“Loss of traditional food resources exacerbates tribal health issues including poor fitness, diabetes, and other health challenges. Research has shown that loss of traditional food resources is associated with life-style changes (e.g., increasing sedentary lifestyle while decreasing cultural-specific activities and food diversity) and health problems (increased diabetes, obesity, heart disease etc). Thus, ensuring abundant First Foods across the landscape and restoring tribal food resources is likely to benefit the health and culture of the tribal community by providing traditional food choices and promoting activities (e.g. hunting, digging, gathering, and fishing) that draw on tribal knowledge and skills (First Foods Upland Vision, 2019).” Impacts from climate change create challenges for tribal people from exposure and chronic events, as well as from complicating factors to negative health outcomes that currently exist.
Updated 7/5/2023