Honouring Traditional Indigenous Foods

Before the colonial system was brought over to Turtle Island, there were traditional ways of sustaining Indigenous communities based on what exists in nature. One of the prominent areas of traditional Indigenous living was through the food that was eaten. While Indigenous people lived off the land, there were many ways that food was a self-sustaining experience.

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What are traditional Indigenous foods?
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There are many resources to find the traditional foods of your tribe or area of Canada. Traditional foods can consist of foods that are local to the area of residents or can represent what traditional foods were primarily eaten in your tribe, no matter where that tribe existed in pre-colonial eras. Whether you are desiring to eat locally produced foods or are just wanting to return to healthier options that are more traditionally integrated, there are many resources to choose from.

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Resources for traditional Indigenous foods
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One of the first comprehensive resources that IndigiHealth Foods provides as a recommendation is the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s 2012 Traditional Foods & Recipes on the Wild Side. This resource is a part of NWAC’s Diabetes Toolkit to “provide cultural context” and “information about traditional foods” (NWAC 2012).

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Disclaimer
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This is not health advice. Please connect with your trusted healthcare and nutritionist/dietitian professionals before making any health or dietary changes. All of the information on IndigiHealth Foods is only meant to inspire healthy eating and returning to traditional Indigenous ways of living off the land and providing nourishment. This is meant to be a hub for resources and inspiration of where to look for trusted health advice from a professional perspective. IndigiHealth Foods is not liable for any health ailments that may be impacted by the advice shared on here. By visitng this webite and reading the information offered, you agree to not take any and all information from IndigiHealth Foods as professional health advice.