Southcentral Foundation treats traditional food as medicine at a free Anchorage gathering

For Alaska Native and American Indian communities, the salmon, game, berries, and plants people harvest aren't just food. They're health, culture, and a measure of self-reliance. Next month, Southcentral Foundation is putting that connection at the center of a free two-day gathering.

The Traditional Foods Gathering, July 27 and 28 in Anchorage, brings together people who work in food sovereignty, traditional foods, and diet-related health across Alaska Native communities. That a Native-owned health care organization is hosting it says something: it treats traditional food as a health matter, not just a cultural one. The two days mix guest speakers, workshops, and hands-on sessions, framed around the long relationship Alaska Native and American Indian people have with the land, sea, and sky.

It's free, and lunch is provided. In-person seats are capped at 150, first come, with a virtual option for everyone else. The gathering runs 8:30 a.m. July 27 through 5 p.m. July 28 at 4501 Diplomacy Drive. Register at redcap.link/2026TFG.