Tammi Meissner, SEARHC Health Educator, represented the National Native Network at the Fifth Annual Alaska Plants as Food and Medicine Symposium.

NNN Represented at Fifth Annual Alaska Plants as Food and Medicine Symposium

By Tammy Meissner, SEARHC Health Educator

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Fifth Annual Alaska Plants as Food and Medicine Symposium was held in Anchorage on September 11 – 13.  This year’s theme was “Preserving Our Bounty.”  My dad, a Tlingit Elder, and I felt honored for the opportunity to network with other stakeholders who use and preserve traditional Alaskan plants.

During the two and a half day symposium, we listened to motivating lectures and participated in hands-on classes. Topics at the symposium focused on the use of traditional plants and how to integrate them as part of a holistic lifestyle and into wellness organizations.  Participants including elders, healthcare workers of every level of medicine, and laypeople aided us in gaining a personal and communal knowledge base of harvesting, preparing, and using Alaskan plants as food and medicine.

The symposium also provided opportunities to share and learn in the areas of self-sufficiency, sustainability and ensuring future generations will have access to the skills to use plants in traditional ways.  With this new knowledge and connection with other stakeholders we (a tribal elder and tribal community member) hope to pass on the information we gathered to our own communities.  During the breakout sessions, I was ab le to share the National Native Network’s Traditional Foods Resource Guide with other stakeholders, which can be viewed HERE.

I highly recommend attending the Annual Alaska Plants as Food and Medicine Symposium for the gain of personal knowledge but also in broadening networks with others involved in holistic wellness.  You can contact Kim Aspelund at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, 907-729-3639 or apfm@anthc.org for more information.

×

Upcoming Events

Attending any of these upcoming events? Have other events to share? Let us know! Email us at NNN@ITCMI.ORG to share your event information or to get on our list serve for event updates.

 

National Conference on Tobacco or Health (NCTOH) is now accepting abstracts! Deadline November 15, 2024 | LEARN MORE

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY | California Department of Public Health - Due November 21, 2024 | LEARN MORE AND APPLY

WEBINAR:  Pediatric, Adolescent, and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship ECHO from American Cancer Society | LEARN MORE AND REGISTER

2025 NACCHO 360 Annual Conference; Anaheim, CA | SAVE THE DATE | LEARN MORE

2025 National Conference on Tobacco or Health | SAVE THE DATE | LEARN MORE

2025 National Conference on Tobacco or Health; presented by National Network of Public Health Institutes; Chicago, Illinois | LEARN MORE AND REGISTER