On November 1, when the Trump administration announced it would not disburse benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, due to the ongoing government shutdown, tribal governments began to scramble. Approximately 25 percent of Indigenous households are considered food insecure and rely on SNAP as well as the Federal Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, or FDPIR, a monthly food package program.
“Usually, when it comes to feeding the low-income or poor people, Congress has always found a way to do it,” said OJ Semans, a member of the Rosebud Sioux and director of the Coalition of Large Tribes, an advocacy group representing nations with large land bases. “Now they don’t.”
A federal judge has ordered the administration to make SNAP payments to states by tomorrow. But when households will have access to those benefits remains unclear. In the meantime, dozens of tribes have fallen back on food sovereignty initiatives that have been built over the last 40 years in order to supplement food supplies. From coastal tribes engaged in the... Read more
