“Hungry all the time”: Contemporary experiences of and perspectives on traditional food access in Inuvik, NWT

• Main Author: Tod-Tims, Cahley
• Format: Thesis
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Inuvik
• Online Access: http://summit.sfu.ca/item/21961

This study seeks to understand traditional food sharing and selling networks in Inuvik, NWT amidst dramatic societal change and growing food (in)security concerns. Country (traditional) foods continue to have roles that are foundational to a sense of individual and community well-being for the local Indigenous peoples, many of whom describe feeling “hungry all the time” when they are unable to consume it. I argue that the high degree of transience and employment in wage labour, weakened social connections, limited buying options, and exclusive country food sharing arrangements have contributed to the large variability in access to this valued foodstuff. While some groups such as Elders and single-parents are prioritised for traditional food sharing, professional adults without the skills or time to hunt may experience what I refer to as ‘country food insecurity’. This study also explores perspectives on the commercialisation of country foods, one proposed solution to the issue of access.