Sage Grant supports First Foods programming centered on Chronic Illness support and prevention for Native Communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:
Alexandria Cruz - Communications Manager
Info@gscollective.org
1/1/23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRINDING STONE COLLECTIVE AWARDED $95,000 SAGE GRANT FROM URBAN INDIAN HEALTH INSTITUTE

New York- The Grinding Stone Collective is excited to announce that they have been awarded a $95,000 Sage Grant from the Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) to create educational programming centered around chronic illness support and prevention using traditional Native foods.

The grant will be used to develop and implement seven new First Foods courses with a focus on using traditional Native foods as a means of preventing and managing chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Course topics will include "Heart Disease & Heart Healthy Native Foods" and "Arthritis Care + Anti-inflammatory Native Foods," among others and are set to begin in late February. These classes will run in conjunction with the Inter-Tribal Pantry so visitors will be able to try First Foods centered healthy recipes. Additionally, UIHI funding will allow this program to run in both New York and Colorado, doubling our outreach efforts.

The Grinding Stone Collectives First Foods Program is dedicated to promoting the soverignty, health and culture of Native communities through the revitalization of traditional food systems and practices. This grant from UIHI is an acknowledgement of the importance of traditional knowledge in addressing the health needs of indigenous communities, and a reminder that First Nations have been cultivating nutritious foods for centuries.

"We are grateful to the Urban Indian Health Institute for recognizing the importance of traditional Native foods in addressing chronic illness in our communities," said Brooke Rodriguez, founder of the Grinding Stone Collective. "This grant will allow us to create programming that will address some of the issues colonization has caused to the health of native communities that still challenges us today. Education centered on wellness is vital to the health and well-being of our communities."

About UIHI
Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) is leading the way in research and data for urban American Indian and Alaska Native communities. As a Public Health Authority and one of 12 Tribal Epidemiology Centers in the country—and the only one that serves Urban Indian Organizations nationwide—UIHI conducts research and evaluation, collects and analyzes data, and provides disease surveillance to strengthen the health of American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

For more information about the Grinding Stone Collective and the First Foods Program, please visit their website at www.gscollective.org

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