Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple. It is to make sure Alaska Natives and American Indian populations are able to access traditional foods in nutrition programs. Many American Indians and Alaska Natives incorporate traditional foods: fish, game, seafood, wild berries, and plants into their daily diets. These foods are locally sourced and culturally significant. The cultural significance of traditional foods is especially important in long-term care and hospital settings, where individuals are likely to be away from their homes for extended periods and are unable to easily carry on their traditions. It is likewise important for Native youth to have access to traditional foods for proper nutrition and cultural heritage. May I say, Mr. Chairman, when you are in a hospital you can recover faster if you have a traditional food. This amendment builds on a previous provision of mine in the 2014 farm bill that authorized donation and serving of traditional foods which meet the safety standards and in facilities that serve these indigenous populations. It applies to programs encompassing residential childcare, child nutrition programs, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and others. There have been no documented safety issues and the food handling and storage safety standards incorporated in my previous amendment are stringent. The standards were, in part, based on successful standards from Alaska which has long led the way for safety procedures for traditional foods.…”