Oneida Nation photo
Oneida Nation Councilwoman Jennifer Webster (above), a member of the Indian Health Services Tribal Self-Governance Advisory Committee, attended the Tribal Self-Governance Conference July 31 – August 4 in Burlingame, Calif. Webster advocated for Oneida’s healthy food programs and food security. She also appears in an Oneida Nation segment of the docuseries “For Our People: Stories of Self Governance & Sovereignty” which premiered at the conference.
Government Administrative Office
Looking to help move the Oneida Nation’s Broad Goal of Food and Agricultural Self-Governance forward, Councilwoman Jennifer Webster attended the 2022 Tribal Self-Governance Conference July 31 – August 4 in Burlingame, Calif. The Self-Governance Communication and Education Tribal Consortium’s purpose for the forum was to bring tribal leadership together from across Turtle Island to provide insight and knowledge for the delivery of programs and services for their citizens.
“The Oneida Nation was showcased during the conference,” Webster said. “Our Nation was one of 8 that participated in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDIPR) demonstration projects. So, we were showcased demonstrating how the program works for us with our Menominee Nation project partners.”
Oneida’s FDIPR demonstration project with the Menominee Tribe helped lead to the wildly popular and successful food distribution and elder food box programs. Healthy, locally grown food is being used to fulfill these programs instead of processed USDA food. If the demonstration projects are deemed a success, the Oneida Nation will have once again proven to be a leader in the efforts of Self-Governance. “If self-governance expands into the USDA, we’ll be able to re-program, re-design, and re-budget this program to meet the needs of our community without any further approval of the USDA.”
Forging ahead with healthy food programs and food security endeavors also helps to promote the overall general health of the community. “This conference also gave Oneida the chance to share our ideas and our goals of where we want to go with regards to Self-Governance,” Webster said. “It provided the opportunity for awareness of how we want to expand self-governance into our Health and Human Services programs.”
In the months leading up to the conference, Webster was interviewed for an Oneida Nation segment in a docuseries called “For Our People: Stories of Self-Governance & Sovereignty” which premiered during the conference. The docuseries is dedicated to sharing stories that demonstrate Tribal Nations’ success and innovation in administering programs that improve the health and well-being of their citizens, culture, and communities.
The Oneida Nation segment of “For Our People: Stories of Self-Governance & Sovereignty” can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/firethief/review/730864530/66e5d83dce.
