Can selling traditional food increase food sovereignty for First Nations in northwestern Ontario (Canada)?

Abstract

The disparity between rates of food insecurity experienced in households across Canada (8.3%) and in Indigenous households specifically (nearly half) is alarming. Many previous studies have demonstrated the physical, spiritual, mental, social and emotional benefits of consuming traditional foods (primarily wild animal food sources and wild edible plants), yet many Indigenous peoples in northern Ontario feel they do not have access to enough of them. Our research engaged in conversation with sixteen participants from four different First Nations communities in northern Ontario to explore the potential application of Greenland’s “Country Food Market” (CFM) as a model to increase accessibility of traditional food while maintaining community sovereignty over the resource. In this model, full-time hunters are financially sustained through selling their harvest at local markets. While participants were curious about the potential an economy around traditional food could have for improving access, this was tempered by cultural ethics, teachings and laws which instruct hunters to share their food and by concerns of resource overexploitation. As our research confirms, conversations and actions must move away from a binary approach to the question—either to sell or not to sell—and move toward a diverse range of economic models that center Indigenous peoples’ sovereignty.

Keywords:

• Food sovereignty
• Indigenous
• food security
• traditional food market
• northern Ontario

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Kasabonika First Nation, Wapekeka First Nation, Moose Cree First Nation and Wunnumin First Nation for their knowledge and expertise they generously shared with our team. We would also like to thank Anthony Chum, Food Developer at Moose Cree First Nation, for attending interviews and bringing his insights and experiences.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 While arctic regions tend to refer to wild food sources as “country food,” in northern Ontario, the term “traditional food” is more commonly used.

2 Treaty 9 (James Bay Treaty) is the Treaty signed with many communities in northwestern Ontario. Unlike other numbered treaties, Treaty 9 was written by the provincial and federal governments prior to being presented to the communities – there were no changes to the written document after meeting with Indigenous leaders. All communities in this particular study fall within Treaty 9 territory.

3 Between 1942 and 1952, the Canadian government conducted nutritional experiments on Indigenous populations in Northern Manitoba and in six “Indian Residential Schools” without consent or knowledge from the participants. These experiments were conducted by the Department of Indian Affairs of Canada and continued despite children’s deaths. Control and treatment groups of malnourished children were denied adequate nutrition so different treatments could be experimented (see Mosby 2013).

4 Choose Life is a program that Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) (the Tribal Council representing communities in Treaty 9) advocated for and developed “to ensure no First Nation community would be denied programming funding that promotes the mental, emotional and behavioral well-being of youth” (NAN 2020). It was initiated in response to a crisis of suicides in the region and was designed to simplify, streamline and fast track community applications for federal funding through Jordan’s Principle, which is federal funding designated to support mental, emotional well-being of Indigenous youth (ISC 2020).

5 KF = Kasabonika Female; KM = Kasabonika Male; WF = Wapekeka Female; KM = Kasabonika Male; MCF = Moose Cree Female; MCM = Moose Cree Male; WuM = Wunnumin Male (only one participant from Wunnumin First Nation.

6 We regretfully did not pursue this too much further with participants but is something we are currently exploring. We speculate that in a more processed state, the food is further removed from the original harvest and more acceptable for sale. From our preliminary conversations, this seems to be a stage generally practiced by women (but not exclusively). We are exploring these ideas further with communities.

7 “The Northern” store is a grocery store found in many communities in Northern Ontario. They often have credit systems for community members, with an interest rate of about 15%, although this rate may differ from community to community. When they enter a community, they require non-competition agreements, and their contracts tend to be 10 years or more.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada under Grant [435-2018-1090].