This paper addresses several concerns relating to food security in Indigenous communities in Canada. One concern relates to the high incidence of food insecurity in Indigenous communities and the negative impacts this has on children. Another concern relates to the way current assessments of food security in Canada fail to recognize the “vital connection between access to Indigenous food systems and Indigenous food security.” Indigenous elders believe that children have a key role to play in revitalizing this connection. Two case studies are presented as examples of how children can be involved in the revitalization process.
The first case study engaged young Indigenous children (age 5-7) in place-based experiential learning activities. The children, along with Indigenous elders collected, prepared, and ate traditional food. The children then produced different types of artwork to record the activities and to express their reflections on the process. This artwork was displayed in various places around the community (in schools, on city buses, and in community centers) to raise visibility and awareness of the nature and significance of Indigenous food systems.
The second case study, which involved a wider age-range of Indigenous children (age 5-12), included an activity in which children anthropomorphized a local food and an imported food. The children were first introduced to anthropomorphism through picture books and then asked to ascribe human characteristics (such as names, ages, jobs, and lifestyles) to a salmon (local food) and a banana (imported food) based on places where the food came from. The aim of this activity was to promote a critical consciousness about where food comes from and what that means for the land and for the children's lives. Assigning human characteristics to a salmon character was easy for the children, as they were familiar with salmon, not only as food, but also as an important aspect of their cultural beliefs and practices. The children did not have the same familiarity with the banana.
Because colonial practices played a major role in the devastating breakdown of Indigenous food systems, “it is necessary for the state to provide protections and provisions for improved access to these food systems on Indigenous terms.” Related initiatives could include native food gardening at schools and community centers and more place-based educational projects, like the ones presented in the case studies. Such initiatives -- by providing young people with hands-on access to Indigenous food systems – could be key to a more secure food system for the Indigenous people of Canada.
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