MINNEAPOLIS, MN The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
and three nationally significant partners today announced Seeds
of Native Health, a major philanthropic campaign to improve the
nutrition of Native Americans across the country. The SMSC is committing
$5 million to launch the campaign and plans to recruit other funding
and strategic partners.
"Nutrition is very poor among many of our fellow Native Americans,
which leads to major health problems," said SMSC Chairman Charlie
Vig. "Our Community has a tradition of helping other tribes and
Native American people. The SMSC is committed to making a major
contribution and bringing others together to help develop permanent
solutions to this serious problem."
Generations of extreme poverty and the loss of traditional foods
have resulted in poor and inadequate diets for many Native Americans,
leading to increased obesity, diabetes, and other profound health
problems. "Many tribes, nonprofits, public health experts, researchers,
and advocates have already been working on solutions," said SMSC
Vice-Chairman Keith Anderson. "We hope this campaign will bring
more attention to their work, build on it, bring more resources
to the table, and ultimately put Indian Country on the path to develop
a comprehensive strategy, which does not exist today."
The Seeds of Native Health campaign will include efforts to
improve awareness of Native nutrition problems, promote the wider
application of proven best practices, and encourage additional work
related to food access, education and research.
"Native health problems have many causes, but we know that many
of these problems can be traced to poor nutrition," said SMSC Secretary/Treasurer
Lori Watso, who has spent much of her career in community public
health. She provided the original idea for the SMSC's nutrition
campaign.
"Traditional Native foods have a much higher nutritional value
than what is most easily accessible today," Watso continued. "By
promoting best practices, evidence-based methods, and the re-introduction
of healthy cultural practices, we believe that tribal governments,
nonprofits, and grassroots practitioners can collectively make lasting
strides towards a better future."
Having donated more than $325 million since opening its Gaming
Enterprise in the 1990s, as well as providing more than $500 million
in economic development loans to other tribes, the SMSC is the largest
philanthropic benefactor for Indian Country nationally and one of
the largest charitable givers in Minnesota.
Seeds of Native Health partners
The SMSC has enlisted three nationally significant strategic
partners in the campaign: First Nations Development Institute, headquartered
in Colorado; the Notah Begay III Foundation, based in New Mexico;
and the University of Minnesota.
First Nations Development Institute has longstanding expertise
in efforts to eliminate food insecurity, build the health of communities,
and support entrepreneurship and economic development. It is receiving
$1.4 million from the SMSC for re-granting to projects relating
to food access, food sovereignty, and capacity building.
"First Nations has spent 35 years working to build healthy economies
in Indian Country, and we are thrilled for the opportunity to be
a strategic partner in an initiative that will coordinate so many
of the crucial efforts happening today," said Michael Roberts, president
of the First Nations Development Institute.
The Notah Begay III Foundation is dedicated to promoting wellness
among Indian children. It is receiving $1.1 million from the SMSC
for re-granting to projects relating to childhood nutrition.
"The problems facing many young Native Americans are great,
but none is more fundamental than health problems which have their
root cause in poor nutrition," said Notah Begay III, creator of
his namesake foundation. "This philanthropic effort led by the SMSC
will be a game-changer."
Chairman Vig said that selecting the University of Minnesota
as a strategic partner in this initiative was natural. "The University
is a world-class research and teaching institution in the fields
of agriculture, food science, nutrition, and public health. We are
fortunate to have a strategic partner in our own backyard."
The University's campaign role will include serving as the convening
partner for a new series of annual conferences on Native American
nutrition, developing appropriate cultural interfaces between academic
research and its application by Native communities, and creating
a repository of best practices and national expertise.
"The University of Minnesota and the SMSC have a remarkable
partnership, which includes, among others the tribe's support of
scholarships of our Native American students and support for our
athletics programs. We are thrilled to lend our expertise and leadership
to this crucial campaign," said University of Minnesota President
Eric W. Kaler.
For more information about Seeds of Native Health, visit www.SeedsOfNativeHealth.org.
About the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community is a federally
recognized, sovereign Indian tribe located southwest of Minneapolis/St.
Paul. With a focus on being a good neighbor, good steward of the
earth, and good employer, the SMSC is committed to charitable donations,
community partnerships, a healthy environment, and a strong economy.
The SMSC and the SMSC Gaming Enterprise (Mystic Lake Casino Hotel
and Little Six Casino) are the largest employer in Scott County.
Out of a Dakota tradition to help others, the SMSC has donated more
than $325 million to organizations and causes since opening the
Gaming Enterprise in the 1990s and has contributed millions more
to regional governments and infrastructure such as roads, water
and sewer systems, and emergency services.
About First Nations Development Institute
For 35 years, using a three-pronged strategy of educating
grassroots practitioners, advocating for systemic change, and capitalizing
Indian communities, First Nations has been working to restore Native
American control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets
they own be they land, human potential, cultural heritage,
or natural resources and to establish new assets for ensuring
the long-term vitality of Native American communities. First Nations
serves Native American communities throughout the United States.
For more information, visit www.firstnations.org.
About Notah Begay III Foundation
The NB3 Foundation, founded in 2005, is the only national
Native American nonprofit organization solely dedicated to reversing
childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes among Native children. Our
founder, Notah Begay III (Navajo/San Felipe/Isleta Pueblo) is a
four-time PGA TOUR winner and the only full-blooded Native American
to play on the PGA Tour. He is currently a TV golf analyst for NBC
Sports and the Golf Channel.
To date, NB3 Foundation has served over 24,000 Native children
and families in 14 states. In the last three years, NB3 Foundation
has awarded more than $1.8 million in grants to tribal communities
to support childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes prevention. NB3
Foundation has also invested more than $7 million in direct service
programming, including nutrition education, food access pilot projects,
community garden and traditional foods projects, evidence-based
sport programming, physical activity/sports camps and clinics, technical
assistance to tribal communities and nonprofits, and research and
evaluation work. For more information, visit www.nb3foundation.org.
About the University of Minnesota
Founded in 1851, the University of Minnesota is ranked
among the nation's top public research universities. As a land-grant
institution, the U of M is committed to engaging Minnesota, national
and global communities to advance interdisciplinary knowledge; enhance
students' academic, civic, career, social and personal development;
and apply intellectual and human capital to serve the public good.
|