| Despite the evident threat facing our food supply system, responses by different cultural groups to events of catastrophic intentional contamination have yet to be fully studied by communication scholars. Northern Plains American Indian communities were invited to act as co-researchers in this participatory action research project because, as a vulnerable population, these communities are among the most at-risk during crisis events.;Using talking circle focus group methodology, this exploratory study extends the crisis communication model and 10 best practices in crisis communication, clarifies the definition of catastrophe, and provides meaningful avenues for communication processes during events of catastrophic intentional food contamination. Specifically, this study uses Spheres of Ethnocentricity to identify communication channels, message design and message dissemination preferred by Northern Plains American Indians during catastrophic events. This project was designed to assist the National Center for Food Protection and Defense to better communicate with at-risk populations during events of catastrophic intentional food contamination. |
