Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

This project will look at 'on-the-land' Indigenous knowledge using today's available media for storytelling activities to pass on key health-related knowledge to the next generation. Due to ongoing colonial attitudes at all levels of government, it is important to find ways to highlight the issues surrounding access to traditional foods, impacts on health, and decision making for Indigenous people on reserves and off. Therefore, I will gather Indigenous ways of knowing and being from knowledge keepers (I.e., elders) through what I refer to as Kitchen Stories. Placing knowledge keepers (around 18-20 in two sites) in a familiar environment will allow for the elders to relax; talking becomes more natural when they are busy cooking or harvesting foods. They can share their memories and stories of accurate traditional attitudes about harvesting, cooking, and preparing foods, as well as knowledge about how our multilevel relationship with food crosses important cultural and social knowing. This sharing can spark memories of others within the group and then, more wisdom flows. Using digital media (such as Zoom), other non-resident Indigenous community members will interact with the knowledge keepers, giving them a chance to get involved in the learning. Next, the knowledge keepers will be invited to make individual video stories to make this information relevant to the next generation. Through these Zoom sessions and video-stories, knowledge keepers will share their insights. The serious business of revitalizing Indigenous food sovereignty will become evident as we engage. It will shed light on the problems Indigenous communities are facing with access to traditional foods and preserving a way of life that is still relevant for next seven generations. Indigenous and non- Indigenous people will gain deeper understanding of food sovereignty which can compel them to work together for expanded solutions.