Native Infusion: Rethink Your Drink!
Native Infusion is a teaching toolkit aimed at supporting individuals and communities in making healthy choices about beverages. The toolkit integrates Native American cultural teachings and traditional health and nutrition concepts from the Coast Salish region and includes:
Native Infusion Curriculum
This educational resource explores the benefits of drinking water and making flavored waters, herbal teas, smoothies, and bone broth. Featured plants include dandelion, Douglas fir, hawthorn, huckleberry, mint, nettle, strawberry, and wild rose. The curriculum also includes tips on using the beverage posters, a blueprint on how to set up a beverage station, tea recipes, handouts, information on navigating the beverage aisle, and additional resources.
Teaching Posters
Visually engaging educational posters include a large “Feeding 7 Generations” poster with native food principles and six small posters on traditional beverages with key teaching points. These posters serve as gentle “nudges” and conversation pieces.
Feeding 7 Generations: A Salish Cookbook
This cookbook gathers culinary traditions surrounding 15 of the most beloved native foods of the Salish Sea region. Background about each plant or animal, including seasonality and harvesting tips, is paired with delicious recipes that highlight nutrition and wellness information. A section on healthy beverages features teas, flavored waters, smoothies, and broth.
Native Infusion can be utilized in a variety of settings including schools, community classes, health fairs, clinics, and for home use. The toolkit was written by Valerie Segrest (Muckleshoot) and Elise Krohn and was funded through the First Nations Development Institute. Explore the Native Plants and Foods Story Map to learn how the toolkit is being used in communities throughout the United States and Canada!
Access Native Infusion Curriculum
To access the curriculum, visit the Native Plants and Foods Curriculum Portal. Order the posters and cookbooks from Chatwin Books. For information on setting up a teacher training email elise@tahomapeak.com.