Who crashed the economy? If one turns the pages of Paul Ryan’s spine-chilling budget one sees who conservatives like himself believe to be the biggest threats to the US Economy: Hungry children and pregnant mothers. Continue reading
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Category search: food security
Native Organizers: Trained in Seattle for a Week and Built Nationwide Solidarity for the Future
Last week, a group of 22 Natives from all over the country came together with a willingness to learn from each other, stand in solidarity with one another, and challenge the systems of inequity that threatens the health and welfare of our elders and youth.
In mid-February, Alliance for a Just Society began to recruit participants for their four day Native Organizer’s training hosted in partnership with the Praxis Project and Communities Creating Healthy Environments initiative. The response was unprecedented! Continue reading
Survival Denied: Stories from Alaska Native Families Living in a Broken System
“The indigenous hunting and fishing practices of ALL Alaska Natives, including the harvesting and sharing of fish, game, and other resources and the ceremonies which accompany these practices provide for the SOCIAL, CULTURAL, SPIRITUAL, & ECONOMIC WELL-BEING & SURVIVAL of the Alaska Native community Continue reading
Alaska Natives Rally for Traditional Hunting & Fishing Rights
After days of rain and snow in Anchorage,Alaska, the skies cleared and it warmed to chilly 34 degrees just in time for 400 Natives to rally in a park to call for an end to increasing regulations, enforcement and criminalization of their traditional way of life.
A unique scene in Alaska: 400 Natives taking to the streets with picket signs, unafraid of backlash, no longer willing to compromise on life’s essentials, calling on elected officials to take action and make changes.
When Feeding Your Family Is Illegal
For Native people of the Yukon Flats, feeding your family requires the ability to hunt and fish for their foods. After spending a week in the Flats, assisting the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) on a campaign to secure traditional food and hunting and fishing practices; I would argue that it is the only way to access healthy and affordable foods. Community members are standing up for themselves against a system that is threatening their way of life, their ability to feed themselves and their legal rights guaranteed under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Continue reading
Food Choices: Families or Corporations
Will Congress choose need or greed? Cutting the federal deficit means making some tough choices. The new report, Food Choices: Families or Corporations and online petition asks Congressional super committee members to look at bloated federal subsidies for giant corporations before they cut food assistance struggling families depend on.
Released in partnership with the Praxis Project, the report details the critical role the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s family nutrition programs play in feeding one out of eight Americans. Continue reading
The Distasteful Politics of Food
How, what, and where we eat everyday is strongly influenced by the federal government, in partnership with major food corporations, through a piece of legislation called the Farm Bill. Many of the social determinates of health that impact our communities find their roots in the Farm Bill a massive piece of legislation up for renewal in 2012.
We need to pay close attention to this legislation in the coming months. In particular, we need to focus on the ways in which the Farm Bill enables corporate practices that contribute to racial disparities in health, set us back in terms of racial equity, and promote greed over need. In a climate where Congress is looking to make cuts, corporate agribusiness will be working hard to protect their interests, leaving the rest of us with a huge tab that will cost not just in dollars but also in lives. Continue reading
Hunger In South Dakota: And What State Leaders Can Do About It
Low-income families in South Dakota are struggling. They are struggling to find jobs that pay a living wage. They are struggling to pay rising utility, housing, and health care costs. And, they are struggling with the basic task of putting food on their tables. This study, the first of its kind, examines the food security of 403 poor and very poor South Dakota families. The participating households, most of whom are clients of Head Start and Native American, answered 33 questions about their food security and additional questions about their involvement with the Food Stamp Program. The study found that for many of these families food insecurity is not a short-term emergency, but a long-term continuing struggle.
Confronting Barriers: Stories of Oregon Food Stamp Applicants
Many Oregon residents have lost access to public programs because of recent deep budget cuts, including major cuts to public health care programs. The Food Stamp Program is increasingly important as many Oregon families face difficult times and increased medical costs. In this report, several food stamp applicants describe their experiences and the barriers they faced when applying for food stamps. This report also includes some initial survey results.
