from Left to Right: Onieda Nation Chairman, Tehassi Hill; Spirit Lake Nation Vice-Chairwoman, Rena Lohnes; Chickasaw Nation Commissioner of Health Policy, Dr. Judy Goforth Parker; Former Governor, Pueblo de San Ildefonso and Director of the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council Inc. (ENIPC) Food Distribution Program; Actin Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, and Judicial Officer of the USDA, John Walk; Former Governor, Pueblo de San Ildefonso and Chairman of the All Pueblo Council of Governors, James Mountain; Spirit Lake Nation Chairwoman, Lana Jackson-Street; Omaha Tribe of Nebraska, Councilman, Dustin Lovejoy; Pueblo of Acoma Tribal Council Delegate, Berdina Sanchez and Navajo Nation Tribal Council Delegate, Vince James
In 2013, the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations (NAFDPIR) called the Tribal Leaders to attend the NAFDPIR annual conference. In 2014, a meeting took place in San Diego, CA to put together a plan of how to approach the issues the Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) was facing. In 2015, a meeting was held in Washington, DC with Tribal Leaders and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA )the Acting Secretary, Krysta Harden and Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Michael Scuse to fully understand the ASK from NAFDPIR regarding FDPIR. During this historic meeting, under President Barack Obama’s Administration, the Tribal Leaders Consultation Working Group (TLCWG) was seated. The TLCWG was reaffirmed in 2016 under President Trump’s Administration.
With that being said, this meeting was yet another historic event on behalf of FDPIR as it was the first official consultation for the new Trump administration. Under the USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, and Judicial Officer of the USDA John Walk and Office of Tribal Relations (OTR), Director Betsy Rakola was seated at the table along with various Tribal Leaders of other Tribal Nations.
The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, or FDPIR, provides food to approximately 53,000 income-eligible households on tribal reservations and Native American households in approved areas near reservations. FDPIR provides American-grown and produced foods and nutrition education to help reduce food insecurity and support nutritious diets.
The monthly FDPIR food package provides an important source of nutrition and supports nutrition security. Participants receiving the food package may have limited alternatives due to their remote location and/ or mobility challenges. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is available as an alternative to FDPIR participants, who may elect to opt in or out of each program on a monthly basis. While SNAP may be a viable alternative for some FDPIR participants, access to a SNAP vendor remains challenging for extremely rural and remote participants, especially those without reliable access to a working vehicle. The emergency feeding network is also available to FDPIR participants. The program is administered by 107 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and three State agencies serving approximately 280 federally recognized tribes nationwide.
