Skip to main content
Supporting the Use of Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs
Research Location:
Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia, USA
Conservation Partners:
Traditional Eastern Woodlands Foodways Alliance (TEWFA), The Reed Center for Ecosystem Reintegration, Baltimore American Indian Center (BAIC), Seven Generations United Association, USDA, Just Harvest, NCGrowth, IndigineiTEA
Faculty Mentors
Dr. Troy Wiipongwii and Ben Friton
2026 Student Researchers
Henry Freytag '28, Major: Economics, Chinese Language and CultureIsabella Madden '27, Major: History and International Relations
Past Student Researchers
Jude Heatley '26, Major: Interdisciplinary Studies in Integrative ConservationCindia Romero Araujo '26, Major: Biology; Minor: Education Policy and Equity
Chloe Thompson '27, Major: Public Policy; Minor: Integrative Conservation
Project Description
An team of W&M students are learning from and collaborating with the Traditional Eastern Woodlands Foodways Alliance partners to explore how to build an coalition to streamline and scale the integration of Traditional Indigenous Foods in Child Nutrition Programs.
Traditional Indigenous Food Systems are essential for maintaining the biodiversity and resilience of ecosystems and sustaining the health, wellbeing, and culture of Indigenous communities and all other human communities.
The Traditional Eastern Woodlands Alliance (TEWFA), an Indigenous-led economic development organization, is working with a diverse group of partners to cultivate a regional sustainable food supply chain centered around Indigenous plants, polyculture systems, technology, and traditional-ecological knowledge (TEK).
With a combination of programs and projects that include collaboration with academics, nutritionists, chefs, entrepreneurs, farmers, tribal communities, and tribal leaders, TEWFA is currently working towards a regional 3-day summit in Spring 2026 to assess community assets (cultural, financial, human capital, land, etc.), and build a regional strategy between collaborators to build out this regional supply chain.
W&M students are collaborating with and learning from partners from TEFWA to conduct applied research designed to inform and contribute to the Summit. In 2025, students explored the metrics that Indigenous community partners may use to evaluate the success of a regional supply chain, collected and organized information on the ecological, financial, cultural, and nutritional characteristics of Indigenous foods and contributed to an accessible database that will make information about Indigenous foods. In 2026, students will continue to work with TEFWA partners to explore their goals and the steps for scaling Indigenous regional food supply chains and to integrate Indigenous foods into children's nutritional programs.
Project ID - Format
25-004- CRP Year and Sustainable Food Systems Lab