Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) Supporting Innovative Nutrition Education for American Indian and Indigenous-Serving Organizations in Colorado

Abstract

Background

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-Education (Ed) is the nutrition education component of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) SNAP.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to elucidate the experiences of 3 CO-based, American Indian, or Indigenous-led organizations who engaged in a SNAP-Ed pilot funding project in fiscal year 2022.

Methods

An instrumental, single case study design was employed to conduct this evaluation. The multiphase method evaluation included listening sessions (n = 8 Indigenous-serving organizations), invited requests for proposals, pilot award funding (n = 3 awarded organizations), and longitudinal, storytelling-based qualitative data collection during the funding cycle.

Results

There are many ongoing food and nutrition education programs serving Indigenous/American Indian peoples in CO, which largely promote wellness and healing through traditional cultural practices and are not overtly framed as “nutrition education.” Two salient themes emerged: 1) defining and describing indigenized, decolonized nutrition education, and 2) description of experiences working with SNAP-Ed funding during FY2022, including challenges and future opportunities.

Conclusions

To effectively address the priority area for SNAP-Ed funding to reach Tribal communities in each state, understanding the perspectives of Tribal and Indigenous-led communities who are new to SNAP-Ed funding is prudent. Next steps to continued cocreation of SNAP-Ed opportunities in Indigenous spaces include educating funders and policymakers on Indigenous ways of knowing, traditional food and nutrition practices, and importance of relationality, land, healing, and other Indigenous values. Determining the “success” of a program (e.g., program evaluation) needs to be defined by the community itself.