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Coming together with partners can often help stretch valuable resources for a project, 但它也可以扩大和改善项目本身的成果. 这就是 发生在内布拉斯加州东北部 内布拉斯加州印第安社区学院 与 奥马哈族, 桑提苏族部落 和 农村事务中心 为了在食品主权评估工作中获得更多的回报.

l land-grant institution since 1994, serves the 奥马哈族 of Nebraska at its Macy 校园，以及内布拉斯加州桑蒂校区的桑蒂苏族部落. 它还有一个 campus site in 内布拉斯加州的南苏市, according to Mike 伯杰, pg电子app下载 grant writer.

In keeping with its commitment to serve the two tribal nations, pg电子app下载 was one of the recipients of grants awarded to 39 Native American tribes and organizations to help them conduct food sovereignty or community food assessments in their various locales, 2016 - 2017年. 第一民族发展研究所(“第一民族”) provided the grants, totaling nearly $650,000, under its Native Agriculture and 粮食系统倡议得到了世界粮食计划署的慷慨支持.K. 凯洛格基金会和 土著人民潮汐基金.

The grant allowed pg电子app下载 to partner with the Santee and Omaha tribal governments and programs, 和 农村事务中心 (CFRA) located in Lyons, Nebraska, to carry out activities to encourage community participation in the food sovereignty assessments. 伯杰是pg电子app下载的资助人，也是这个项目的资助经理.

扩大范围

We serve 170 students at three locations, and have less than 10 faculty members. 是 a very small tribal college and without partnering we couldn't have implemented a 粮食主权项目. 我们的员工和合作伙伴有限 极大地扩展了我们对社区的影响，伯杰说.

The tribes, pg电子app下载 and CFRA first held group and individual discussion groups to talk about the 粮食主权项目s for both tribes, 和 goals of gaining a broader understanding of the current Santee Sioux and Omaha food systems, and how to build interest and support from the communities being served, according to their project 向原住民报告.

Information was shared at several locations in each tribes community, including the Omaha Pow Wow Committee meetings, Omaha Advisory Health Fair, Santee Health Center, 还有沃尔希尔图书馆等等.

Surveys were handed out to community members at various events, and were gone over one to one at some events like the Rosalie Old Settlers Days, Santee Health Center Diabetes 项目 Greek salad cooking class, 和 Omaha tenant education class.

面对面活动

While social media was used to get initial information out to the communities, it was the activities that were held in person that were the most successful when talking about food sovereignty and getting surveys, which in the end numbered more than 500 两个部落的参与者总数.

The survey established and identified what we need to address 和 interesting pathways that we are looking at delving into for the delivery of vegetables such as mobile veggie vans and working with the tribes to develop a delivery system for people 谁要新鲜蔬菜?. 在当地的杂货店，蔬菜是进口的， but with a mobile grocery store that could create a market for area farmers, said 伯杰.

The idea of mobile veggie vans would not only provide access to fresh produce, but also fill in the transportation gap that many tribal members experience on both reservations. Even if someone has access to a car,y face an hour or longer drive, one way, just 去最近的大卖场. 再加上汽油和汽车保养的费用，还有这个 often puts a trip for fresh produce out of the reach for many tribal members.

In addition to creating access to heathier fresh fruits and vegetables, surveys indicated there is a strong interest in revitalizing the growing of traditional foods within the existing community gardens and providing access to traditional foods to 不能自己种植的社区成员.

The communities would like to see a Native seed bank happen, where seeds and roots 股票可以重新引入. 但是不要把种子送出去，而是把它留在社区里 然后他们拥有社区的股票，伯杰说.

传统食品吸引兴趣

There were some traditional foods that drew a large interest in terms of learning 如何种植或获取食物，如何准备传统菜肴.

Venison, squash and corn were the top three traditional foods requested by survey participants, so for us as a college, were interested in what types of foods the community 会员有兴趣. 这对我们了解当地的农民也是有好处的 伯杰说.

CFRA oversees farmers markets on behalf of both tribes 和re is a great interest by both the food producers and consumers to have access to more locally-grown foods. In addition, interest in family or community gardens and container gardens has been 在过去的几年里，这两个部落社区的死亡人数都在增加. CFRA与 both tribes and offers garden technical assistance for the challenging growing conditions. 仅在2017年，就有近300个支持请求.

社区花园已经开始蓬勃发展. 还有烹饪和罐头作坊 are offered so we can better educate the community on food safety, drying and canning, said Suzi French, Community Food Specialist with CFRA and an Omaha tribal member.

伯杰 添加 that often it is hard for people to imagine that there are food inequities or food deserts in their part of the country, as here were surround by corn, but its 都是牛饲料.

The food sovereignty assessments have already had a great impact on the Omaha and Santee Sioux tribal communities 和 内布拉斯加州印第安社区学院, 伯杰 添加. The assessments now provide the groundwork and direction for further community-developed proposals to address such areas as the seed bank, how the college fits within food sovereignty, 和 overall impact on the health and wellness of all the communities.