Supporting the Use of Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs

Research Location: Implemented: Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia, USA
Conservation Partners: Traditional Eastern Woodlands Foodways Alliance-Baltimore American Indian Center (BAIC), Seven Generations United Association, The Reed Center for Ecosystem Reintegration, USDA, Just Harvest, NCGrowth, IndigineiTEA

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Troy Wipongwii and Ben Friton

Project Description

A team of W&M students will support the Traditional Eastern Woodlands Foodways Alliance Partners with workshops and data collection about the use of Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs.

Traditional Indigenous Food Systems are essential for maintaining the biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems and sustaining the health, wellbeing, and culture of Indigenous communities and other human communities.

Eastern Woodland Economic Alliance (EWEA), an Indigenous-led economic development organization, is working with a diverse group of partners to cultivate a regional sustainable food supply chain centered around Indigenous plants, polyculture systems, technology, and traditional-ecological knowledge (TEK).

With a combination of programs and projects that include collaboration with academics, nutritionists, chefs, entrepreneurs, farmers, tribal communities, and tribal leaders, EWEA is currently working towards a regional 3-day summit in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 to assess community assets (cultural, financial, human capital, land, etc.), and build a regional strategy between collaborators to build out this regional supply chain.

The students will support workshops, brainstorming sessions, and data collection. They will also develop objectives and key performance indicators to support the initiative.

Number of Students

Prerequisites and Required Skills:

We are looking to build an integrative team of W&M students who can explore different aspects of this project. We are looking for students with a background in business analytics and entrepreneurship, social science research methods, public health and nutrition, and environmental and food justice.

Travel Required

The team of students will travel across Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland throughout the summer to meet with partners. Students should be prepared to complete the research from Williamsburg throughout the summer.

Project ID - Format

25-004-25 - CRP Year