Vancouver
East County
Beaverton
North Portland
1
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PHOTO BY CARI H a CHMANN/T h E PORTLAND OBSERVER
? his Native roots in the adoption of a vegan diet that has brought better health, including reductions in blood
improvement in self-esteem. He also lost 20 pounds.
Wisdom of Ancestors
C ari H achmann
T he P ortland O bserver
by
In an effort to reverse Type 2 diabetes
among tribal populations, Natives call for a
return to an ancestral plant-based diet.
Marc Anderson, 60, a descendent of Okla
homa Seminole Chief Billy Bowlegs, didn’t
realize how bad the diet on his fam ily’s res
ervation had become until a trip back home
left him with a feeling of culture shock.
“The food was all fast food,” said Ander
son, an environmental engineer living in
Tualatin who has worked with tribal govern
ment for 16 years. Not even the nearby Indian
Casino had vegetarian options. “I bought a
Native cure for
diabetes: Go vegan
watermelon at Walmart,” he joked, though
the revelation he left home with was serious.
The average longevity of Tribal members
continued
on page 19