Shani Muchiri '26 Spotlights Food Insecurity Among Native Americans
During CWP on Wednesday morning, Shani Muchiri '26 offered an informative presentation to the Mount community about food insecurity in Native American communities by looking at the past, present, and future. She touched on historical factors like the Dawes Act and land fractionation, how these policies still affect access to food today, and current efforts such as the Healthy Diné Nation Act that aim to improve health and food availability.
Shani said her presentation is connected to the Fed Challenge because the Mount's Fed Challenge team presented on this topic for its final research paper last year. The paper was submitted to the official competition.
"I connected this topic to this year’s Mercy Girl Effect, which focuses on supporting the Choctaw Nation," said Shani. "I want attendees to see how the challenges I discuss directly connect to the community we’re helping, and how our efforts can make a meaningful impact."
"Overall," she concluded, "I want attendees to understand where these problems started, how they affect people today, and why our support actually matters."
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