A nature hike and country food

Yesterday I was able to go on a hike to another island on the Moose River, just across from Moose Factory. Even though I was assured it was normal and safe, I must admit that the giant cracks on the ice were a little unnerving. But after making it across the river the hike was great, and we had beautiful weather.

The most interesting part of the hike was learning about the different animals that reside in the area, and which are used as food or trapped for their fur. It was interesting to see traps for beaver and pine marten, as people in the area still rely on animals to supplement their income and diet. As well as berries still ripe for picking in the winter.

 The top of a beaver trap, you must chisel through the ice to see if you have caught anything.

Moose berries, growing all over the place had a mild ciitrus flavour.

Country foods are still on the plate of people in Moose Factory, it is not uncommon for someone to list moose or rabbit when doing a diet recall during a counseling session. For myself I believe it's important to learn more about the role of country foods in peoples diet and what amounts are appropriate.

While Canada's food guide for aboriginal people has been adapted to include country foods it is still based on "European" Canadian research. The First Nations people of North America lived on a diet consisting primarily of protein and fat, and their bodies have in turn adapted to this diet, so that the recent shocks to their dietary patterns have caused major health issues (Young et al., 2000). Studies have shown that people of First Nation descent who eat higher amounts of country food have a reduced risk of developing obesity and other chronic disease.  First Nations people have been affected by a rapidly changing food culture that has caused a diabetes epidemic, due to drastic sociocultural changes and a history of colonization (Young et al., 2000).

 The "Westernization" of their diet, has no doubt been a major factor. It is the same reason why we see obesity and non-communicable chronic disease flourishing world wide. Easily accessible energy dense nutrient poor food, coupled with the destruction of a way of life, has paved the way for chronic illness to take hold of indigenous communities in Canada.

Most people that come for diet counseling require basic teaching on how to eat healthy, reduce processed foods, and strategies on how to eat on a budget. There have been a few cases where an elder, who's diet contains country foods, has been referred for diet counseling. While I have no problem suggesting they reduce the amount of sugar and cream in their tea, or reduce their portion sizes, I still do not feel totally comfortable suggesting they make half their plate contain fruits and vegetables and to select lean meats.

I'm still trying to understand the role of traditional food, and while I realize that especially among young people in the area country foods make up a very small part of their diet, I wonder if diet recommendations for First Nations people should better reflect their history and physical anthropology.

JK


Young K., Reading J., Elias B. & O'Neil J. (2000). Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Canada's First Nations: Status of an epidemic in progress. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 163(5).