Giving Compass' Take:

• Linghua Qi discusses the devastating health and cultural effects of "food colonialism" on the Hopi nation and what's being done to reduce them.

• How is food colonialism another injustice in a long line of mistreatment? What can we do to enlighten significantly more Americans to the impact colonization has had on Indigenous communities?

• Start your giving journey within Indigenous communities.

A food and farming assessment conducted by the Natwani Coalition in 2004 and 2005 found that the Hopi spent nearly $7 million per year to transport food into their communities. Each shopper spent 100 hours a year driving to stores and back—and an extra $2,000 per year on food—compared to those who lived off the reservation.

Many Indigenous people and researchers refer to the ways their food culture was altered as “food colonization” or “culinary colonialism.” Ingredients central to Western diets, such as milk, wheat, and refined sugar, are thought to pose a larger health threat to Native Americans than to the general population, and have led to widespread health issues such as high rates of gallstones, obesity, and diabetes. In fact, Patty Talahongva, Rosalie’s sister, suffered from gallstones when she was 26 and says it was common for Hopi to develop the problem that young.

To reclaim their culture and their health, the Hopi, like many Native people across North America, are now working to decolonize their diets, and food sovereignty is vital to that process. In particular, the Natwani Coalition, an organization that promotes traditional agriculture among Hopi people, has developed a number of programs with the goal of restoring the local food system.

Founded in January 2004, the Natwani Coalition works to help people grow, distribute, and eat foods that are “healthy for Hopi individuals and their communities.” The coalition now runs five projects, including the biannual Hopi agricultural and food symposium, which encourages conversations and discussions among farmers about traditional farming practices on the reservation.

The coalition is eager to do more. Because the original assessment is 15 years old, Honani and her colleagues are planning to launch a new one to see what has changed and to shape their future project planning.

Read the full article about food colonialism in the Hopi nation by Linghua Qi at YES! Magazine.