Assessing the contribution of traditional foods to food security for the Wapekeka First Nation of Canada

Abstract

The food security crisis and disproportionately high burden of dietary related disease amongst northern Indigenous populations in Canada continues to be a troubling reality with little sign of improvement. The Government of Canada is responding by developing programs to support local food initiatives for northern isolated communities. While such investments appear commendable, the impact of local food harvesting to improve food security has yet to be determined. While there are clear nutritional and cultural benefits to traditional food sources, communities face considerable barriers acquiring it in sufficient amounts because of historically imposed lifestyle changes that have increased food insecurity rates. This study responds by providing a novel multidisciplinary approach that draws from firsthand experiences working with First Nations community members in a remote subarctic region in northwestern, Ontario, to estimate their community's total food requirement and the amount of wild animal food sources needed to sustain yearly food intake. This transferrable energy demand approach will be critical for policy makers to put into perspective the amount of wild food needed to have an impact on food security rates and ultimately improve dietary related diseases. Novelty: Provide government policy makers information about current harvest yields in a remote northern First Nation to understand the potential contribution of traditional food to improve local food security. Provide Indigenous communities a means to assess local food resources to measure the caloric contributions of traditional foods toward household food security.

Keywords: First Nations; Indigenous; Premières Nations; aliments traditionnels; autochtones; besoins énergétiques; energy requirements; food security; food systems; nutrition; systèmes alimentaires; sécurité alimentaire; traditional food.