TRADITIONAL FOOD SUMMIT - MARCH 29 & 30

Traditional Food Summit March 29 and 30, 2011 Grand Hyatt, Seattle, Washington Indigenous groups from near and far are gathering at the Grand Hyatt in Seattle, Washington, to work collaboratively with land managers and applied social scientists to improve access and use of traditional foods. Key goals of the Summit are to highlight innovative approaches to natural and cultural resource management through a traditional foods framework, foster dialogue, share experiences, build collaborative networks, and develop policy recommendations.  Through this collaboration, Tribes, natural and cultural resource managing agencies, and applied social scientists will better understand and manage for the needs and rights of tribal and aboriginal communities. The agenda of the Traditional Food Summit is nearing completion.  Highlights include the following:

• · 20 presentations by individuals from more than 30 tribes, universities, agencies, and companies, with topics including access, use, nutrition, preservation, protection, oral history, and regulation.  The foods discussed are from the Northwest Coast, Alaska, the Southwest, and Hawaii.
• · 10 roundtables, designed to allow in depth discussion on specific topics in a small group sessions, have been developed and are available by reservation on a first-come, first serve basis.
• · 30 tables have been made available in the ballroom for individuals and organizations to exhibit traditional food-related displays, posters and demonstrations; tables are available by reservation on a first-come, first serve basis.

To view the preliminary agenda for the Traditional Foods Summit, please go to their website.