Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community Urges HHS to Address Native American Health Disparities by Prioritizing Plant-Based Foods in Dietary Guidelines

The DGA are revised every five years by HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These revisions are made with input from the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a group of nationally recognized nutrition and public health experts, which included for the first time a Native American member, Dr. Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan. In the letter to HHS, Cole W. Miller, chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, wrote: “Plant-based staples kept indigenous communities on this continent healthy for generations. The lost emphasis on these foods has unfortunately led to a high incidence of diet-related diseases and poor nutrition. Prioritizing plant-based foods in the Guidelines would be beneficial, not just to Native people, but to all Americans.” He continued, “More specifically, the Committee’s recommendation to include beans peas, and lentils in the protein group would allow for more indigenous dishes—which often feature legumes—to be incorporated into the USDA’s National School Lunch Program and other federal nutrition programs utilizing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” The DGAC also recommended emphasizing water, rather than milk, as the primary beverage of choice for Americans, which Cole says “better reflects what Tribal communities need,” because lactose intolerance is highly prevalent among Native Americans. The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s letter adds to growing calls from Native American communities for the DGA to prioritize plant-based diets. Former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and First Lady Phefelia Nez have also encouraged the DGA to recommend plant-based diets to align more closely with a traditional Indigenous diet. In 2024, the National Congress of American Indians, the leading organization representing Native Americans in the United States, adopted a resolution supporting plant-based nutrition in the updating of the DGA.