Our Story
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, 3 Tribal Nations in Wisconsin came together to respond to growing health concerns and food and economic insecurity. Throughout 2021, they worked in partnership with Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative to distribute 10,800 boxes of healthy and traditional foods purchased from local food producers to Elders in their communities.
In 2022, these Tribes worked with the Great Lakes Intertribal Council (GLITC) to form the Great Lakes Intertribal Food Coalition (GLIFC). GLIFC is led by appointed representatives from each of the GLITC member Tribes – all 11 federally recognized Tribes in Wisconsin and Lac Vieux Desert in Michigan.
GLIFC works to empower the Great Lakes Tribes to build food sovereignty within their nations as well as to coordinate this work intertribally to build regional food networks. This level of intertribal collaboration is historic in the modern context. Despite differences in opinion around other issues, the 12 GLIFC Tribes have partnered with the understanding that the health of our Elders and our communities rises above other concerns.
“I don’t know that I have the words to express how appreciative I am with everything that you and the programs you work with are doing for Indian Country. The impacts are so meaningful and go beyond just feeding Tribal elders, or supporting Tribal producers, which are certainly worthy causes in themselves. My observations from residing within a Tribal community and knowing many fellow Tribal members from other surrounding Tribal communities is that the Tribal Elder Food Box Program has been a catalyst that has inspired additional efforts from Tribal communities to invest in and strengthen their own food sovereignty and food security initiatives. I definitely see it within my own Tribal community and others I know are seeing it within their Tribal Communities.” –Tribal Elder Food Box Producer
