for donation. We have identified a process for reimbursing the processer for the necessary licensing to do this through the state of Maine and hope to be able to facilitate this process in the future. 4: To reduce health disparities linked to food. 4.1: Food Sovereignty Educator to ready the hoop house for activity by 4/30/2022. 4.2: Food Sovereignty Educator to establish schedule for hoop house activities by 4/30/2022. 4.3: Food Sovereignty Educator to develop and deliver 10 educational courses to community members All of the activities carried out during the grant period are in the long-term interest to reduce historical health related disparities that have resulted in the generations following colonization. We continue upward momentum by supporting a sovereign food system. We will continue with this work which includes using the Gathering Place to host food production and preservation events and distributing produce grown there to community members
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Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness (WPHW) serves the Wabanaki (People of the First Light); Mi'kmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Passamaquoddy at Pleasant Point, Passamaquoddy at Indian Township, and Penobscot Nation. The indigenous population in Maine is estimated at over 13,000 people, most living on or near one of the 5 reservations spread over three large rural counties (Aroostook, Washington, and Penobscot). Our interest is in facilitating projects that will help these communities collaborate in projects that will result in them having less reliance on food from outside sources and greater control over where their food is sourced from and ultimately, what they are feeding themselves and their families. Changes/Problems:The predominant goals for this project have not changed, just the timeline has been extended for the activities. Like the rest of the world, Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness has experienced delays in programming and staffing issues related to Covid. In light of the pandemic, this organization has demonstrated continuous resiliency in its ability to pivot to meet the needs of the Tribal communities that we serve. Most notably, many programs offered (with one exception) were delivered in person but also live streamed so that those preferring social distance could also access these resources from home. The biggest barrier is that there were periods where certain communities were closed based on covid transmission levels. This was in the interest of limiting illness and keeping people safe and healthy as possible. This did create a barrier to establishing the Food Sovereignty Planning Committee that includes members from all five communities because there were precious few moments when members from all communities were available. It is a priority to work on this in the coming year. Additionally, our Food Sovereignty Coordinator was out of the office frequently on medical leave and eventually had to leave the position leaving this vacant near the end of 2022. The Food Sovereignty Educator was away from the office at the end of 2022 on maternity and returned in January. This left temporary gaps in programming. We have hired a Food Sovereignty Coordinator with past experience in this organization and all programs are back up and running. An additional barrier is that our newly hired Food Sovereignty Coordinator was out of the office frequently on medical leave and eventually had to leave the position leaving this vacant near the end of 2022. The Food Sovereignty Educator has been away from the office at the end of 2022 on maternity and will return in January. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?In the "outputs" section (Question 2) Opportunity for training Wabanaki community members has been described. For our staff members they have participated in the following: Master Gardener Volunteer Program Fruit & Nut Tree Pruning Workshop w/ Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) Irrigation System Workshop w/ Tammi Connelly (Penobscot Nation's Agriculturist), WPHW Food Systems Team will be able to share knowledge gained from these trainings with our staff to create new workshops and courses for members of the community and in digital formats to reach a wider audience through social media campaigns. These courses will continue through the final tear of this project and beyond. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness operates under a Tribal resolution which states that our organization acts as the Public Health entity for Tribal communities and instead of being geographically based we are a population-based organization. We are able to coordinate programming based on the needs of the community that we serve with constant contact and communication with the leadership in each of the four tribes we serve within five communities. The first year of this funding has coincided with the implementation of Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness establishing a Center for Wabanaki Research, Knowledge, and Innovation (CWERKI). This teamworking toward establishing a policy for sharing the information we gather regarding program within the tribal communities. The tribes have ownership of their own data and WPHW is entrusted to share it. Leadership within our organization meets frequently and is always available to contacts within the tribal government, information is shared on our website and through social media. In the coming year the goal is to establish a standard approach for dissemination. Staff at this organization are trained in OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access Possession) which refers to a set of principles that outlines the rights and control indigenous communities have over their data: Ownership refers to the relationship of First Nations to their cultural knowledge, data, and information. This principle states that a community or group owns information collectively in the same way that an individual owns their personal information. Control affirms that First Nations, their communities, and representative bodies are within their rights to seek control over all aspects of research and information management processes that impact them.This principle extends to the control of resources and review processes, the planning process, management of the information, and any other component of information processes Access refers to the assertion that First Nations must have access to information and data about themselves and their communities regardless of where it is held. The principle of access also refers to the right of First Nations' communities and organizations to manage and make decisions regarding access to their collective information. Possession, or stewardship, refers to the physical control of data. It is more concrete than ownership, which identifies the relationship between a people and their information in principle. Possession is the mechanism by which ownership can be asserted and protected. This set of principles were developed by First Nations of Canada and are widely recognized and adopted as a framework for data sovereignty and self-determination. It aims to address historical injustices and imbalance in data governance that indigenous communities have experienced. Many communities and organizations are utilizing this tool to ensure that tribes have control and agency over how their information is used. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness will continue to provide programming and food sovereignty and security resources across the community. We will monitor and evaluate the success of the mobile food pantry with the Food Sovereignty Coordinator at the helm. Our Food Sovereignty Educator will continue to cultivate and deliver food sovereignty programming in the form of classes and workshops held in person and remotely. Something notable from the pandemic is that we were able to reach a larger amount of people through zoom than in person and in keeping with the resilience of Wabanaki People we will now offer programs in both formats where it is appropriate. In the coming year it is the goal of WPHW to work toward establishing a Food Sovereignty Planning Committee with Tribal Chiefs, Food Pantry organizers, and local invested stakeholders (farms, foragers, etc.) to determine the structure and purpose of this committee. The intention of this committee will be to take advantage of community members who are also food producers, hunters, gatherers and have access to traditional recipes. Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness built and began utilizing a unique hybrid evaluation framework to determine the success of the Community Food Project in the five Wabanaki Communities that we serve. In cooperation with the Public Health Research Institute (PHRI), we will create a specialized evaluation framework based on the Whole Measure Framework and the Becoming Butterfly Framework. The Whole Measure Framework focuses on the connectedness between community growth, food security, social justice, food production and distribution systems. This framework will measure Justice and fairness, Healthy people, Strong communities, Sustainable ecosystems, Vibrant farms, and Thriving local economies. The Becoming Butterfly model emphasizes traditional indigenous values and a community-based approach to capture metrics on communities that Build relationships, Build skills, Work together, Promote commitment. This hybrid framework provides a lens through which qualitative and quantitative data will be collected and interpreted to assess both process and outcome measures related to accomplishments, participation, community impact, and barriers to project implementation.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness seeks to bring tools, resources, and connections within communities by providing tribal citizens will the knowledge and confidence to grow, harvest, preserve and forage their own foods so that they may provide themselves and their families with more sustainable, traditional food sources and feel empowered in their rights to have control over their food systems. This funding has helped to sustain WPHW's Ktanaqson (Abundance) project which allows for the development of food procurement policies and procedures, the delivery of food items to 750-1000 families per month, and the organization of traditional food production, storage, and preparation. The long-term goal is continued work toward sustainable tribal food systems. Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness continues to facilitate food access and social justice work within the Wabanaki Territories. The last year of this project has seen continuation of food sovereignty programs and workshops with some additions to the repertoire of courses and events offered. To date this funding opportunity has permitted the Food Systems team to facilitate an ever-growing curriculum of programming that has been well attended in communities and beyond and received with enthusiasm. Programming includes classes which are offered in person, virtually and in hybrid formats. Descriptions of these are in the "outputs" section of the report. Significant work was done toward the goal of increased food access and sovereignty across Wabanaki Communities in the first year of this funding opportunity. Both Food Sovereignty Coordinator and FoodSovereignty Educator Positions were hired. The Food Sovereignty Coordinator established delivery routes for the mobile food pantry and organized the contents available for community members intended to supplement the offerings at established Tribal Food Pantries with traditional, locally produced, gathered, and hunted offerings. One of the greatest successes of this first year is that the Hoop House exceeded expectations of how much food it was able to produce- every marketvegetable that comes to mind alongside traditional foods and herbs in abundance. The food produced was distributed in the recovery homes operated by Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness, utilized in food preservation classes delivered in each community and used in traditional meals prepared for gatherings. In the interest of reducing the stigma associated with traditional enrollment in food security services, these programs are offered to all Wabanaki people, and to anyone else who would like to learn about their culture. The next stage of the project is to solidify a community driven food system that is informed by a committee of stakeholders with connections to current food security programming, food producers and community members. The voices of Wabanaki people are essential to the success of the project because they have the knowledge of traditional foods and cultural knowledge at the heart of this work. By creating opportunity, structure and providing the physical space or remote platform WPHW can facilitate connection and conversation on the following strategies to address food sovereignty and food security: Local Food Production and distribution Community garden plots Agricultural skill building (seed starting, pruning, composting, preserving) Food Policy, Advocacy and Nutrition Education The Wabanaki Food Sovereignty Committee was conceived years ago and now the organization is witnessing the collective come to fruition. This committee will consist of representatives from each tribal food program, agriculturalists, and native food producers. The is a lot of interest in community participation, WPHW endeavors to have the first official meeting of this committee in Autumn of 2023 and continues to work towards the long-term goal of sustainable tribal food systems. The Food Sovereignty Educator cultivated and delivered a wide variety of food sovereignty programs which were made available in person and remotely and are outlined below: Food Sovereignty- A beginner's guide to seed starting. This series featured the Co-founder of Eastern Woodlands Rematriation Collective, Alivia Moore. The topic of conversation surrounded work being done to reclaim space for Indigenous Communities and the restoration of our food ways and systems. Fiddlehead Harvesting Season-Fiddlehead Season is right around the and learning ways to sustainably harvest and preserve these springtime delicacies. It is important to implement these guidelines into your gathering trips. Millinocket Property Tours-Guided tours of The Gathering Place, Healing Lodge and Medicine walk Build You Own Compost Bin- A popular event hosted by our Food Sovereignty Educator. It was held in person at the Millinocket Hoop House and live streamed where participants learn to build a compost bin out of wooden pallets. Summer Solstice- Held in Penobscot Nation on the longest day of the summer beginning with a sunrise ceremony. Held at the Hoophouse and linked to renewal going into the longest day of the growing season. Inter-tribal Youth Summit -Food sovereignty education is shared at this event. Youth learned about traditional foods, smoking meats and how food sovereignty is linked to environmental health. Seed Starting - Offered several times and multiple locations. This covers all the know-how and supplies needed to start your garden from seed! Hoop House Tour and Garden Talks- offered tours of the 32'x72' hoop house that discussed the companion planting of three sisters (corn, beans, and squash), as well as other traditional gardening methods. Discussed natural soil amendments, such as seaweed and alewives, in place of chemical ridden fertilizers, as well as ways in which we can take care of Mother Earth so that she in turn takes care of us. Jam and Pickling - A collaboration with the UMaine Cooperative Extension- a class that teaches basic preservation skills, discusses supplies and methods necessary to make jam and pickles, a few of the simplest ways to preserve the harvest! Square foot and Patio Gardening - Learn how to grow food when you do not have an abundance of space. Tools and knowledge for container growing and the varieties that perform well in small spaces. These workshops have been received with enthusiasm and well attended. WHPW aims to maintain these programs and continue to cultivate offerings that inspire our community members to produce and preserve their own food. The next output will be the Food Sovereignty Committee. During Year Two this component of the project moved beyond conception and into the implementation stages. In the final year of this project our organization will facilitate meetings for a group of individuals with vested interest in tribal food sovereignty work. The intention is to act as catalyst to organize a group that will meet for many years to come. This group will address topics in social justice and inform systems work that will result in tribal citizens having greater control over where their food is sourced from.
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