Abstract
In this paper, we will discuss gardening as a relationship with nature and an ongoing process to support Indigenous health and well-being in the context of the climate crisis and increasingly widespread forest fires. We will explore the concept of gardening as both a Euro-Western agriculture practice and as a longstanding Indigenous practice—wherein naturally occurring gardens are tended in relationship and related to a wider engagement with the natural world — and the influences of colonialism and climate change on both. Drawing on our experiences as an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper (Dancing Water) and a non-Indigenous community-based researcher (Kelsey), our dialogue will outline ways to support health and well-being through land-based activities that connect with Indigenous traditions in ways that draw on relationships to confront colonialism and the influences of climate change. This dialogue is founded on our experiences in the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, one of the areas hit hardest by the 2017 wildfires. We will explore the possibilities and limitations of gardening and the wider concept of reciprocity and relationship as a means to support food security, food sovereignty, and health for Indigenous Peoples.
Highlights
Drawing from our experiences as an Indigenous Knowledge Keeper (Dancing Water) and a non-Indigenous community-based researcher (Kelsey), our dialogue will outline ways to support health and well-being through land-based activities that connect with Indigenous traditions in ways that confront colonialism and the influences of climate change
While diet and nutrition research often focuses on food security and related interventions, such as gardening, the wider interrelationships between land, food, the natural world, health, and wellbeing have been recognized by Indigenous Peoples since time immemorial, with relationships and reciprocal benefit with the natural world often foundational across diverse worldviews [1,2,5,6,34,35]
Through our dialogue, presented as a conversation to align with the relational aspects of Indigenous food systems discussed in this paper, we will explore how widening our understanding of gardening, in the face of climate change and colonialism, can support health and healing for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada
Summary
Indigenous Peoples in Canada have diverse and complex relationships with their ancestral lands that have sustained them across a wide range of ecosystems since time immemorial [1,2,3,4]. The Cariboo-Chilcotin region in the interior of the province was impacted by two of the largest fires, which encompassed 63% of the total impacted land in BC [27] This region is the unceded and ancestral lands of the Tsilhqot’in, Dakelh, and Secwépemc peoples, which include several rural and remote communities facing ongoing colonial barriers to health and wellbeing. Against this background, we will explore the possibilities and limitations of gardening as a means to support food security, food sovereignty and health for Indigenous Peoples. The foundational importance of reciprocity and relationship in the context of foodways to support holistic health and wellbeing will be outlined
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