An Approach To Nutrition Education For Urban American Indians In The Twin Cities

Abstract

American Indians in the Twin Cities make up a diverse and geographically dispersed urban community. Historical experiences of colonization, through treaties, allotments, reservations, relocation, and dependency on commodity foods, have had a lasting impact and adverse consequences to health. Too often nutrition education makes little mention of this, if at all. With Indigenous knowledge as a framework, Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR), Participatory Action Research (PAR), and Action Research (AR) hold potential benefit to the community. This thesis presents the building of relationships through engagement with community members and American Indian organizations that, over time, led to three distinct projects: a vision for a Native food hub, guidelines for culturally appropriate nutrition education for SNAP-Ed Community Nutrition Educators (CNEs), and development of culturally appropriate recipes for heirloom Dakota flour and hominy corn. Grounded on American Indian epistemology and axiology, these projects unveiled knowledge of the collective already held within the community.