Traditional foods contribute to the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Many Indigenous Peoples within Canada have expressed a desire to consume more traditional foods; however, there are a number of barriers to doing so. Southern and urban communities face unique challenges associated with traditional food consumption. To address these concerns and build on community interests in a Haudenosaunee community in Southern Ontario, a participatory research project was initiated. This community-based study utilized Photovoice methodology to explore the perceptions of and experiences with traditional foods among local youth. Participants ranging in age from 15–22 (n = 5) took photos of their local food environments, including locations where foods were acquired, consumed, prepared, or shared during two seasons of the year. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect participants’ stories behind 8–10 self-selected images. A thematic analysis was subsequently utilized to identify patterns and themes illustrated by the photos and interview content. The youth conveyed contextual understandings of traditional foods and a preference for these items, despite their limited consumption, preparation or harvesting of these foods. The youth also identified the important influence of families and communities on their individual perceptions and experiences with traditional foods. Recommendations to reduce barriers to traditional food choices among youth are made.

Urban and reserve-based First Nation families in southern Ontario frequently experience food insecurity as well as more limited access to traditional, more nutrient dense foods from the local environment. Healthy Roots was initiated in the community of Six Nations to promote traditional food consumption. A small number of participants eating only locally available foods reported better-controlled blood glucose, positive weight change and increased traditional food knowledge. New relationships and partnerships were also developed. Our Sustenance, a community organization that was responsible for the local farmers market, community gardens, good food box program, and other community programs, joined the Healthy Roots Committee to continue advancing the knowledge and activation of the community-based initiatives such as the development of a Haudenosaunee Food Guide. Healthy Roots may serve as a model and inspiration to other Indigenous communities looking to reconnect to their local environments and Indigenous lifeways to promote Indigenous foodways and well-being.

Background Research on Indigenous food literacy within Canada has been focused on northern and remote communities despite the fact there are considerable and unique barriers to food access, availability, and utilization in southern Indigenous communities. Food insecurity is also a prevalent issue among Indigenous Peoples living in these more populous regions. Study objectives included investigating the determinants of food choice among youth, along with perceived opportunities that would improve food environments individually and at the community level. Methods This community-based study used Photovoice to explore the perceptions and experiences of traditional foods and the determinants of food choice among youth in the community of Six Nations of the Grand River. Participants took photos of their local food environments, including where foods were acquired, consumed, prepared, or shared, and participated in semi-structured interviews to share the stories behind these images. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in participants’ photos and interview content. Results Environmental factors were found to influence participants’ traditional and everyday food choices. Built, social, economic and ecological environments were described by the youth as distinct yet inter-related determinants that converge to influence individual food choice. Built environments had a notable impact on food choice, most notably at home and in school settings. Home and family were found to be facilitators of meal consistency and healthy food choices across participants. The social environment including participants’ relationships with their peers and community friends was often a barrier to healthy food choices. Eating at fast food outlets was a common social activity. The economic environment included cost deterrents associated with food choices and regular meals. The ecological environment was less of an influence and impacted the seasonal consumption of traditional and other locally harvested foods. Conclusions Overall, the study findings have generated important knowledge regarding food environments and literacy and serves as a unique example of how to explore the traditional and everyday food experiences of Indigenous youth. Recommendations will inform the development of new as well as existing initiatives and resources to enhance the holistic wellbeing of youth and the broader community.

No abstract

This article examines the extent to which Indige­nous-led food systems and sovereignty goals, frameworks, and priorities are recognized, affirmed, and supported within the agri-food pub­lic sector. For this study, we focus on the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), but the findings and analysis have implications for settler-Indigenous relations more broadly. First, we situate Indigenous food systems and sovereignties within the context of agri-food bureaucracies in Canada. We then present the research design, which involved 27 interviews with people working within or collaborating with OMAFRA on issues related to agricultural land use, programming, and development, and Indige­nous relations and food systems. The find­ings are categorized into five themes: differing needs, visions, and priorities; land access, conver­sion, and health; representation; consultation and consent in agri-food programming; capacity build­ing. The findings reveal major gaps in Indigenous represen­tation, leadership, and control, and an absence of Indigenous-led planning and decision-making in the agri-food public sector. The findings further show that non-Indigenous people lack cru­cial knowledge concerning treaties and Indigenous rela­tionships to land and stewardship, which cre­ates ongoing and significant barriers to reconcilia­tion. We close by discussing key barriers and opportuni­ties for supporting Indigenous food sys­tem and sovereignty programming and ways forward for deepening settler knowledge of Indigenous issues and experiences. The perspec­tives shared in this study are intended to provide food system research, planning, policy, and practice with insights in order to begin to address structural injustices and better support Indigenous food sovereignty.