Hunger and healing through Indigenous food sovereignty by Tabitha Robin (Martens)

Abstract

Indigenous peoples in Canada face disproportionately higher rates of food insecurity than non-Indigenous peoples. Hunger is not a new experience for Indigenous peoples. Historically, hunger was used as a tool of coercion and manipulation, and as a weapon to eradicate Indigenous populations. Today, experiences of hunger are still tied to colonialism. The high cost of food on reserves, the lack of employment opportunities, and a loss of cultural connections to families, culture, land, and food systems work together to prevent Indigenous peoples from having control over their diets. There is a need to both examine the complex history of feeding Indigenous peoples in Canada and to work to reclaim and heal Indigenous food systems. Indigenous food sovereignty (IFS) provides a working framework to help understand these complexities. It aims to create new pathways that advocate for land reform and self-determination. Indigenous food sovereignty advocates for local solutions by local people that are grounded in culture, spirit, and place. The potential for Indigenous food sovereignty is still relatively unknown, however, particularly in the field of social work. This presentation will position IFS as a catalyst for change.

Tabitha Robin (Martens) is a mixed ancestry Cree researcher, educator, and writer. She is a PhD student at the University of Manitoba, studying Indigenous Food Sovereignty in the Faculty of Social Work and the Department of Native Studies. She spends much of her time on the land, working with her people, and learning traditional Cree food practices. Tabitha works for the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Social Work, the University of Winnipeg and the National Aboriginal Diabetes Association.