First Nations Development Institute Unveils New Resource Toolkit, Including Cookbooks and Videos, Under Its Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) Nutrition Education Effort

Longmont, Colorado, Oct. 24, 2017 -- First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) today unveiled a new online resource toolkit as part of its “Nutrition Education for Native American Communities" project. Under that effort, First Nations, with the generous support of the Walmart Foundation, also provided $310,000 in grants to 21 tribes and Native organizations in 12 states to start or expand nutrition education efforts for Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) recipients.

The new toolkit, which contains videos, cookbooks and other resources, can be found online at http://www.firstnations.org/knowledge-center/foods-health/FDPIR-Toolkit. All materials in the toolkit are free.

The toolkit includes three new First Nations videos as well as links to 24 additional videos produced by grantees under the project. The First Nations videos are narrated by Ben Jacobs and Matt Chandra, owners of Tocabe, An American Indian Eatery, in Denver, Colorado, who were assisted by personnel from the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma’s Food & Nutrition Services and Diabetes Prevention Program.  The videos were produced for First Nations by FireThief Productions.

The First Nations videos are titled “Change (Overview),” “Fire (Outdoor Cooking)” and “Tradition (Blue Corn Mush).” The purpose of the video series is to highlight healthy and/or traditional ways of preparing some of the ingredients available in FDPIR food packages, with the goal of encouraging individuals and families to improve their nutrition and healthy habits.

The cookbooks featured in the toolkit include the First Nations-published Cooking Healthier with FDPIR Foods, plus localized cookbooks published by the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin (Oneida Traditional & Healthy Foods for Our Community) and the STAR School that serves the Navajo Nation (NIZHÓNÍGO ÍÍNÁ - Cooking with Navajo Traditional Foods).

Additionally, First Nations recently published an evaluation report titled Outcomes Under the Nutrition Education for Native Communities Project as a project update for the Walmart Foundation. It highlights some of the achievements under the FDPIR initiative in which First Nations partnered with the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations.  

FDPIR is an important local food-access program that helps the most vulnerable individuals and families in Native communities.  Due to a variety of issues including inadequate funding, many FDPIR programs do not have the opportunity to provide nutrition education to their constituents. The First Nations project helped expand these efforts, including activities such as workshops, cooking classes/food demonstrations, healthy recipe development, development and dissemination of educational materials and more.

To see the list of FDPIR grant recipients, visit this link.  Also, on the First Nations YouTube Channel you will find many additional videos related to First Nations’ Native food and agriculture efforts and other initiatives.

About First Nations Development Institute

For 37 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.

Program Contact:
Tawny Wilson, First Nations Lead Program Officer
[email protected] or (303) 774-7836 x218

Media Contact: 
Randy Blauvelt, First Nations Senior Communications Officer
[email protected]  or (303) 774-7836 x213