Zuni Youth Enrichment Project Food Sovereignty Team Shares Knowledge, Nourishes Community This Fall

ZUNI, NM — This fall, the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project’s food sovereignty team is combining national knowledge-sharing with local, hands-on programming to strengthen cultural traditions, nourish families, and inspire youth. From presenting at a leading Indigenous nutrition conference to hosting local meals and workshops, the team is working hard to help strengthen the Zuni community’s connection with healthy, traditional foods and culturally grounded agriculture.

In September, Food Sovereignty Coordinator Brittny Seowtewa and Food Sovereignty Leaders Khassia Hattie and Zachary James attended the 7th Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota. Their participation was made possible through scholarships from the First Nations Development Institute and Newman’s Own Foundation,

During the conference, Seowtewa had the opportunity to participate in a panel titled, “Nourishing Indigenous Communities: The Intersection of Food Justice and Nutrition for Youth.” Hosted by Jackie Blackbird, Newman’s Own Foundation’s Indigenous communities officer, the panel explored the vital connection between food justice and nutrition for Indigenous youth—and the innovative ways in which communities are approaching these issues.

“My fellow panelists were from the Navajo Nation in Arizona, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe in Virginia, and Kaua’i, Hawai’i,” Seowtewa said. “We discovered we face similar barriers, we place the same priority on our youth, and we share the same sense of hope.”