Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2019
Capstone Advisor
Sudha Raj
Honors Reader
Jane Uzcategui
Capstone Major
Nutrition Science and Dietetics
Capstone College
Sport and Human Dynamics
Audio/Visual Component
no
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Sciences and Engineering
Subject Categories
Anthropology | Nutrition
Abstract
At some point, we learn about Indigenous culture in history class. We learn about produce such as the Three Sisters, the hunting of protein sources, and the gathering of nuts and berries that create the staples of the traditional Indigenous diet. If their traditional diet was so fresh, wholesome, and nutritious, how come there are several health disparities compared to other ethnicities? Over time, the Native Americans have seen rates of health conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease increase to a greater extent than the general population.
Through research with academic and government resources and site-visits, this Capstone examines how European colonization influenced the Native American diet. Focusing on the Onondaga Nation, I analyzed how the Onondaga people’s living conditions changed as their native land was taken from them and they were forced to live on the reservation. Factors such as the availability of food, physical activity level, education level and income all have significant influence on their current eating habits. Although there is evidence on the Onondaga’s rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are not available, generally the Native American population has experienced a higher incidence of these conditions related to the different way of life they now have. It has changed drastically from that of their ancestor’s pre-contact, which I argue is causing these disparities.
Recommended Citation
Garlow, Taylor, "The Evolution of the Indigenous Diet" (2019). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 1346.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/1346
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
