The Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity: The Osage Nation’s Mobile Market

Abstract

Over the last decade, the Osage Nation has actively worked to build Tribal food sovereignty within the reservation where rates of chronic disease and food insecurity are higher than the United States general population. In 2013, the Nation repurposed land toward the development of a Tribal farm with the aim of providing healthy foods to Osage citizens. Produce from the farm is distributed to elders groups, at Tribal Head Starts and schools, and to support the tribal food distribution program. These efforts have led to improved vegetable intake among Osage children, contributing to improved food security, but there is concern that tribal members who live in more remote areas of the Nation or have transportation or mobility issues are not able to access farm production. In partnership with the Center for Indigenous Health Equity (CIIHE), Osage Nation engaged in a community-based participatory research study to assess reservation areas with the greatest barriers to healthy foods and to identify community priorities for intervention. Guided by the principles of food sovereignty, which assert that intervention efforts must address the underlying structural issues of inequality, Osage has designed a mobile market initiative to expand the reach of the Harvest Land farm and deliver healthy, tribally produced meats, herbs, and fresh vegetables to areas with the highest rates of food insecurity. We describe the participatory research efforts and evaluation strategies that center Osage priorities for food security and food sovereignty.

Analysis of Food Security of Older Rural Indigenous People in Latin America and the Caribbean

“…The community values them over commercial fruit, showing potential for integration into farming systems and assisting efforts to ensure food security. 55 The Center for Indigenous Innovation and Health Equity: The Osage Nation’s Mobile Market [ 85 ] The Osage Nation actively works to enhance tribal food sovereignty to combat chronic disease and food insecurity. Tribal farm initiatives have improved vegetable intake among Osage children, but accessibility to farm production in remote areas is still concerning.…”

Food Systems, Food Sovereignty, and Health: Conference Shares Linkages to Support Indigenous Community Health

“…Day 2 began with a series of "Lightning Talks," which were 15-minute presentations followed by 5-minute question and answer sessions. Topics included the development of a tribal farm that led to an Indigenous Supported Agriculture program and reservation-based mobile market (Hayman et al, 2023) and a traditional Native foods education and demonstration gathering (Wark et al, 2023). Additional topics included a curriculum focused on traditional Indigenous foodways and the economic benefit of food sovereignty initiatives presented by a health economist.…”