Riverside San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc. Rooted Relatives Program. - Objectives: 1. By the end of the project, 80 of the 100 participants will have increased gardening knowledge and skills as measured by pre and post survey or gardening self-assessment scale. 2. By the end of each project year, 184 of the 230 adults who attend the family feeds will have increased understanding of traditional plants and benefits of their use as measured by pre and post survey. Summary: Riverside-San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc. (RSBCIHI), a non-profit healthcare organization managed by nine tribal reservations in Southern California, proposes the Rooted Relatives Program. The project aims to provide opportunities for American Indian/Alaska Native youth, families, and their peers to increase access and consumption of healthy, traditional foods through gardening education. A recent survey found that 50.8% of respondents experienced food shortages in the past three months and are seeking ways to access healthy, traditional foods. The program takes a multi-faceted approach incorporating gardening, traditional feeds, and youth education. Activities will include establishing healing gardens at clinic sites, hosting family feeds with traditional meals and cultural activities, and implementing a youth gardening curriculum. The project will be implemented over three years with a first-year federal funding request of $237,802.91. Expected outcomes include financial savings and improved health through sustainable food supply, as well as increased consumption and use of traditional plants and foods.
