It is important to begin this way. Spirit of the Sun is an Indigenous womxn-led nonprofit serving Denver and its surrounding suburbs which are
located on Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute), Tséstho’e (Cheyenne), hinono’eino’ biito’owu’ (Arapaho) land, Comanche, and more than 48 other tribes’ sacred land.
Recognizing this reality, the non-profit works to empower the Native community in many ways, including food access. While the group’s food access focuses on community elders, it ultimately serves families across the Denver metro area.
There is a recognition within the group that decades of diet dictated by the federal government through commodities have done harm to overall community health. A simple statistic tells the tale. Native youth are 30 percent more likely to be obese than their white counterparts. For native adults, that number jumps to 50 percent.
“Government commodities that are heavy in salt, fat and preservatives are not traditional to Native people,” said Laya Buchanan, the organization’s food share lead. “These realities have contributed to health disparities across our community.”
The focus of the organization’s work on food access is to provide traditional and culturally appropriate food for Elders and their families as an alternative to processed and colonized foods.
In 2021, that meant serving 2,600 families across the Denver metro area. The group operates food pick up locations every Friday and Sunday. Elders can request delivery. The food program runs largely on volunteer power, so the group’s ability to reach beyond their Denver home base is dependent on volunteers’ ability to transport the food.
Even with these challenges, the organization serves 40 to 50 families each week through partnerships with Metro Caring and Denver Food Rescue.