Source: Kitatipithitamak Mithwayawin and guests
Year: 2020
“This discussion includes the importance of dismantling structural racism in the food system, how Covid-19 speaks to the inequities of our broken food system, and how intertwined the social and environmental implications of food are for Indigenous peoples.”
Source: Robyn Ermine, Rachel Engler-Stringer, Patricia Farnese, Glenda Abbott
Year: 2020
“Our purpose in carrying out this project has been to support the development of actions that can remove barriers to traditional foods in urban environments for Indigenous people. Traditional foods are hunted, trapped, fished, gathered and cultivated to various extents depending on the community and their respective traditional territories. Communities and organizations across the country are finding innovative ways to bring traditional foods to urban residing Indigenous people, but they are often navigating the relevant policies and regulations on their own. This situation places the burden of navigating current policies and regulations on Indigenous communities.”
Source: Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo, James D Ford, Ingrid Arotoma-Rojas, Shuaib Lwasa, Guillermo Lancha-Rucoba, Patricia J García
Year: 2020
“Indigenous populations are at especially high risk from COVID-19 because of factors such discrimination, social exclusion, land dispossession, and a high prevalence of forms of malnutrition. Climate change is compounding many of these causes of health inequities, undermining coping mechanisms that are traditionally used to manage extreme events such as pandemics, and disrupting food systems and local diets. Addressing underlying structural inequities and strengthening Indigenous knowledge systems offer opportunities for building resilience to compound socioecological shocks, including climate effects and pandemics.”
Source: Angela D’Elia Decembrini
Year: 2020
“For many Indigenous Peoples, the importance of food goes beyond its nutritional value. Maintaining access to traditional food sources is inextricably linked to Indigenous Peoples’ relationships with the land and environment, the exercise of their Aboriginal title, rights and Treaty rights and the continuity of their cultures and traditions. In recent months, concerns regarding food security have been heightened as COVID-19 related restrictions have placed increased pressure on food supply chains. For Indigenous communities across Canada, however, the pandemic has only exacerbated concerns about their already fragile food systems.”
Source: Public Health Agency of Canada
Year: 2021
“This report is to complement the CPHO’s Annual Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2020, “From Risk to Resilience: An equity approach to COVID-19”. During late February 2020, COVID-19 became a growing concern in Canada with reported cases in multiple regions. COVID-19 has changed the way we live, work, and socialize. Dr. Mashford-Pringle and the research team were asked to author a companion report as a reflection of what was heard during the August and September engagement sessions.”
Source: First Nations Health Authority
Year: 2020
"Since time immemorial, First Nations people in BC have had intimate and long-standing relationships with the land, forests, oceans and waters, creating vibrant and sustainable food systems. All aspects of life supported a sustainable and safe food system that relied upon hunting, fishing, gathering, preserving, storing, distributing, trading and more. Stories shared and Indigenous methods of research show that individuals, families and communities did not worry about long-term food security and were prepared in the event of short-term food shortages. Colonialism, the Indian Act, reserve systems and ongoing colonial policies have had devastating impacts on Indigenous food systems in BC and across Canada. Other pressures such as industrialization, population levels and environmental impacts mean that today’s food system is very different than it was for our ancestors."
Source: Nourish
Year: 2020
Nourish hosted two informal exchanges (on June 11 and June 25, 2020) about health care food responses by/for Indigenous communities during COVID-19. The need for this conversation emerged from discussions within the Nourish Indigenous & Allies Advisory and from checking in with others leading efforts in this vein in the grassroots and in philanthropy.
Source: Yellowhead Institute
Year: 2020
“It has been just over one month since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, calling for urgent and aggressive action to combat the disease and the virus that causes it. Public health responses have focused on flattening the curve to reduce the burden on healthcare systems and reducing transmission rates. Calls for people to self-isolate and practice social/physical distancing have operated alongside demands that we as a society work collectively to protect those who are most vulnerable. These are critically important actions to take.”
