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Review

“Part of Who We Are…”: A Review of the Literature Addressing the Sociocultural Role of Traditional Foods in Food Security for Indigenous People in Northern Canada

by
Naomi Trott
* and
Monica E. Mulrennan
Department of Geography, Planning and Environment, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Societies 2024, 14(3), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030034
Submission received: 2 January 2024 / Revised: 13 February 2024 / Accepted: 22 February 2024 / Published: 26 February 2024

Abstract

Indigenous people in northern Canada have relied on sustained and safe access to traditional foods for millennia. Today, however, they experience higher rates of food insecurity than non-Indigenous people or Indigenous people living in urban settings. Changing socioeconomic and environmental conditions in the Canadian north have altered traditional food acquisition and consumption patterns, with implications for health and wellbeing, and cultural continuity. To assess the breadth and depth of scholarship on the sociocultural role of traditional foods in northern Indigenous food security, we conducted a scoping review of online peer-reviewed articles. The 22 articles selected and screened for comprehensive review affirmed that traditional foods remain vital and central to food security for northern Indigenous populations. However, our review brings to light a recurring tendency in these studies to disregard or inadequately consider the complex sociocultural dimensions of traditional foods, such as the critical role of food processing, cooking, and sharing in supporting Indigenous food security. To address this gap and ensure food security is aligned with Indigenous-defined needs and priorities, community-led research is needed, grounded in Indigenous knowledge that promotes access to traditional foods and affirms Indigenous food sovereignty.
Keywords: traditional food; cultural food security; Indigenous people; northern Canada; health; wellbeing; cultural continuity traditional food; cultural food security; Indigenous people; northern Canada; health; wellbeing; cultural continuity

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Trott, N.; Mulrennan, M.E. “Part of Who We Are…”: A Review of the Literature Addressing the Sociocultural Role of Traditional Foods in Food Security for Indigenous People in Northern Canada. Societies 2024, 14, 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030034

AMA Style

Trott N, Mulrennan ME. “Part of Who We Are…”: A Review of the Literature Addressing the Sociocultural Role of Traditional Foods in Food Security for Indigenous People in Northern Canada. Societies. 2024; 14(3):34. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030034

Chicago/Turabian Style

Trott, Naomi, and Monica E. Mulrennan. 2024. "“Part of Who We Are…”: A Review of the Literature Addressing the Sociocultural Role of Traditional Foods in Food Security for Indigenous People in Northern Canada" Societies 14, no. 3: 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030034

APA Style

Trott, N., & Mulrennan, M. E. (2024). “Part of Who We Are…”: A Review of the Literature Addressing the Sociocultural Role of Traditional Foods in Food Security for Indigenous People in Northern Canada. Societies, 14(3), 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14030034

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