Photos: Return to tradition on White Earth Reservation in fight against poverty, hunger
Billie Jo McDonald, 33, of Waubun, Minn. and her son, Camarin Hanks, 11, take a walk to look for berries on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011. McDonald is a single mother of three boys, ages 11 to 17, and struggles to provide them with enough food and nutrition. One obstacle she faces is the limited number of grocery stores on the White Earth Reservation. More common are convenience stores, but they mostly carry processed foods. Transportation to a grocery store is an expense she cannot always afford. McDonald receives about $500 a month in food stamps for her family, but says they don't last the entire month. Near the end of the month she and the kids sometimes eat macaroni and butter, or oatmeal and bacon grease. She sometimes skips meals so the kids can eat. McDonald is learning about traditional Ojibwe foods and would like to return to traditional ways of harvesting, but says she needs more time and resources to do so.
MPR Photo/Caroline Yang
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