AIS 301W

Ryan Grass, Orren Todacheenie, Darrin Brown

Grant Project
1. Executive Summary
Creating a positive lifestyle among American Indian youth (4-6 grade) using traditional
knowledge of health, wellness, and teachings to address high rates of obesity, limited access to
fresh produce, and a disconnection among American Indian youth with their cultural identity.
The Edible School Garden Program, will introduce elementary level students in the rural
area of Tuba City, Arizona. The school garden program will focus on traditional techniques of
farming; such as the creation stories and importance of a well-balanced diet. The Garden
Program will also introduce Community Elders by applying traditional knowledge with
nutritional education to promote a healthy lifestyle among Native American youth, whom have
limited access to fresh food. This experience can reinforce the cultural identity of the Native
American youth and reduce mental challenges such as depression.
With the collaboration of the Tuba City Unified School District; Tuba City Elementary
Schools is willing to work on establishing an edible school garden, that the students will have
hands-on interaction with planting, growing and harvesting the produce.
The community of Tuba City is located in a Food Desert within the Navajo Nation.
Although the community of Tuba City is located on the Navajo Reservation, it is home to many
other tribes which include the Navajo, Hopi and Paiute tribes. Tuba City has always been ideal
for farming, because its town borders near a natural stream that the tribes have been using for

generation to water their fields. Farming has always been an important aspect for Native
Americans because it produces the food that their families survive on, and also many tribes live
in a remote area where access to food is very limited. This creates a disadvantage for the
families living in Tuba City and surrounding areas, with limited or no access to fresh food
products such as fresh fruits and vegetables. The nearest community for Tuba City residents to
travel and buy fresh products is Flagstaff, Arizona; a total of 78 miles away. By providing
traditional/culture based farming methods, the youth are able to reinforce the youths identity.
With the request of $5,000 and the partnership of the Tuba City Unified School District,
we would like to create an edible school garden for the students at the Elementary level ( 4th-6th
grade) to learn learn the traditional farming and gardening techniques, as well as provide farming
and gardening workshops to students, community members and volunteers to maintain the
garden from the early stages of planting, growing, to harvesting. The Tuba City Elementary
School does have an existing area for which a garden once existed, which the School District has
given us permission to utilize, as well as any remaining gardening and farming tools.

2. Statement of Need or Problem

Many Native communities have limited access to fresh produce, and for the community
of Tuba City, which is located on the Navajo Nation, is a Food Desert. Food Deserts are areas
that food is difficult to obtain due to the availability, affordability, and distance in rural areas.
This creates a problem because according to the USDA, food deserts are often short on whole
food providers, especially fruits and vegetables; instead they are heavy on local quickie marts

that provide a wealth of processed, sugar, and fat laden foods that are known contributors to our
nations obesity epidemic.( 2015, Gallahger).
The lack of nutritional foods, presents a rise in health issues. With diabetes on the rise, it
is 2.3 times higher for Native Americans and Alaskan Natives to be diagnosed, compared to
other races (National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011), and Native American and Alaskan Native
youth aged 10-19 to be diagnosed with type-2 diabetes is 9 times higher compared to other race (
SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study). Diabetes is on the rise within the Native American
population, nutrition, and physical activity is a factor to this disease. According to the Indian
Health Service Clinical reporting system, over 80% of American Indians and Alaskan Natives
age 20 to 74, are overweight or obese; among children and youth, between 45% and 51% are not
at a healthy weight, indicating that an increase in diabetes and heart disease.
According to a study done in 2011, the involvement in ones own cultural activities plays
an important role in the development of the ethnic identity of Native American youth
(Schweigman, Soto, Wright, & Unger).

Ethnic identity in a person is based off of their

knowledge and beliefs about belonging to the ethnic group they identify with. A strong ethnic
identity has a number of benefits that are known to have positive effects on an individual, such as
maintaining positive well-being, high self-esteem, and resilience to life changes (Albright &
LaFromboise, 2010). Therefore a better connection to a Native American youths cultural/ethnic
identity can be a valuable resource in battling the known increase of depression, suicide, and
substance abuse that can arise in their adolescence.
Traditional farming has been a long practice among Native Americans. It teaches and
promotes a strong relationship to the land and oral histories. Aside from language, respect for

