Muscogee (Creek) Nation Food & Fitness Policy Council

 

 

Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative worked with Muscogee (Creek) Nation to establish a Food & Fitness Policy Council to promote tribal food sustainability. The MCN FFPC was established as a Tribal Resolution of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and was signed into law as TR10-079,  September 25, 2010.

 

Update June 2012, from MFSI July 2012 Newsletter:

By Rita Williams, Policy Coordinator

Rita Williams, CCHE Policy Coordinator and Stephanie Berryhill, CCHE Policy/Cultural Research attended the National gathering of CCHE(Communities Creating Healthy Environments) held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

MFSI CCHE program director, Rita  Williams was asked by Praxis,who provide technical assistance and consulting,  to do a case study presentation of our Muscogee (Creek) Nation Food and Fitness Policy Council work as a part of the workshops for the 200 participants.

Many people of color who are grantee participants of CCHE, came together and shared openly their work in communities to better their cities through working in neighborhoods for safe streets, assisting immigrants through land purchase for better housing, lobbying politicians for equal justice through employment, empowering the youth to become involved and educated in todays society, and more.

Many young Latino, and Asian college graduates are working directly with their own people to better their living and working environments, very impressive and encouraging to see them in action.

We toured New Orleans backyard gardens in the lower 9th ward after Katrina and the efforts of one young single mother to restore a  community tradition of growing healthy foods. Many residents of New Orleans shared their stories after the devastation of Katrina. Only 25% of the people in this area returned to rebuild, many homes are still marked and vacant.

We networked, met new friends, shared with one another, and swapped information. The lessons learned that I took away from this conference was, many people of color are facing their own struggles for change, wanting their voices heard, fighting the political system in a dominant society, rebuilding and restoration of culture,  but one thing we all have in common is the spirit to be resilient, a God given inner strength and understanding that someone pioneers the way, change doesnt come overnight, and along this path, he allows us to see light at the end of the tunnel.

 

MCN FFPC March 2012 Update:

 

By Rita Williams

 

The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Food and Fitness Policy Council held their monthly meeting in February with many items on the agenda for the year of 2012. We were very pleased with the attendance this past month and look forward to more tribal departments involvement. 

                   

This is a new year for the tribe with a new administration and the MCN FFPC has full support from Principal Chief George Tiger , Second Chief Roger Barnett and elected officials as well.  Tribal leaders are a very important part of helping to move forward food and fitness policies for the people they serve.  It is vitally important for any tribal food and fitness policy council to keep your leaders informed and involved to the changes that need to happen with tribal food sovereignty, food security and food sustainability.

 

Plans are underway to present procurement policies that will allow tribal programs to purchase local fresh grown fruits and vegetables.  A first step towards tribal sovereignty that will better our choices in the food we eat for our health and nutrition.

 

The MCN FFPC will also host an Oklahoma Tribal Food and Fitness Policy Conference this year.  Full plans are not underway yet but will be available in the next upcoming months.

 

MVTO!!

Rita Williams, MCN FFPC Chairperson