Promoting Healthy and Thriving Tribes in Remote, Interior Alaska

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:<br/>The Athabascan tribes of Interior Alaska face a suite of challenges: a high cost of living, high poverty rates, high preventable disease rates, and high suicide rates. Thirty-seven tribes, in an area bout the size of Texas, are served by this Tribes Extension program. Most are inaccessible by road and rely on small aircraft for their primary means of transportation. The Tribes Extension Program at Tanana Chiefs Conference has been a catalyst for positive change for over 20 years. A strong partnership between the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service and the Tanana Chiefs Conference is essential for the continued success of this project in "Promoting Healthy and Thriving Tribes in Remote, Interior Alaska." Heidi Rader, the Project Director (PD) and Educator, assists Alaska Native gardeners, farmers, and ranchers (Project Type One), empowers Alaska Native youth (Project Type Two), and promotes nutrition, reduced preventable disease rates, and increased food security and safety. Program activities are flexible to meet the diverse needs and priorities of 37 tribes, and provide research-based education to compliment cultural values. Subjects covered include gardening, agriculture, nutrition, healthy cooking, food safety and positive youth development. Creative solutions are used to reach a remote audience, for example: distance delivered courses. In the past five years, the number of gardeners in the region has increased by 30% as a result of the Tribes Extension Program. Without funding for the Tribes Extension Program, the tribes of Interior Alaska would be underserved by Extension.
<p>APPROACH:<br/> A variety of program activities are necessary to reach the remote tribes of Interior Alaska and the goals and objectives of the Tribes Extension Program. Hands-on workshops, distance delivered courses, and conferences are methods used by the PD to provide research-based education with a focus on increasing the knowledge and skills of participants. Websites, social media, newsletters, and email lists provide tribes with up to date information. Questions from tribes and tribal members are answered by phone, email, office, or on-site consultations. Subject matter includes gardening, small-scale agriculture, positive youth development, diet and nutrition, physical activity, and food safety. These activities promote healthy and thriving tribes in Interior Alaska. Although there are many variables that can affect travel to remote villages(Rader, Brown, & van Delden, 2012), the PD has a proven track record of successfully delivering relevant, research based programs that are well attended. Youth programs provide a positive environment to learn new skills. <p>One program started by the Tribes Extension Program is called " K'enaanee Kkaazoot" which is Athabascan for "Skiing is Fun!" Members of K'enaanee Kkaazoot include students and collegiate skiers of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Team. The club travels to villages to share their passion and knowledge of skiing with youth in Whether it's a chance to cross-country ski for the first time or an opportunity to be inspired by a positive role model, skiing is an activity that is well-suited to remote Alaskan villages. Two distance delivered courses are offered in the TCC region and to tribes throughout Alaska. The Alaska Master Gardener Online Course and the Alaskan Growers School (funded by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program) are taught using Blackboard Learn (online classroom portal), Elluminate Live (a type of webinar), and teleconference. Most villages are well connected by the Internet so distance delivered courses are a feasible way to reach rural Alaska Natives statewide, while eliminating travel costs. The Alaskan Growers School provides Alaska Natives the knowledge and skills needed to start a small farm or ranch. The PD plans to continue offering the Alaska Master Gardener online course each year, as well as the Alaskan Growers School, contingent on additional funding. The PD presents and attends conferences to share important information with tribes and to stay current on research relevant to tribes. Examples of conferences attended include the Tanana Chiefs Conference Annual Convention, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Diabetes Conference, Alaska Sustainable Agriculture Conference, Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Project Director Meeting/Indian Agriculture Council Annual Meeting, National Association of County Agriculture Agents Annual Conference, and the American Evaluation Association Conference. The PD plans to continue attending and presenting at a minimum of four conferences each year. The PD communicates with the Tanana Chiefs Conference region using a variety of methods including email lists, social media, blogs, websites, and The Council Newsletter (distributed throughout the region). Communication includes announcements about programs offered by the Cooperative Extension Program, USDA programs, and other relevant programs and information. The PD plans to continue communicating timely and relevant information to the region. The PD offers technical assistance to tribes and tribal members in the TCC region by email, phone, office, and on-site. Individuals are encouraged to contact the PD for their gardening, agriculture, food safety, and youth development questions. Additionally, the PD assists tribes and individuals in accessing a variety of USDA programs and services.