Land-Based programs in the Northwest Territories: Building Indigenous food security and well-being from the ground up

Food security in Canada’s North is complex, and there is no singular solution. We argue that land-based wild food programs are useful and effective in contributing to long-term food security, health and well-being for Indigenous communities in the context of changing environmental conditions. Such b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l'alimentation
Main Authors: Sonia D. Wesche, Meagan Ann F. O'Hare-Gordon, Michael A. Robidoux, Courtney W. Mason
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
French
Published: University of Waterloo 2016
Subjects:
H
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v3i2.161
https://doaj.org/article/2578f1a32fd547b0842e18adbaa2f83e
Description
Summary:Food security in Canada’s North is complex, and there is no singular solution. We argue that land-based wild food programs are useful and effective in contributing to long-term food security, health and well-being for Indigenous communities in the context of changing environmental conditions. Such bottom-up programs support cultural continuity and the persistence of skills and knowledge that, over time, increase local food security and food sovereignty. This paper (a) highlights the link between observed environmental changes and wild food procurement in two Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories, (b) compares and discusses the impacts of two collaboratively developed, community-based programs to improve foodways transmission and capacity for wild food procurement, and (c) identifies lessons learned and productive ways forward for those leading similar efforts in other Indigenous communities.