Imagined foodways: social and spatial representations of an Inuit food system in transition

ABSTRACT

In this study, we examined the social and spatial representations the Nunavimmiut have of their contemporary foodways. Based on Anderson’s concept of ‘imagined communities’ [1991. Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism (Rev. ed.). Verso books], we drew on the notion of ‘imagined foodways’ to capture the cultural and territorial distance between imagined and actual dietary patterns. With the spatial organization of the global food system undergoing considerable upheaval, food provenance is an important – although often neglected – dimension of foodways. The aim of this study was to identify the geographical imaginary the Nunavimmiut associate with different types of foods and food sources. To this end, participatory workshops were held in Kuujjuaq and Kangiqsujuaq in Nunavik between June 2016 and May 2018, which resulted in the creation of mental food maps. The results showed that the imagined foodways represent an idealized version of food that maintains the Nunavimmiut’s close relationship to the land as a source of nourishment and to their traditions. Traditional foods are still highly regarded and underpin an intimate relationship with and detailed knowledge of the land. In contrast, commercial foods, although they account for about 80% of the food consumed in Nunavik, arouse less interest and are the subject of a more ambiguous relationship.

KEYWORDS:

• Foodways
• Nunavik
• food provenance
• mental maps
• geographical imaginary

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all participants for their contribution to this research project. We also thank the Nunavik Research Center, the Kativik School Board and the Northern Villages of Kuujjuaq and Kangiqsujuaq.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) [grant number 752-2016-1805]; the Nunavik Human–Environment Observatory (OHMI Nunavik), member of the Laboratory of Excellence Interdisciplinary Research Project on Human–Environment Interactions (LabEx DRIIHM; http://www.driihm.fr/); the Royal Canadian Geographical Society through the James Bourque Northern Doctoral Scholarship; by the Conseil franco-québécois de coopération universitaire (CFQCU) (SEQINEQ project number 2017-FQ-202580 « Programme de développement de partenariats stratégiques en matière d’enseignement et de recherche ») and the Réseau DIALOG.