the land and natural resources is large part of the cultural and ethnic identities of Native
American people.
In the article, Six Unexpected Health Benefits by Robin Jacobs, there are six benefits
that can help an individual and community to be 1) stress-relief and self-esteem. One group
gardened for 30 minutes, while the other group read indoors. Not only did the gardening group
report better moods than the reading group, they also had measurably lower cortisol levels, aka
the stress hormone. 2) Increase of heart health and decrease of stroke risk. Gardening may be
just one way to achieve your target of 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise each week - but
gardening provides a rewarding motivation that makes it happen, unlike a treadmill, which
invites associations with hamsters in wheels. A large Stockholm study showed that regular
gardening cuts strokes and heart attack risks by up to 30% for those over 60. 3) Hand strength.
Alternate use of your right and left hands to balance your body - using your non-dominant hand
is one of many exercises to keep your brain functioning well as you age. 4) Brain health.
Researchers found daily gardening to represent the single biggest risk reduction for dementia,
reducing incidence by 36%. Another study estimated the risk reduction at 47%! Why does
gardening make such a difference? Alzheimer's is a unknown disease, and the factors influencing
its incidence and progression remain poorly understood. However gardening involves so many of
our critical functions, including strength, endurance, dexterity, learning, problem solving, and
sensory awareness, that its benefits are likely to represent a synthesis of various aspects. 5)
Immune regulation. Researchers are still speculating how our immune system may interact with
our brains and play into a variety of mental health issues in addition to our ability to fend off
infection: inflammation may provide the key link. 6) Decrease of depression and improvement of

mental health. The benefits appear to spring from a combination of physical activity, awareness
of natural surroundings, cognitive stimulation and the satisfaction of the work.
The benefits of gardening are endless, both physically and mentally. On the reservation,
many children have been abusing and using drugs because were bored so keeping children
responsible and busy with something huge like a community garden will help the students who
are in the program. With the limited amount of fresh food for the community, a large amount of
Native American youth have poor health, this has led to a poor health and a weak mentality that
results in a poor performance in school.

3. Project Description, Goal, and Objectives

The Lowes Toolbox for Education program will reduce the rates of obesity, low
self-esteem in Navajo, Hopi, and Paiute youth by incorporating traditional teachings into the
process of farming fresh produce.
The objectives are to increase hands-on educational experience for every child and
provide an extracurricular program for the school that will be during and after school. The
program will increase every childs cultural awareness from the time they begin school to the
end of the academic year. The goal is to reduce health ailments related to nutrition in all children
by the time the semester ends and increase the use of local foods in meals from the edible school
garden. With this program, we will increase the overall quality of life of the children of their
nutritional health, physical health and mental health and gain more traditional knowledge from
the elder traditional workshops.

The program will take place at the Tuba City Elementary school, in Tuba City, Arizona.
The demographic of the children will predominantly be of the Navajo, Hopi, and Paiute tribes.
Each of the tribes represented in the elementary children will be guided and mentored by a
traditional elder from each of their tribes. These elders will be asked to help then gifted a gift
card for their knowledge and time spent mentoring the youth. Together the youth and elders will
prepare the designated area on the school grounds for the edible garden. Some of the techniques
that will be introduced are low-water farming and ground soil preparation. The garden will
contain many non-GMO heirloom seeds of traditional crops that have been farmed for many
years.

Workshops will then be held for the elders to explain the origins stories and ideologies

behind the process of farming.

The Lowes Toolbox will be very beneficial for Tuba City Elementary because it
promotes self-sustainability, a respect for the environment, cultural reinforcement, and develop
perseverance and diligence. The knowledge that the children will learn can then be applied to
their futures by the passing on of what they learned. Any volunteers who would also like to
learn can also take the knowledge given and learn to farm their own fresh produce. Sparking a
new relationship of respect with the natural environment, will teach the children to treat respect
in other areas. The application of the youths own cultural background and teachings will build
and strengthen their ties to their own self-identity, which then forms more self-confidence and
higher chances of resiliency in their future.

