Caregivers’ Perspectives on the Determinants of Dietary Decisions in Six First Nation Communities

Abstract

Colonialism is a fundamental determinant of Indigenous people’s health in Canada, yet little is known about its effects on food systems and dietary decisions in First Nation communities. A socioecological approach was used to explore the determinants of dietary decisions made by Indigenous caregivers. Conclusions are drawn from a narrative analysis of eight focus groups involving 33 caregivers in six First Nation communities. Caregivers identified the changes that they have observed in how food is procured, distributed, processed and prepared, along with the nutritional consequences and the sociocultural meanings of these changes. Determinants such as participation in the wage economy, low income, hunting and fishing regulations, availability of fish and game, and the proliferation of inexpensive, processed foods have altered the food systems and influenced dietary decisions made by caregivers in six First Nation communities. Initiatives such as community gardens, community freezers and community hunting camps are ways that these communities are seeking to regain food sovereignty.