Knowledge Tree
Indigenous peoples
Also known as: Indigenous peoples, indigenous people
Facts (39)
Sources
“The Old Foods Are the New Foods!”: Erosion and Revitalization of ... frontiersin.org 27 facts
claimIndigenous Peoples in Canada and beyond possess a history of resilience and adaptability in the face of colonization and social/environmental challenges, rather than solely a narrative of trauma.
claimSpánanexw bulbs served as an important source of carbohydrates for Indigenous peoples, filling a dietary niche in a diet otherwise rich in protein, fiber, fat, and oils.
claimIndigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America have accessed diverse food species from various vegetation zones over centuries and millennia.
claimIndigenous Peoples quickly adopted and integrated some new foods into their existing food systems and lifeways, which enhanced their food security.
claimRefined sugar was a new food introduced to Indigenous Peoples that proved problematic for their health.
claimAccess to healthy Indigenous food is considered a recognized right and an essential component for the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples globally.
perspectiveIndigenous Internationalism is a path for Indigenous Peoples grounded in ancestral economies, trade, and connections between communities, which operates independently of outside colonial structures or rules.
accountIndigenous peoples historically traveled to upland areas, including high-elevation sites at or above the treeline, for hunting, berry picking, and spiritual purposes, while maintaining permanent villages at lower elevations along coasts, rivers, and lakes.
measurementResearch in Northwestern North America has identified approximately 300 animal food species (including terrestrial and marine mammals, birds, eggs, fish, and shellfish) and 150 plant food species (including root vegetables, greens, fruits, seeds, nuts, inner bark, seaweeds, mushrooms, and one lichen) that have been consumed by Indigenous Peoples.
claimIndigenous Peoples and their allies have developed numerous projects to support the resurgence of Indigenous knowledge, practices, and the recognition of land rights.
referenceIn the 1997 book 'The Indian History of British Columbia: The Impact of the White Man,' W. Duff examines the historical impact of European colonization on indigenous peoples in British Columbia.
claimIndigenous peoples historically transported camas bulbs between different locales for the purpose of replanting them.
claimSpánanexw is recognized as a culturally and nutritionally important food for Coast Salish and other Indigenous Peoples, with knowledge about it shared across generations, nations, and geographic spaces.
claimLeanne Betasamosake Simpson writes from an Indigenous Canadian perspective that radical resurgence requires a deeply critical reading of settler colonialism and the Indigenous response to the current relationship between Indigenous Peoples and the state.
referenceJ. Browne, M. Lock, T. Walker, M. Egan, and K. Backholer authored the 2020 systematic review 'Effects of food policy actions on Indigenous Peoples' nutrition-related outcomes', published in BMJ Global Health.
perspectiveRenewing the knowledge and pride required to harvest culturally important foods acts as a form of resilience and resistance against a dominant system that has historically devalued the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples (Simpson, 2017).
claimIndigenous Peoples are utilizing ancestral knowledge and practices to respond to challenges such as climate change, resource extraction, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
referenceThe 2015 study 'Ancient mariculture on the Northwest Coast of North America' by Lepofsky et al. provides evidence of historical mariculture practices among Indigenous peoples on the Northwest Coast.
claimEdible blue camas (Camassia spp.), known as spánanex in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language, is a root food that has been highly valued by Indigenous Peoples in western North America for thousands of years.
accountEuropean newcomers in the Northwest Coast region utilized Indigenous Peoples' foods for sustenance and, in cases such as fisheries, for commercial production.
claimSimpson (2017) defines 'imposed poverty' as a condition where culturally important foods exist but are either inaccessible to Indigenous Peoples or are commercially exploited, making them unaffordable to the Indigenous people who traditionally relied on them.
claimThe dispossession of Indigenous Peoples' homelands, commercial overharvesting, pollution, habitat loss, invasive species, and climate change are negative factors that impact Indigenous food systems.
quote“These events bring together the renewal of relationships with plants and place. They also renew our relationships with our health as Indigenous Peoples.”
accountColonial forces systematically dismantled Indigenous Peoples' food systems by banning access to cultivation and harvesting landscapes, imposing restrictions on fishing and landscape burning, privatizing land, and through food-related abuses in residential schools and Indian hospitals.
claimMany Indigenous peoples in Canada and beyond are actively relearning ancestral knowledge and land-based practices to counteract the impacts of colonization.
claimIndigenous Peoples' life-expectancy, frequency and severity of addictions, suicide, child apprehension, police brutality, and incarceration are influenced by a combination of colonial factors.
claimMany Indigenous Peoples experience internalized shame and trauma that affects their quality of life, which is compounded by ongoing discrimination and marginalization in health, education, legal, and justice systems.
Indigenous Foodways - FSNK - Montana State University montana.edu Nov 11, 2024 3 facts
claimIndigenous peoples in Maine face higher rates of chronic illnesses, including diabetes and its related comorbidities, as well as higher rates of addictions to tobacco, alcohol, and other substances, and obesity compared to the general population.
measurementIndigenous peoples in Maine have a life expectancy that is 10-14 years shorter than the general population of Maine.
measurementNearly 30% of Indigenous peoples in Maine live in poverty, and over 23% lack health insurance.
A Comprehensive Review on the Therapeutic Properties of ... traditionalmedicine.actabotanica.org 1 fact
claimThe Indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest use cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) for its anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects.
Wild edible plants for food security, dietary diversity, and nutraceuticals frontiersin.org Nov 27, 2025 1 fact
referenceHeywood (2011) explored the intersections of ethnopharmacology, food production, nutrition, and biodiversity conservation, emphasizing a sustainable future for indigenous peoples.
Ethnobotanical study of food plants used in traditional medicine in ... link.springer.com Nov 26, 2025 1 fact
referenceVierros M, Suttle CA, Harden-Davies H, and Burton G published 'Considering Indigenous peoples and local communities in governance of the global ocean commons' in Marine Policy in 2020.
History and Current Status of Psychedelics and Entactogens ... - NCBI ncbi.nlm.nih.gov 1 fact
claimMany hallucinogenic compounds were originally discovered in plants and have been used by Indigenous people since time immemorial, according to Charles Grob.
Comparison of Traditional Indigenous Diet and Modern Industrial ... isom.ca Feb 26, 2024 1 fact
claimWeston A. Price observed that indigenous peoples with little or no contact with modern society exhibited an almost complete lack of carious or deformed teeth, congenital skeletal malformations, and high immunity to infectious diseases.
Native Life and Food: Food Is More Than Just What We Eat americanindian.si.edu Aug 20, 2020 1 fact
claimMore than half of the crops grown worldwide today were first cultivated successfully and scientifically in the Americas by Indigenous People.
Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in the mountainous ... link.springer.com Oct 4, 2024 1 fact
referenceA 2012 study published in the Journal of Medicinal Plants Research surveyed the medicinal plants used by indigenous people in the Zangelanlo district of Northeast Iran.
Editorial: Local, traditional and indigenous food systems in the 21st ... frontiersin.org 1 fact
claimIndigenous peoples have historically served as the custodians of traditional food systems.
Ethnobotanical Study of Wild Edible Plants and Their Indigenous ... scirp.org 1 fact
claimIndigenous people in the rain forests of Africa and South America utilize wild edible plants as a food source, consuming them as snacks and during times of food scarcity as an integral part of their culture.