4. Activities

A community garden will benefit the next generation who are still learning, therefore a
community garden project would be a community wide involvement activity to teach the
community and children about the relationship of the natural world. Like how vacations or
summer camps offer a wonderful setting for teaching children positive health behaviors. The
Tuba City Unified School District and community elders will be looking for more creative ways
to help children and families develop healthy eating, physical activities, and sustaining a garden.
The grant will fund three activities that will bridge the connection of the program, grant and
future health of the community.
Activity #1 (After School Program)
Students will be volunteers, permission slips will be sent home for the allowance
to stay after school, safety and new concepts such as traditional methods.
Students attending the program will stay after school to care for the garden; such
as cleaning, watering, and mending any damages.
Since the program will be working with the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students, they
will have different responsibilities and classes about the garden.
After school classes and programs will include Earth Science, Life Science,
Physical Science, Math, and Social Studies. Each grade level will be covering
different topics and subjects in their respected level.
4th Grade:
Earth Science: Weather: Data and Forecasting
Life Science: Ecosystem in the Garden
Physical Science: Light Sundial

 Math: Serving Sizes

Social Studies: The Three Sisters
5th Grade:
Earth Science: Effects of Destructive Forces
Life Science: Classification of Organisms
Physical Science: Storing Food for the Harvest
Math: Serving Sizes
Social Studies: Food and Culture
6th Grade:
Earth Materials: Components of Soil
Human Impact on the Earth
Energy Sources: Biofuels
Meteorology: Water Conservation in the Garden
Additional students not at the garden will be in workshops about health and
wellness.
Students will rotate duties of caring for the garden and going to workshops about
health and wellness.
After school programs will have different topics for students, students will be able
to learn and sustain their knowledge from both the western and traditional point of
view.
Workshop Topics includes
Why School Gardens?

 Outdoor Management
Garden Beds and Planting
Weeds, Water, and Pests
Crop Planning and Plant Selection
School Garden Design
Activity #2 (Traditional Teachings Workshop)
Elders/Parents

will

provide

knowledge

of

the

traditional aspects of

gardening/crops, as well as providing a cultural relationship of self and relation to

the earth and elements.
Community Elders will be invited to after school programs and garden to help
students build the garden and along the way teach songs and prayers that were
used in the past.
Children would be able to ask the elders questions, elders and children would be
able to bridge a connection between the generations and sharing of knowledge.
Traditional Workshop includes
Prayers and Songs
Traditional Stories of the food and land
Traditional Rain Harvest Collection
Traditional seeds and storage
Activity (Food Demonstrations)

 A elder will demonstrate the importance of preparing a well balanced diet, so with
a food demonstration can be a great method to teach the community and children
of nutrition education.
This activity will be at the end of each harvest, students will be able to eat the
food they grew and elders will teach the students about the nutrition and recipes
Demonstration will be placed outside, elders will show the students on how to
pick the right vegetables and look for bad ones that could be given to local
animals to eat. Parents of the students will also help with the cooking and
demonstration.

5. Staffing and Evaluation Method

The Staffing for this project will consist of three program coordinators who will
oversee the project from the beginning to the end of the grant period. The program coordinators
will be working together on a field-based team to empower Native American youths in a
school/classroom setting in promoting physical fitness, healthy nutrition, and the acquisition of
positive life skills. The program coordinators will be working with each grade level( 4th, 5th and
6th), during a specific time during school and after school ( approx 25 students per class) on the
edible school garden throughout the semester, in relation to the farming calendar. Coordinators
will also be organizing events, such as gardening and farming workshops with the elders,
students and community members that provide life skills, youth leadership and collaborating
community service programs to encourage healthy lifestyles and positive youth development.
They will also be responsible for maintaining records and completing regular progress reports,

attending meetings with local partners to get input and feedback on nutrition and fitness program
development.
Three Elders will be working to provide traditional knowledge during the Traditional
Teaching Workshops. The elders will be local communities members of Tuba City or the
surrounding area; one elder to represent each tribe that create the community of Tuba City; One
Navajo elder, one Hopi elder and one Paiute elder. Each Elder will rotate during the workshops
to share their culture and traditions with the students in the garden or classroom. Each elder will
share origin/creation stories from their tribe in relation to farming/gardening and demonstrate
traditional farming techniques in the garden preparation of the soil, planting, growing and
harvesting. The elders will also work with the students to plant traditional foods, that will then be
used in the food demonstration during harvest season.
Community members participating in the edible school garden will maintain the garden
when school is not in session; this will be on a volunteer base. The community volunteers are
welcome to participate in the farming and gardening workshops with the students to learn
farming techniques that can be used to create their own edible garden at home.
With compliance with the Navajo Nation International Research Review Board, we will
conduct six evaluation surveys. Although we will be working with a diversity of students with
different ethnicities, the Tuba City Elementary School of the Tuba City Unified School District
is located on the Navajo Reservation. Therefore we have to comply with the Navajo Nation
tribal laws and policies, especially when conducting surveys. The surveys will be given during 3
time periods of the semester ( Fall and Spring); at the beginning of the semester/program to
measure their current knowledge, then three month after to measure how much knowledge they

