Incorporating traditional native food into a nutritional food curriculum for a family-based wellness intervention for urban American Indians

This presentation will discuss the promotion and integration of traditional native local foods from the Sonoran Desert into the healthy food curriculum implemented for the Seeds of Wellness (SOW) program, a preliminary community-based participatory research project for urban American Indian (AI) families in Tucson, AZ. The SOW program is a partnership between the Tucson Indian Center, the University of Arizona Zuckerman College of Public Health and the urban AI community families, and is funded by the NIH National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities. The healthy food curriculum focused on traditional native local food for its cultural significance in American Indian life and practices and for its health benefits for the prevention and management of diabetes. The curriculum included local food demonstrations, healthy recipe sharing, traditional agriculture media presentations, a mini gardening activity, and a presentation of the nutritional content and health benefits of traditional native local foods. Local food discussions among the families created learning opportunities to share stories and cultural knowledge of their local food sources. The program encouraged families to shop for native food through local farmers businesses and encouraged families to create or maintain their own gardens. A description of the native local food portion of the healthy food curriculum will be provided.