Native Farm Bill Coalition Makes Headway in DC
Transcript
A coalition of tribes and their allies are in Washington DC talking about food and agriculture.They want to help draft a federal farm bill that better serves tribal communities. Reporter Melissa Townsend tells us more.
It’s been since the 1970’s that tribal governments have been able to open and run their own medical clinics. That’s because they negotiated directly with the US government to receive federal funds to serve their citizens in a way they think is best.
Now - a coalition of tribes lead by Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community - are working to establish the same kind of self determination over food and agriculture programs. Colby Duren is part of the coalition.
He is Policy Director at the Indigenous Food and Agriculture initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law. He says the coalition wants the U-S Department of Agriculture to allow tribal governments to run their own programs.
DUREN: There is a lot of ability for USDA to defer to states and so we want to make sure that in all those different places that it defers to states, it also defers to tribes as well.
And this goes way beyond food and agriculture. The USDA can lend money to state and local governments for rural development —so they can build anything from a community center to a housing complex to a broadband network. Colby Duren says the Native Farm Bill Coalition wants tribes to be able to access that money.
DUREN: That would really help tribal governments build out rural communities.
He says members of congress have been very receptive to these policy proposals. In fact, because of the work of the Native Coalition, Minnesota’s U.S. Senator Tina Smith proposed a bill that gives tribes authority to run their own SNAP programs — that’s the supplemental nutrition assistance program also known as food stamps.
DUREN: It’s really represents a very big step forward and an incredible recognition of tribal sovereignty. (:05)
The US House and Senate are expected to negotiate the final farm bill throughout the month of July.
For Minnesota Native News, I’m Melissa Townsend.