Food is Medicine
Health/Wellness | Available (Membership Required)
This session will explore the impact of the pandemic on tribal communities, the role of food sovereignty
in health, and challenges like food deserts, and transportation and economic barriers to food access. Food will be looked at as medicine with the need to examine control over food systems. The political landscape for tribal communities, past, present, and future, will be examined. Speakers will highlight traditional foods, partnerships, and policy advocacy to improve Indigenous food systems and well-being, concluding with a call to action for sustainable, community-driven solutions. This is a Virtual presentation.
Jonathan Nez
Nez, Jonathan - is the former President and Vice President of the Navajo Nation. As Nez prepared for this speaking opportunity, he reflected on the pandemic as a defining moment in Navajo history—one that symbolizes the unbreakable resilience and indomitable spirit of his people. With each memory he shared, he was reminded of his Nation’s unwavering determination to overcome adversity. The Navajo Nation set a precedent and provided a model for responding to a pandemic for other tribal nations across the country. Dr. Anthony Fauci once publicly stated that if the United States had adopted the mitigation strategy implemented by the Navajo Nation, the country would have emerged from the pandemic much sooner. Jonathan Nez officially announced his bid to rerun for congress the morning of July 22, 2025 in Flagstaff.