Last thoughts from the Factory

The three months I spent in Moose Factory were a great experience, and it is amazing how much my perception of the community changed since I first arrived. Admittedly I was nervous and timid at the beginning, but my comfort level grew over time.

My fear of the dogs definitely improved, to the point were I was gaving a few of them treats. I stopped that pretty quick though because it got to the point where a pack of them would follow me home, fighting each-other for my attention. But I was just happy to have reached the point were I'm not taking a 20 minute detour because I see an unfamiliar dog on the road.

As I write this, I am back on the Polar Bear express. The incredibly slow train that is the only land connection to Moosonee, outside of the winter months. It turned out that even reaching the train from Moose Factory was a bit of an adventure.

With the weather forecast predicting 30cm of blowing snow, which turned out to be true, I was unsure how I would get off the island if the helicopters were grounded. Fortunately, since it has been so cold, the ski-doo taxis were still running, allowing me to get over the river to Moosonee.

I had no idea what to expect out of a ski-doo taxi, but as you can see from the photo, it is just a crude box with benches inside, hooked onto the back of the ski-doo. It was a bumpy ride over, but I figured it was a fitting ending for my time in the community.

From a work perspective my time in Moose Factory was challenging, but well worth it. It is incredible how many challenges the community faces when it comes to food. As I mentioned in a previous post, as a dietitian you are working with so many limitations, due to the cost, quality, and availability of nutritious food.

I have to wonder how helpful the advice we give is. Even if someone is able to make positive changes to their diet in the short-term, how long will it last if they struggle to afford healthy food, or do not have a supportive home environment to sustain the change.

That is not to say the role of a dietitian in the community is not useful, just that healthcare services should be more involved with community initiatives to improve the community food environment. However, this is not an easy change, as hospitals and health services, tend to be oriented to treat the sick, not preventing illness.    

I'm going to continue this blog while I'm back in Saskatoon, and while I tour through China this summer. Focusing mainly on food issues, and anything else I find interesting along the way.

Cheers,

JK

The spring goose hunt

I’ve been warned that there will be significantly less people coming to appointments in the next few weeks. The spring goose hunt is just around the corner and is a major event in the community. As families hope to get enough geese, which is smoked, dried, and canned, to last the entire year.

Many families congregate at their camps, some just near the town, others a hundred or so kilometres away. The hunt offers more than just food for the community, as family members who don’t see each other often come together to live off the land, for a few weeks. Community members also share what they can with elders, and others who couldn’t take part in the hunt.

The hunt is more than just a ritual, many families rely on the food to supplement their diet for a good chunk of the year. One client bemoaned the poor output from last year’s hunt, as she found it difficult to feed her large family. Most of us in Canada aren’t used to experiencing seasonal food shortages; at least not anymore. Supermarkets seem unaware of the concept of seasons, as you can get pretty much anything year round. Relying on the local environment for food is a foreign concept for me, but it brings with it many positives, such as fresher food, better nutritional quality, and a connection to your surroundings. The uncertainty of the harvest is the downfall.

With the high cost of food in Northern communities, living off the land is crucial. But food procured through hunting is hardly free. People invest heavily, with their time, (a couple of weeks to a month), and money, including the cost of ammunition, camping supplies, fuel, and transportation. Many people snowmobile out, but on the way back it is no longer possible, as the ice has broken up. Either boat, or helicopter is then needed to transport your stuff back to town.

 Petty much everyone here is talking about getting their camp ready. The Geese usually come early to mid April. Though last year there were Geese sightings as early as mid March leaving many people unprepared. I've already heard many goose calls as people practice their best imitations.

I was also able to check out the traditional goose decoys used by the Cree people. They are made by fashioning stick together with twine. Once completed, they are placed in various positions in the field, when the migrating geese see the decoys, and hear the hunters’ goose call, they will fly down to the field. Once in shooting range…well you get the rest.

(Miniature Goose decoy)

Spring in the Factory

With Spring here in Moose Factory, the snow is beginning to melt, and everything is being covered in mud. The 7 ft. piles of snow are down to 5 ft, and the dirt roads are covered in water. There is now a lake on Hospital drive. As I walked by on the snow bank, I witnessed a van attempting to get to the hospital, determined to get through the water up to its bumper. Better hope you don't try to to get to the ER in a sedan.

Now that it is warming up it is also helicopter season. Meaning that the ice road is no longer passable, though even it's officially closed people will continue to use it by snow mobile, right until the ice breaks up. The closure of the road makes getting on and off the island expensive, as a helicopter trip to Moosonee is around $40 one way.

This also creates issues for getting supplies, food or whatever else. Most places stock up before the road closes, but in the case of food you can only do this for non-perishables. For the Northern grocery store, and the hospital food service, they rely on helicopters to deliver fresh food. The food is put into a sling, which dangles precariously under the chopper.

While using a helicopter is a much more exciting way to deliver goods, it's not without its problems. I've been told there have been times when the sling has snapped, leaving mail or whatever else, raining down onto Moose Factory. However, I've been reassured this has only happened a couple of times. To be honest I wouldn't mind the scavenger hunt, to find my missing mail.

I also had a chance encounter with Margeurite Wabano, known as Granny Wabano in Moosonee, she is the oldest survivor of Canada's residential schools. She is nearly 110 years old now, and I briefly introduced myself while we were on a home visit at a seniors' complex.

Margeurite Wabano was invited to Ottawa when Prime minister Harper issued the apology, on behalf of the federal government, on its residential school system. Apparently Harper offered his hand to Margeurite, as she walked up a set of stairs, and she promptly knocked his hand aside. Hand holding is not a part of First Nation culture, even between husband and wife. So it was more of a cultural misunderstanding then a slight, but entertaining nonetheless.