LibGuides: Indigenous Studies: Foodways

Indigenous Studies -- Foodways

The intent of this libguide is to provide a variety of resources and perspectives on the topics of Indigenous foodways, food sovereignty, food systems and related Indigenous knowledge.

Page in Development

Please note this page is under construction as we develop this page. Check back to see updates!

Indigenous Food Sovereignty & Food Systems

"Indigenous food systems are systems of production, distribution, and consumption of foods based on Traditional Knowledge and practices of Indigenous Peoples. These systems are characterized by their diversity, sustainability, and resilience..." (Rúa, 2024)

Resources

Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems and Agroecology: Synergies and Convergences - Agroecology Fund

Native Foodways — The Cultural Conservancy

Indigenous food systems: concepts, cases, and conversations by Priscilla Settee, Shailesh Shukla
ISBN: 9781773381107
Publication Date: 2020
"This textbook explores a diverse array of Indigenous food systems from across Canada, including Anishinaabeg, Asatiwisipe, Cree, Métis, Migmag, and Tsartlip. Seeking solutions to food insecurity and well-being for current and future generations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous food practitioners and scholars document the voices and experiences of community members encountered in their research, thus promoting an understanding of the barriers and challenges to Indigenous food systems and presenting ways used to reclaim cultural identity and food sovereignty"--from publisher description

[Article] Indigenous values and perspectives for strengthening food security and sovereignty: learning from a community-based case study of Misko-ziibiing (Bloodvein River First Nation), Manitoba, Canada by Lisa Young, Shailesh Shukla, Taylor Wilson
"Despite food security being a significant challenge among many First Nations communities on Turtle Island, there needs to be more empirical, community-based research that underscores the role of traditional food systems and associated values and teachings in Manitoban communities through an Indigenous lens. This research addresses that gap by building upon Indigenous perspectives and knowledges on the status and future directions of food security and sovereignty in Misko-ziibiing (Bloodvein River First Nation)." From Abstract
[Article] Nimíciwinán, nipimátisiwinán – “Our food is our way of life”: On-Reserve First Nation perspectives on community food security and sovereignty through oral history in Fisher River Cree Nation, Manitoba by Shailesh Shukla, Jazmin Alfaro, Carol Coc
"University of Winnipeg (UW) researchers and Fisher River Cree Nation (FRCN) representatives began an action research partnership to explore Indigenous knowledges associated with food cultivation, production, and consumption practices within the community since 2012. The participatory, place-based, and collaborative case study involved 17 oral history interviews with knowledge keepers of FRCN. The goal was to understand their perspectives of and challenges to community food security, and to explore the potential role of Indigenous food knowledges in meeting community food security needs." from Abstract
[Article] Our Hands at Work: Indigenous Food Sovereignty in Western Canada by Tabitha Robin
"Food sovereignty has recently emerged as a means of addressing pervasive food-related problems in many Indigenous communities in Canada as well as around the world. This is particularly important for Indigenous people who still face threats to their food systems directly stemming from colonialism. Stories of community-based Indigenous food sovereignty are presented in this paper. Outcomes are summarized using a circle metaphor that describes four key elements of Indigenous food sovereignty that emerged from this research: history, connection to the land, relationships, and identity. " from Abstract
[Article] Pathways to Revitalization of Indigenous Food Systems: Decolonizing Diets through Indigenous-focused Food Guides by Taylor Wilson and Shailesh Shukla
"Based on a review of relevant literature and our long-term collaborative learning and community-based research engagements with Indigenous communities from Manitoba, [this article] proposes that Indigenous communities should develop their food guides considering their contexts, needs, and preferences. [This article] discusses the scope and limitations of the most recent Canadian food guide and opportunities to decolonize it through Indigenous food guides, including their potential benefits in enhancing food security and well-being for Indigenous communities." from Abstract

Land Stewardship & Agricultural Practices

A Drum in One Hand, a Sockeye in the Other by Charlotte Coté
ISBN: 9780295749532
Publication Date: 2022-01-28
"In A Drum in One Hand, a Sockeye in the Other, Charlotte Coté shares contemporary Nuu-chah-nulth practices of traditional food revitalization in the context of broader efforts to re-Indigenize contemporary diets on the Northwest Coast. Coté offers evocative stories of her Tseshaht community's and her own work to revitalize relationships to haʔum (traditional food) as a way to nurture health and wellness." from Abstract
Keeping It Living by Douglas E. Deur (Editor); Nancy J. Turner (Editor)
ISBN: 9780295801100
Publication Date: 2011-12-01
This book is the first comprehensive overview of how Northwest Coast Native Americans managed the landscape and cared for the plant communities on which they depended. Bringing together some of the world's most prominent specialists on Northwest Coast cultures, Keeping It Living tells the story of traditional plant cultivation practices found from the Oregon coast to Southeast Alaska. It explores tobacco gardens among the Haida and Tlingit, managed camas plots among the Coast Salish of Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia, estuarine root gardens along the central coast of British Columbia, wapato maintenance on the Columbia and Fraser Rivers, and tended berry plots up and down the entire coast.
Propagation of Pacific Northwest Native Plants by Robin Rose; Caryn E. C. Chachulski; Diane L. Haase
ISBN: 9780585227207
Publication Date: 1998-01-01
Provides propagation information on nearly 140 native plants -- shrubs, trees, forbs, and grasses. A working manual designed for use by both nursery professionals and home gardeners.

