Improving Food Security and Sovereignty in Indian Country

MAZON has prioritized unique strategies, partnerships, and policies aimed at reclaiming and achieving food security and food sovereignty in Indian Country. We are proud to work closely with Tribal partners — organizations and leaders acting from a place of incredible power, vision, and resilience, despite centuries of marginalization, erasure, and disinvestment in their communities. We are committed to advancing food policies that support the self-determination and wellness of Tribes and Native communities.

By the numbers:
Nearly 25%

of all Native American and Alaska Native households are food-insecure.

Obesity and diabetes

Rates of obesity and diabetes in Indian Country are nearly twice that of the rest of the U.S. population.

Twice as likely to be food insecure

Native Americans and Alaska Natives are twice as likely as white people to be food insecure.

90,000

The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) serves 90,000 participants per month on average in Indian Country.

42% of FDPIR households

include people over age 60.

1/3 of FDPIR households

have children under the age of 18.

This is Hunger
Stories
Read more stories

Food is so expensive on the reservation, and our food stamps only last about two weeks. When they run out, I go out and sell beadwork really cheap, just so I can continue to feed my family.

Dorothy, South Dakota
Take Action

Urge Congress to Support the Tribal Nutrition Improvement Act

One of the most meaningful ways to support food security and sovereignty in Indian Country is to allow Tribes to directly administer federal nutrition programs.

Take action now
Learn more
Strengthening Tribal Food Sovereignty to Honor Indigenous Peoples

Each year, Indigenous Peoples' Day is an opportunity to recognize and celebrate Native peoples, to acknowledge the legacy of settler colonialism, and to commit to accountability for its impacts in the present. Read more.

New ‘Agenda-Setting’ Report Outlines Critical Native Priorities For 2023 Federal Farm Bill

As the first non-Native ally organization to join the Native Farm Bill Coalition in 2017, MAZON welcomed Gaining Ground, highlighting long-overlooked food insecurity among Indigenous communities. Read more.

Resource Guide for Celebrating Sukkot and Indigenous People’s Day

Sukkot (the Jewish festival for harvest) and Indigenous People’s Day (to honor Native American cultures and histories) often fall closely in the calendar. As the Jewish community reflects on themes of harvest, scarcity, peoplehood, and food justice, MAZON invites you to learn more about — and join us in the movement to support — Indigenous food sovereignty. Read more.

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