Indigenous Food Systems Network

The concept of food sovereignty was developed by Via Campesina and brought to the public debate during the World Food Summit in 1996 and represents an alternative to neoliberal policies. Since then, that concept has become a major issue of the international agricultural debate, even within the United Nations bodies. It was the main theme of the NGO forum held in parallel to the FAO World Food Summit of June 2002.

Author Jacks, Terry.
Title The warmth of love [videorecording] : the four seasons of Sophie Thomas / written by Terry Jacks.
Imprint [Vanderhoof, B.C.] : Sophie Thomas Foundation, 2000.

Follow this link to visit 91.1 Secwepemc Radio website for a podcast that includes background information on colonization and how it relates to what the food sovereignty guru - Vandana Shiva says at her talk in Kelowna in 2009. Background information and recording done by Rebecca Kneen and Illona Trogub.

ork – Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty

On February 1, 2010, the Indigenous Food Systems Network Website was launched! The IFSN Website Project is a web-based centre for increasing awareness of issues, concerns and strategies related to protecting, conserving and restoring the myriad of Indigenous food based cultures across Canada.

Related File: 

The following file is a 61 KB pdf document you many need to download Adobe Reader to open the file.

IFSN_Website_Launch_Press_Release_Feb_2.10.pdf

The Indigenous food cooperatives initiative was suggested by 3 Indigenous women at the 2009 BC Food Systems Gathering, as a mutual challenge to revitalize bioregional or local Indigenous food systems, security and sovereignty, by supporting, revitalizing or recreating Indigenous hunting, fishing, gathering, farming and trade practices in our local areas.

File: 

The following file is a 48 KB pdf document you many need to download Adobe Reader to open the file.

Indigenous_Food_Cooperatives Feb.10.pdf

Women are leading a revival of First Nations' staple foods. To get lucky, you have to get mucky. With my feet twisting in the mud of a frigid river, I have already lost the festive socks that were a Christmas gift from my mom. Now the river bottom is turning to quicksand beneath my bare feet. I sink slowly at first, then slip swiftly from waist-deep until the water is nearly at my neck. The water is so cold that it is crusted with ice along the shore, and I know I can't last much longer.

After seeing the film Avatar, the recent release by James Cameron dealing with allegorical Indigenous Peoples on an alien planet that humans seek to colonize, displace and finally eliminate in order to access the rich resources in their territories, a few reflections emerge. The first is a more than passing resemblance to the actual reality of Indigenous Peoples in Canada and beyond, the bounty of whose land and resources have cost them great suffering at the hands of colonizers and would-be-saviours.

The purpose of this project was to engage Aboriginal communities in discussions that would enable individuals and groups involved with food related action to explore and identify ways that the B.C. Food Systems Network (BCFSN) - Working Group on Indigenous Food Sovereignty (WGIFS) can support their work on increasing food security.

File: 

The following file is a 283 KB pdf document you many need to download Adobe Reader to open the file.

WGIFS_Final_Report_March_08.pdf

Since the time of contact with non Indigenous settlers in the southern interior of B.C. many traditional Indigenous harvesters including hunters, fishermen, and gatherers from the Ktunaxa, Nlaka’pamux, Secwepemc, St’at’imc, Syilx, and Ts’ilqotin nations have repeatedly expressed concern about the declining health and abundance of culturally important foods in our respective traditional territories. Therefore, the Interior of B.C.

File: 

The following file is a 122 KB pdf document you many need to download Adobe Reader to open the file.

IFSC2006FinalReport.pdf

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the development, collection and use of cultural indicators of Indigenous Peoples’ food and agro-ecological systems for policy, planning and advocacy purposes.
Audience: The intended users of this paper are Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations (IPOs), Government departments responsible for data collection and statistics, UN agencies, NGOs, and other development actors.

File: 

The following file is a 4552 KB pdf document you many need to download Adobe Reader to open the file.

Cultural_Indicators_paperApril2008.pdf