Native Bidaské with Ex-Pres. Nez on testifing to U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory
Join our publisher Levi Rickert as he interviews Former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez.
Although President Nez is not in office currently, he is far from kicking his feet back. Recently retired president of the Navajo Nation Jonathan Nez testified to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) on Sept. 12 that with the westward expansion that began in the 19th century, the federal government forcibly changed the Navajo Nation’s traditional dietary practices, an injustice that has contributed to the higher rates of obesity, diabetes, liver disease, and other ailments Native Americans face today. The committee will make recommendations for the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
“To this day, government programs continue to harm the health of our people,” Nez says. “Milk, cheese, and other dairy products were never part of our tradition. Dairying is a European custom, and today, the Dietary Guidelines still push us to consume milk. Meat was never central to the Navajo diet. Traditionally, our foods were mostly plant-based.” Seventy-five percent of Native Americans cannot digest dairy. Nez is hopeful that his testimony will reach DGAC member Dr. Valarie Blue Bird Jernigan, the first Native American member of the committee.
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