[article] Agroecology in the North: Centering Indigenous food sovereignty and land stewardship in agriculture “frontiers” by Price, Mindy Jewell; Latta, Alex; Spring, Andrew ; Temmer, Jennifer; Johnston, Carla; Chicot, Lloyd; Jumbo, Jessica; Leishman, Mar
This paper presents "a framework for agroecology in the North and discuss its components of environmental stewardship, economies, knowledge, social dimensions and governance using examples from the Dehcho region, Northwest Territories, Canada" from Abstract

Plant and Land Guides

[Website] Ecosystem Guide: A Hul’q’umi’num’ language guide to plants and animals of the plants and animals of southern Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Salish Sea. By the Hul’qumi’num Treaty Group
"This guide is designed to provide the user with Hul'qumi'num cultural information about a number of plant and animal species of Souther Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Salish Sea. Basic information relating to the idenfitication of each species and its habitat is also provided." (From 'How to use this guide, p.9)

Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples by Nancy J. Turner
ISBN: 9780774805339
Publication Date: 1995-01-01
Now revised and updated, this popular handbook contains descriptions of more than 100 plants used for food by the original inhabitants of coastal British Columbia. Each description contains information about the habitat, the distribution in the region, and notes on how the plant was used. Colour photographs throughout the text aid in identification of the plants. For those interested in Native history and culture, this book will provide an invaluable record of plant species used by individual groups and the different harvesting and preparation procedures associated with them. For naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts, it will introduce the wealth and diversity of wild edible plants found along the coast of British Columbia.
Held by the Land by Leigh Joseph
ISBN: 9781577152941
Publication Date: 2023-03-07
Author Leigh Joseph, an ethnobotanist and a member of the Squamish Nation, provides a beautifully illustrated essential introduction to Indigenous plant knowledge. Plants can be a great source of healing as well as nourishment, and the practice of growing and harvesting from trees, flowering herbs, and other plants is a powerful way to become more connected to the land. The Indigenous Peoples of North America have long traditions of using native plants as medicine and for food. Held by the Land honors and shares some of these traditions, offering a guide to: Harvesting herbs and other plants and using them topically North American plants that can treat common ailments, add nutrition to your diet, become part of your beauty regime, and more Stories and traditions about native plants from the author's Squamish culture Using plant knowledge to strengthen your connection to the land you live on
Luschiim's Plants by Luschiim Arvid Charlie and Nancy J. Turner.
ISBN: 9781550179460
Publication Date: 2021-11-02
"In this unprecedented collection of botanical information, over 140 plants are categorized within their broad botanical groupings: algae and seaweeds, lichens, fungi and mushrooms, mosses and liverworts, ferns and fern-allies, coniferous trees, deciduous trees, shrubs and vines, and herbaceous flowering plants. Each entry is illustrated with a colour photo and includes the plant’s common, scientific and Hul′q′umi′num′ names; a short description; where to find it; and cultural knowledge related to the plant." from Publisher description

Land-Based Wellness

[Article] Land-Based Healing: Toward Understanding the Role of Elders by Russ Walsh, Jocelyn Sommerfeld and David Danto
[Article] “The land is a healer”: Perspectives on land-based healing from Indigenous practitioners in northern Canada by Jennifer Redvers
[Streamed video] Places to Gather and Learn
"A day in the lives of Indigenous students at N'Swakamok Alternative School, Places to Gather and Learn emphasizes the value and necessity of Indigenous alternative and community spaces. This short follows students as they learn and share their stories, aspirations, obstacles and accomplishments. Run in partnership with the N'Swakamok Indigenous Friendship Centre, and as a satellite of Sudbury Secondary School, N'Swakamok Alternative School offers students a supportive and culturally activated space to gain life skills as they pursue their academic and personal goals." from catalogue description

More resources

Resources

Home - Indigenous Food Systems - LibGuides at Arizona State University

Indigenous Plant ID and Ethnobotany - Horticulture - LibGuides at Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Books and eBooks at KPU Library

Search for articles

Searching for resources

Searching for resources in the library is a skill, and there are numerous search strategies students can use to find the information they need. KPU Library's Research Help Guide has tips and guidance on how to search effectively.

Whether you search in Summon or directly in a database, identifying and using effective search terms is key. Below are some suggestions for search terms. Please note this list is not exhaustive:

Indigenous food knowledges
Indigenous food security
Indigenous food sovereignty
Indigenous food systems

Search tips

Try different combinations of search terms. Consider adding additional terms, such as "Canada" (for example, if you're looking for Canadian content)
Utilize the search filters to refine your search. Consider specifying publication date or scrolling through the subject tags
See an article you like? Look at the subject tags and terms used within the resource to revise or try a new search.

Recommended Journals

Agriculture and Human Values

Canadian Food Studies

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems

International Journal of Indigenous Health

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems and Community Development

KPU Library

Indigenous Studies

Indigenous Studies -- Foodways

Page in Development

Indigenous Food Sovereignty & Food Systems

Resources

Land Stewardship & Agricultural Practices

Plant and Land Guides

Land-Based Wellness

More resources

Resources

Books and eBooks at KPU Library

Eating the Landscape

Indigenous food systems: concepts, cases, and conversations

Native Foods

Plants, people and places: The role of ethnobotany and ethnoecology in indigenous peoples' land rights in Canada and beyond

Native Foodways

Eating the Landscape

Indigenous food systems: concepts, cases, and conversations

Native Foods

Plants, people and places: The role of ethnobotany and ethnoecology in indigenous peoples' land rights in Canada and beyond

Native Foodways

Eating the Landscape

Indigenous food systems: concepts, cases, and conversations

Native Foods

Plants, people and places: The role of ethnobotany and ethnoecology in indigenous peoples' land rights in Canada and beyond

Search for articles

Searching for resources

Recommended Journals