scholarly journals A survey of the traditional food consumption that may contribute to enhanced soil ingestion in a Canadian First Nation community

2012 ◽  
Vol 424 ◽  
pp. 104-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.R. Doyle ◽  
J.M. Blais ◽  
P.A. White
Author(s):  
Michael A Robidoux ◽  
Derek Winnepetonga ◽  
Sylvia Santosa ◽  
François Haman

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: • It will 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 • Provides Indigenous communities a means to assess local food resources to measure the caloric contributions of traditional foods toward household food security


2015 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 663-692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Véronique Laberge Gaudin ◽  
Olivier Receveur ◽  
Félix Girard ◽  
Louise Potvin

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah T. Neufeld ◽  
Chantelle A. M. Richmond ◽  
Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre

<p>Processes of environmental dispossession have had dramatic consequences for dietary quality, cultural identity, and the integrity of traditional food systems (TFS) in many Indigenous populations. These transitions have not been documented among First Nation people in southwestern Ontario, and virtually no studies have investigated TFS in southern or urban regions of Canada. Nested within a larger community-centred project designed to better understand the social and spatial determinants of food choice and patterns of food security, the objective of this paper was to explore First Nation mothers’ knowledge about access, availability, and practices relating to traditional foods in the city of London, Ontario, and nearby First Nation reserves. In 2010, twenty-five women participated in semi-structured interviews that were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed with input from community partners. Our results centre on the women’s stories about access, preferences, knowledge, and sharing of traditional foods. Those living on a reserve relied more consistently on traditional foods, as proximity to land, family, and knowledge permitted improved access. Urban mothers faced transportation and economic barriers alongside knowledge loss related to the use and preparation of traditional foods. Overall our results demonstrate uneven geographic challenges for First Nation engagement in TFS, with urban mothers experiencing uniquely greater challenges than those residing on a reserve.</p>


2006 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 1277-1283 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Schmid ◽  
G M Egeland ◽  
B Salomeyesudas ◽  
P V Satheesh ◽  
H V Kuhnlein

2010 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. e41-e49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Atikessé ◽  
Sylvie Boucher de Grosbois ◽  
Mélissa St-Jean ◽  
Basile (Mashen) Penashue ◽  
Manipia Benuen

Purpose: Food consumption patterns of an Innu community were described and the benefits of traditional food (TF) were investigated in relation to body mass index (BMI). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using food frequency and 24-hour recall questionnaires to evaluate consumption patterns (n=118) and to assess energy and nutrient intakes from TF and store-bought food (SBF) (n=161). Body mass index was calculated with a sub-sample of 45 participants. Results: Mean yearly TF meal consumption was significantly related to age (p=0.05). Participants reporting high TF and low SBF consumption presented with a normal body weight (BMI=24.1) at the lower quartile and a slightly overweight status (BMI=25.8) at the median. Mean values for protein and carbohydrate intake were higher than the Dietary Reference Intakes, whereas dietary fibre intake was below these guidelines for both genders. Store-bought food provided higher levels of energy and nutrients, except for protein. Conclusions: Although Innu consume high amounts of TF and SBF, a lack of some essential nutrients was observed. Because TF intake was related to a tendency toward a lower BMI, a combined, targeted diet could be proposed. Health services could reinforce the importance of TF consumption and promote traditional dietary practices that offer advantages at many levels.


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