Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

This program is a pilot test implemented by the four Columbia River Treaty Tribes to develop and structure a food delivery system to provide healthier food to underserved and socially disadvantaged tribal communities at their respective reservations and along the Columbia River. The project will help re-establish the four tribe’s trade routes and communication systems to build upon the tribe’s food sovereignty efforts as they look for ways to improve the choices and diets of their tribal members through food alternatives aligned with traditional diets and access to fresh and nutritious foods. It will involve coordination between the four member tribes, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), a fish processing vendor, a tribally owned farm, to provide for the delivery of food boxes, including fresh vegetables, fruits, fish, and other services, which will be also used as a model in planning for the long-term continuity of services. The fish processing vendor will purchase salmon from tribal fishers for processing into the salmon products, helping these socially disadvantaged producers. This model can also be used as a template to expand to include other tribal organizations as demand and opportunities arise.