have gained, and at the end of the semester. The survey will cover basic gardening skills,
traditional farming knowledge, and quality of life using the Pediatric Quality of Life (PEDQl)
23-item scale and its 5 corresponding subscales. The PEDQl will identify depression levels of
the children from this screening to measure their mental and physical health ( Hassan, 2006).

6. Budget

items

Direct

Match

Total Budget

$2,500

$2,900

Cost(Requesting)
Garden Supplies:

$400

Hose, Shed, Tools,

Raised Beds,
Fencing, Garden
Signs, Compost
Seeds and Transplant

$500

Utilities: Water

Elder Workshops

$1,000

Printing

$500

Food Demos

$500

$4,818.58

$500
$4,818.58

$1,000
$500

$500

$1,000

Staffing: Program

$2,100

$2,100

Coordinators.
Total

$5,000

$7,818.58

$12,818.58

Budget Justifications:
Tuba City Elementary School has an existing School Garden with 4 raised beds, that is
fenced in with a garden shed. The shed has garden tools, such as gloves, shovels, hoses.
The School District Food services has a compost system established with designated area
near the garden to utilize. $400 is set aside for any maintenance needed during the
program if necessary.
We will be working with local farmers to purchase local seeds and transplant for the
garden, using traditional seeds and plants.
Water is already provided by the school, and we have full access to an existing watering
system. The cost was provided from from the school agriculture water system facility that
included the Resource development of $2,081.08, Transmission fee of $984.64 and a fee
for Daily Storage of $1, 752.86.
The Elder Workshop budget includes supplies such as printing, purchase of material for
traditional farming tools for $100 and each elder will receive a $30 gift card for every
elder workshop as an honorarium ( $30 x 10 months x 3 elders).

 A budget set aside for printing of the surveys that will happen 3 times in the semester for
both Fall and Spring with each grade ( 4th, 5th and 6th) with an average of 25 students
per class.
There will be a total of 10 food demos, 5 per semester. With $50 set aside for each
demonstration for supplies, such as napkins, plates, food for every student.
Each Program Coordinator will receive a $700 stipend for coordinating the garden
program and overseeing all events during the school year.

7. Conclusion
The Garden Projects goal is to connect American Indian Youth with the environment,
the community, and their culture in order to rebalance themselves in both the natural and
spiritual world. The starting point of this project will slowly transition from middle school into
high school, and then high school into the community. This project will be the foundation to
restarting the food sovereignty of Tuba City and The Navajo Nation.
The health of a nation is based on the health of the next generation. With a stable and
well-balanced diet, the health and well-being of the children living in food desert environments
will be physically, mentally, and spiritually stable for generations to come. Until then, the start
will begin in a small community in Tuba City and with the help of the students and community,
the possibility of a well-balanced diet is endless.

References

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American Indian Adolescents. Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16(3),
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet: national estimates and
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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and
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Dickerson, D. L., & Johnson, C. L. (2011). Design of a Behavioral Health Program for Urban
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Gallagher, Mari (Spring 2011) Nutrition Digest, Nutrition in the News, Volume 35, No.3
http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts

Hassan K, Loar R, Anderson BJ, Heptulla RA. The role of socio- economic status, depression,
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Jacobs, R. (2014, September 19). Eartheasy. Retrieved December 01, 2016, from
http://learn.eartheasy.com/2014/09/6-unexpected-health-benefits-of-gardening/

Schweigman, K., Soto, C., Wright, S., & Unger, J. (2011). The Relevance of Cultural Activities
in Ethnic Identity Among California Native American Youth. Journal Of Psychoactive
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http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/pubmed/17015542

Tucker, R. P., Wingate, L. R., & O'Keefe, V. M. (2016). Historical loss thinking and symptoms
of
depression are influenced by ethnic experience in American Indian college students.
Cultural

Diversity

&

Ethnic

Minority

Psychology,

22(3),

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doi:10.1037/cdp0000055

U.S. Department of Health & Human Service. The Office of Minority Health, American
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