Indigenous Peoples Work Group
Welcome to the Indigenous Peoples Work Group!
The Indigenous Peoples Work Group has worked alongside local Tribes on several projects since 2019. Members continue to build relationships and opportunities to work respectfully with local Tribal and Indigenous communities.
Our group develops culturally appropriate educational resources and host events for youth, families, and older adults, including recipes, posters, videos, and food preservation workshops.
Goals:
- To educate and support Extension educators in fostering strong relationships with their local Tribal and Indigenous communities. Our guiding phrase of “Good Intentions vs. Knowledgeable Actions” aids our educators in understanding the importance of learning cultural humility before acting on a new partnership. The workgroup utilizes cultural ways to teach Extension staff, faculty and administrators, best practice in working respectfully with Tribal and Indigenous communities.
- Provide culturally responsive technical assistance to projects that address the social determinants of health and/or policy, systems and environmental changes that impact Indigenous communities in Oregon.
- Support the development, revision, and implementation of nutrition education resources that are culturally appropriate for Indigenous audiences.
Our projects
The list below includes a few of the projects where the group has provided technical assistance (including review, adaptation, development and/or evaluation) since 2019:
- Oregon Bee Book / Libro de las Abejas de Oregón.
- Indigenous recipes included on Food Hero: Wild Rice and Salmon Stew, Three Sisters Soup, Rosanna’s Frybread, Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies, Harissa Roasted Butternut Squash.
- Coloring sheets reflecting Indigenous Cultures, including a Camas coloring sheet and on Food Hero: Salmon Bake, Chokecherry, Chef Nephi Craig, Quinoa, Fry Bread coloring sheets.
- Food Hero monthly newsletters: Respecting Indigenous Foods: Squash, Fry Bread – Bread of Resilience.
- Indigenous Farm Tour Videos: Farm to School Raceme Farm Collective, Farm to School Wapato Island Farms.
- Collaborated with Indigenous Chef Nephi Craig in development and creation of culturally relevant recipes, coloring sheets and Food Hero monthly. Hosted a cook-a-long event for Tribal communities with Chef Craig.
- Worked with two youth, Siletz, and graphic designer to create IPWG graphic.
Farm to School Raceme Farm Collective
Learn about the Raceme Farm Collective from Letty, one of the three business owners in the collective. Letty discusses the traditional foods and medicinal herbs they grow.
Indigenous Peoples Work Group team
The Indigenous Peoples Work Group started in 2019. Its members are current OSU employees who work with Tribal or Indigenous communities. This internal affinity group was born out of the desire from these employees to better serve the communities they represent utilizing culturally specific community engagement strategies as well as top quality culturally relevant resources. Below is the list our current group members.
Indigenous Peoples Work Group co-leads:
Group Members:
- Rosanna Sanders
- Sara Olson
- Tracy Wilson
- Mandy Hatfield
- Carly Kristofik
- Jenny Rudolph
- Allison Harris
- Christine Stokely
- Stephanie Russell
- Carol Walsh
- Beatriz Botello Salgado
- Maria-Ximena Williams
- Sarah Contreras
- Gina Galaviz Yap
- Guillermo Giannico
- Christopher Hedstrom
- Jared Hibbard-Swanson
- Renee Johnson
- Lauren Kraemer
- Shannon La Fon
- Lucy Huffman
- Joanne Lyford
- Michelle Markesteyn
- Rebecca Marson
- LeeAnn Mikkelson
- Christine Mouzong
- Jennifer Pettit
- Nicole Wells
- Allen Taggart
- Abbie Warmbier
- Jeff Sherman
Work Group partners and collaborators
The Indigenous Work Group partners with tribal and community groups and agencies throughout Oregon, including:
- Burns Paiute
- Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
- Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
- Confederated Tribes of Siletz
- Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation
- Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
- Coquille Indian Tribe
- Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians
- Klamath Tribes
- Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA)
- Oregon Department of Education
- Oregon Department of Human Services
Work Group resources
Wild Edibles: Stinging Nettle - Native Indigenous peoples have gathered stinging nettles since time immemorial. They can be used medicinally, ceremonially and as a highly nutritious food source. Roots, seeds, stems and young, tender leaves are all edible.
This OSU Extension publication provides tips on how to safely gather, prepare and preserve this wild edible.
Check out additional resources in the Food Hero Indigenous Peoples toolkit, including recipes, coloring pages, monthly magazines, videos and a virtual classroom.
Food Hero Indigenous Peoples resources
Food Hero is an initiative of Oregon Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) program and was developed by Oregon State University Extension Service and funded jointly by OSU Extension Service, Oregon Department of Human Services, and the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service.
The cultural workgroups enhance Food Hero’s reach to communities that disproportionately experience health and resource disparities. Check out the Indigenous Peoples resource page for recipes, coloring pages, monthly magazines, videos and a virtual classroom.