Abstract
Colonialism, and its partner, racism, greatly impact Indigenous food systems across Canada elevating the rates of diet-related diseases and food insecurity. Many Indigenous communities have responded to these challenges with their own community-based, culturally appropriate food solutions, including local food production. This participatory research explores the question of traditional food education for First Nations youth through photo elicitation with five young adults employed on a community farm and interviews with twelve Elders, community food educators and Knowledge Keepers. This research provides the building blocks for food education to support a community-based, Indigenous food system and sovereignty, informed by Garden Hill First Nation Elders and youth. Interviews and participatory research established that food education should be rooted in traditional and spiritual beliefs, land-based learning and self-determination, and food policies and programs need to assess the use of technology, financial sustainability, and promote gender balance. Community desires for food education closely match the tenets of Indigenous food sovereignty. This research shows the importance of developing Indigenous food education programs that are community-based and applied.
Highlights
Elder and Knowledge Keeper Dave Courchene Jr. (2018) asks the question, “How can a nation be sovereign if they cannot even feed their children?” This question raises another question regarding food education for youth
Through the lens of Indigenous food sovereignty, and the stories and photos of Elders, youths, community food educators, and Knowledge Keepers, this paper explores the food education required to revitalize Indigenous food systems in the fly-in First Nation community of Garden Hill First Nation in the Island Lake region of northeast Manitoba in Canada
Four key themes related to the Indigenous Food Sovereignty framework (Morrison, 2011) were identified in the interviews: rekindling the fire; moving your body, soul, and heart; selfdetermination; and land-based education barriers
Summary
Elder and Knowledge Keeper Dave Courchene Jr. (2018) asks the question, “How can a nation be sovereign if they cannot even feed their children?” This question raises another question regarding food education for youth. Food security and Indigenous food systems in First Nation communities need urgent attention. Through the lens of Indigenous food sovereignty, and the stories and photos of Elders, youths, community food educators, and Knowledge Keepers, this paper explores the food education required to revitalize Indigenous food systems in the fly-in First Nation community of Garden Hill First Nation in the Island Lake region of northeast Manitoba in Canada. Indigenous food systems are considered key to meet the Sustainable Development Goals as they contribute to global food security and eradication of poverty (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], 2009). The world’s food supply originated from Indigenous food systems, including corn, potatoes, squash, and beans (Keoke & Porterfield, 2005; Food Secure Canada, n.d.; Settee & Shukla, 2020). Modern agriculture and aquaculture are blamed for causing 78 percent of the global ocean and freshwater eutrophication, 26 percent of greenhouse gases and 85 percent of the species threatened with extinction on the IUCN red list (Ritchie & Rosser, 2020)
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