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HHS secretary visits Kenai River to observe tribal subsistence fishing and community gardens
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Summary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Cook Inlet at the confluence with the Kenai River to observe tribal subsistence fishing and a community gardening project partly funded by USDA; speakers described a large salmon run, tribal harvest limits and efforts to provide fresh food for elders.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services secretary, visited Cook Inlet at the confluence with the Kenai River in Alaska to observe tribal subsistence fishing and community gardening, he said.
Kennedy said the region is seeing a major salmon run this year and described local efforts to use traditional foods and garden produce to support community health. He said the tribe has both subsistence harvests and a community garden program supported in part by federal aid.
"We're here today in beautiful Cook Inlet, Alaska at the confluence with the Kenai River, and I'm here with Jake Cooley, who is the vice chair of the Kenai Sea Scribe, and there are 2,300 members of that tribe. There's 5,000,000 fish going up this river, this summer," Kennedy said. He said the tribe is allowed to take 10,000 fish and described harvesting activity: "We just went and hauled 1 of the nets, and now they're cutting up the fish. And this will be used as part of the traditional Wuhu subsistence food sources for the tribe."
Kennedy also noted local gardening projects. "Before coming down here today, we had a tour of a community garden that the tribe has sponsored, and part of that is paid for by USDA," he said. He described greenhouses, home gardens and outdoor gardens producing fresh produce "particularly for the elders."
Jake Cooley, identified in the recording as vice chair of the Kenai Sea Scribe, praised the visit and linked traditional foods to community health: "It's just impressive to have a HHS secretary come down here, spend the time out of his super busy schedule, come down here and really understand what traditional foods are and the sovereignty of that to make our members in our community strong. ... We have to go towards fish, wild game, and that's the only way that I see America and our tribe to prosper."
Speakers framed the visit around nutrition and sovereignty rather than announcing new federal policy or funding beyond Kennedy's statement that part of the garden project is paid for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The recording identifies the event as produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
