It’s a sad fact that Native populations have the highest
rates of obesity and diabetes of any ethnicity. The
Centers for Disease Control
says Native Americans are 1 1/2 times more likely to be obese than other ethnic
groups. Other studies have shown low-income, preschool-aged Native children have
the highest obesity rate at 20 percent, and that rate is rising.
Creating a healthier Cherokee Nation has been my top
priority as chief of the Cherokee Nation. We have made record investments to
expand health care facilities and buy world-class equipment. However, to truly
create healthier people instead of merely treating symptoms we must start
educating our youngest citizens from the start.
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Serenity
Terhune, of Locust Grove, waters the vegetables
at Cherokee Heights Head Start
in Pryor.
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Obesity is an epidemic that plagues Native communities
nationwide. Tribal nations have the ability to address this deadly issue head on. Creating
environments conducive to physical activity, teaching improved family
nutrition, increasing access to healthy foods and starting community gardens
are some of the ways to combat this growing problem.
Cherokee Nation’s ‘Learn to Grow’ community garden
program teaches children how to grow their own fruits and vegetables, leaving a
lifelong impression about proper nutrition and health. The program reaches more
than 3,300 children in certified Cherokee Nation child care programs.
By planting, tending and harvesting their own community
gardens, Cherokee kids get active and stay fit. The project is a joint effort
between the tribe’s Child Care Resource and Referral
office and Healthy Nations. Now in its second year, the program keeps
improving. More than 100 child care facilities in Craig, Mayes, Delaware,
Nowata and Ottawa counties are now participating by having community gardens
nearby.
With the help of their caretakers, children grow nutritional
and traditional foods like squash, corn, beans, peppers, melons, tomatoes and
lettuce. We are making changes that not only combat obesity, but also promote
physical fitness and healthier eating in Cherokee communities.
Studies show that children who participate in growing their
own food become more interested in good nutrition. The simple act of growing
their own produce makes kids more inclined to eat healthy fruits and
vegetables. These are easy changes we can make in Indian Country to prevent
chronic diseases and lower the mortality rates associated with obesity.
That vested interest of where their food source comes from
is something we hope these children maintain for a lifetime. Watching children
become active contributors in their gardens, and seeing the pride and ownership
they take in their crops, is inspiring to say the least.
The program also teaches children an important cultural
lesson, as sustainable foods have always been a part of the Cherokee Nation’s
heritage and traditions.
Generations ago, growing our own food and maintaining our
natural environment were the things Cherokees passed from generation to
generation. With this garden program, coupled with our Heirloom Seed Bank
Program, the Cherokee government and its people are getting back to that way of
thinking.
I’d also like to thank our partners in the Learn to Grow
project. The OSU Extension Office, the Department of Human Services
Licensing and the Native American Associations of Ketchum and Adair have been
integral to the success of this program.
An informed community willing to ensure access to healthier
foods and physical activity where we live, work and play will result in happier
and healthier kids.
