location

Northwestern North America

Facts (10)

Sources

“The Old Foods Are the New Foods!”: Erosion and Revitalization of ... frontiersin.org Frontiers 10 facts

claimIndigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America have accessed diverse food species from various vegetation zones over centuries and millennia.

accountChildren in Indigenous communities of Northwestern North America were, and to some extent still are, trained in food harvesting and processing from an early age, often obtaining their own food throughout the day.

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.

claimMany Indigenous people in Northwestern North America are at risk of diet-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, due to the consumption of imported, refined, and marketed foods.

claimInitiatives to revitalize Indigenous food traditions in Northwestern North America are often connected with language revitalization and cultural resurgence programs, and are led by Indigenous communities with support from academic, government, and other partners.

claimEarly anthropologists in Northwestern North America incorrectly assumed that food procurement for First Peoples was a matter of ease and abundance, failing to recognize the complex interactions and knowledge systems between the people and the land.

claimIn traditional Indigenous food systems of Northwestern North America, there were no strict gender-based rules for the division of labor; while women generally harvested plant foods and shellfish and men were typically hunters and fishers, anyone—including men, women, two-spirit, and gender-diverse people—could undertake food harvesting and processing activities.

claimTurner and Turner (2007) argue that traditional food systems in Northwestern North America are experiencing erosion and renewal.

referenceThe following sources document Indigenous peoples' food systems in Northwestern North America: United Nations (1992, 2007), Anderson (2005), Menzies (2006), Nabhan (2006), Watts and Watts (2007), Brown et al. (2009), Kuhnlein et al. (2009, 2013), Krohn and Segrest (2010), Corntassel and Bryce (2012), Joseph (2012, 2020), Deur et al. (2013), Proctor (2013), Turner et al. (2013b), Augustine and Dearden (2014), Mackenzie (2014), Turner (2014, 2020a), