Food is about more than what people eat.
For Indigenous Peoples on Vancouver Island, food affects physical, emotional and mental health, as well as Indigenous identity. However, decisions about food systems are often out of their hands. In an era of truth and reconciliation, fixes for these broken links can have a deep effect on peoples害羞草研究所� lives.
Island Health Indigenous Health Dietitian Jessie Newman says that food sovereignty is 害羞草研究所渁bout Nations reclaiming decision making power within the food system.害羞草研究所�
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害羞草研究所淚 make sure that I害羞草研究所檓 having conversations with people in leadership, with knowledge keepers, with Elders. Any time decisions are made we need to have Indigenous Peoples at the table,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淓very Nation has different obstacles and challenges and finding those out is important.害羞草研究所�
Newman is Haida, Heiltsuk, and Kwakwaka害羞草研究所檞akw. She knows how traditional foods can link to ancestors, heal, and help rekindle the sense of identity that many Indigenous people struggle with.
害羞草研究所淭he greatest benefit is that they really connect us to our ancestors and loved ones who have passed,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 quite emotional, especially for me. Seafoods really give me that feeling of a connection to my father who has passed, and my uncles and my grandfather. All of those memories that I have around those foods are really special.害羞草研究所�
However, thanks to the residential school system, many of those links are broken.
害羞草研究所淚f you go back to residential school and that disconnect from culture, a lot of people don害羞草研究所檛 have the knowledge of how to harvest our foods,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭he lack of knowledge around cultural practices is one of the biggest issues within our communities.
害羞草研究所淭hat really speaks to identity as well. A lot of Indigenous people really struggle with a loss of identity or a lack of identity due to that disconnect from culture brought about through residential school害羞草研究所� When you害羞草研究所檙e eating these kinds of foods, it gives me the sense of 害羞草研究所榯his is who I am and this is what I害羞草研究所檓 meant to be eating害羞草研究所π卟菅芯克鶛 Our foods are so powerful.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淎 lot of Indigenous people, they害羞草研究所檝e been through so much trauma. Their mental health might not be the best,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚f I can create situations where our People have greater access to their foods, then I am doing something positive that is going to have an impact.
Food sovereignty has increased throughout the region, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every community has a different situation and different needs. The Kwakwaka害羞草研究所檞akw communities are displaced from their traditional territories, making access to traditional foods difficult.
害羞草研究所淭he fact that none of these nations are actually located on their traditional territories where they would be harvesting these foods is probably the biggest barrier,害羞草研究所� Newman said.
害羞草研究所淎nother big barrier is that a lot of Nations might not have the money to focus on this. The way that funds are dispersed into communities are like 害羞草研究所榶ou need to spend this money on this, you need to spend this money on that.害羞草研究所� Some Nations find or redistribute funding to hire knowledge keepers to do work around food sovereignty and food security,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淣ot every Nation does this or has the capacity to do it, but there are some Nations in the northern area like in Tsa害羞草研究所橷ana where they害羞草研究所檝e actually taken the initiative through funding from our Indigenous Health program and hired somebody. They really honoured the knowledge of the local food champions to do the work. If every community has somebody doing that, then we would be much better off.
When it comes down to it, Newman says her goal is for Indigenous Peoples to have access and control over their food systems.
害羞草研究所淭here are so many reasons it害羞草研究所檚 not happening. Some of it is climate change, some of it is environmental. What would really work is if our government gave us access to our land back and gave us control over our land, how it害羞草研究所檚 managed and how the resources are managed,害羞草研究所� she said.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檇 have access to our traditional territories and be able to harvest our foods whenever we want, and manage it in a way that will be sustainable害羞草研究所� that害羞草研究所檚 the ultimate goal.害羞草研究所�
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