Browsing by Author "Newman, Dawn"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Food Quality and Availability: Diversity in a Tribal Food System
    (University of Minnesota Extension, 2012-10) Newman, Dawn; Wilsey, David; Beaulieu, Susan
    Diversity relates to the audiences reached through Extension outreach and teaching, but also applies to program approach and focus. Our work with the Fond du Lac Band addresses the critical issue of food quality and availability through an inclusive understanding of a tribal food system and an approach that features numerous and different strategies. The Ojibwe term “gitigaan” translates as garden but encompasses both food procurement and production, through gathering and cultivation. The Thirteen Moons program focuses on seasonal natural resource activities such as maple sugaring, wild edible greens and fruits, wild rice, hunting, and trapping. The Ojibwe Garden program centers upon a working demonstration garden that features Ojibwe cultivars and production systems, as well as contemporary food crops. In 2011, these programs came together to support the first Tribal Master Gardener cohort. This cohort links to a third food production effort, a youth garden developed under the 4-H Tribal Youth Mentoring program. The term diversity captures much of the collective strength of these interrelated efforts: a partnership with an underserved community, a multifaceted understanding of food systems that goes beyond conventional crops, and a diverse set of approaches that targets different knowledge systems, generations, cultural practices, and skills. The importance of such an approach is underscored by the erratic and sometimes catastrophic weather events of the current year – including an early winter to spring transition, flooding, and drought – and, in particular, the negative impacts of these events on various food sources.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Listening, Learning and Responding: Community-University Partnerships in Minnesota Indian Country
    (University of Minnesota Extension, 2010) Martenson, Diana; Newman, Dawn; Zak, Deborah
    The University of Minnesota Extension American Indian Task Force (AITF) was established by the Dean of Extension in 2006 to improve representation and access of American Indian communities to the University. The interdisciplinary task force listened to and learned from community members by visiting and building relationships on five northern MN tribal nations. As a result, four tribal representatives joined the task force. Staff development for task force members and University staff was provided, leading to community-university partnerships coupling community interests with university expertise and resources. Six educators were hired to work with Tribes in northern Minnesota, providing culturally-specific programs, pursuing interdisciplinary work, and fostering sustainable community-university partnerships. Extension’s $10,000 annual commitment to the AITF operating fund for three years helped leverage over $460,000 in additional funding. The poster was selected through a peer review process for presentation at the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health 11th Conference in Portland, Oregon May 12-15, 2010.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    We Listen to Them: A Method for Interaction and Assessing Natural Resource Perspectives in Tribal Communities
    (St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension Service, 2009-10) Wilsey, David; Beaulieu, Susan; Newman, Dawn
    Utilizing appropriate assessment tools to gather information from community members is 26 essential to reliable data collection and subsequent success in community work, particularly when working across cultures. This study utilized the Sondeo method, a culturally appropriate assessment tool with origins in farming systems research and extension (FSR/E), to gather information about natural resource use and perspectives on the Fond du Lac Reservation in northeastern Minnesota. Building trust and relationships is critical in work with Native American communities, therefore, a participatory approach was used, with diverse teams comprised of community members and educators. The general theme of disconnect emerged at multiple levels, along with the importance of Ojibwe culture and language as key to understanding and promoting natural resource use and knowledge.