Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative

At 1 p.m. Central on Jan. 9, 2025, join IFAI's Policy and Legal teams for an analysis of the December 2024 Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The webinar will break down the Indian Country implications of the report, and IFAI will provide input to Tribal leaders, staff and interested parties about the 60-day comment period for feedback to USDA and HHS. Register today at bit.ly/NGW2025

IFAI will be closed from December 24, 2024 through January 2, 2025. We will resume regular operations and respond to inquiries beginning January 2. We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season.

As we enter a new year and new season, we reflect on our appreciation for our partners, funders, and relations. Thank you for your help, encouragement, and friendship. With your support, we are able to do impactful and meaningful work advancing food and agriculture in Indian Country.    We hope you spend time this season with loved ones, celebrating tradition, storytelling, crafting, sharing meals, playing games, imparting knowledge from one generation to the next and taking much needed rest. We look forward to working together in the new year.    Ulihelisdi Gola! (ᎤᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ AW) Happy Winter,   Executive Director Carly Griffith Hotvedt (Cherokee) and all the staff of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative If you would like to see what IFAI has been doing this year, download our report on indigenousfoodandag.com. #seasonsgreetings #tribalagriculture

IFAI has had a busy and successful year! Learn all about it in our Annual Report available NOW! Download to read today at indigenousfoodandag.com.

📣 News Alert - The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Scientific Report Provides Historic Inclusion of Indigenous Nutritional Needs. The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee released its scientific report in December 2024. The Guidelines influence nutrition program standards and federal recommendations for the next five years. The inclusion of a Tribal-focused pilot study and renowned Tribal nutrition expert Dr. Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan marks a significant change. For the first time since the guidelines’ inception in 1980, a Tribal citizen and nutrition expert served as a member of the committee. “Her appointment on 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is a game changer,” said Carly Griffith Hotvedt (Cherokee Nation), executive director for the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative. “Having someone who understands the wide variety of Tribal and Alaska Native communities in this sector is now more fully reflected in the recommendations.” Read IFAI's full press release here: https://lnkd.in/gF7h6PWJ

Don't miss out on the last Policy Brief of the year! Check out what's happening on the Hill this week by going to our website. #policybrief #tribalagriculture #tribalnews #stayinformed

Check out these amazing youth opportunities and more on our website! https://lnkd.in/gZbBFkUm #indigenousagriculture #indigenousyouth #nextgeneration #tribalyouth

Get the latest Tribal food and agricultural policy news and information in our latest Policy Brief. For those attending IAC's Annual Conference, be sure to check out the brief for information on IFAI's sessions and opportunities to connect with staff during the event. Use this link to go to this week's policy brief https://bit.ly/PB12924

Announcement: Communities at Risk from Wildfires can now apply for Funding Summary: USDA's Forest Service announced that up to $200 million is now available for at-risk communities to apply for grants to develop and update community wildfire protection plans. Under the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program, communities can apply for individual grants up to $250,000 or up to $10 million for wildfire resilience projects that implement community wildfire protection plans. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 28, 2025. Why it matters: At-risk communities include Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations. The Forest Service is working with underserved communities, Tribes, and community-based organizations to provide equitable access to this funding opportunity. Partners include the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association and the First Nations Development Institute. Funding opportunities are categorized into four groups. Tribes can apply through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant 2024 (FY25) Tribes category or through the Notice of Funding Opportunity for their state. For more information go to bit.ly/USDAWDG24 #tribalsovereignty #parity #triballeadership

🌟 IFAI Invited to the 2024 Bloomberg American Health Summit! 🌟 From December 2-4, public health practitioners, policymakers, community organizations, and Bloomberg Fellows gathered in Washington, D.C., to explore strategies for advancing public health in uncertain political times. The summit focused on grounding public health solutions in evidence and forging connections to improve health policies. Key sessions covered: Strategies to work across political divides Evaluating and reforming long-standing policies Enhancing government-to-government relations Notable speakers included leaders from state and federal public health agencies, political figures, faculty from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, journalists, and community representatives. Kelli Case (Chickasaw Nation), IFAI's Sr. Staff Attorney, spoke on a panel about food policy. Although the event was invitation-only, the main plenary session on December 3 was livestreamed for the general public. Learn more about our work in this space using bit.ly/WICCIAOFRAC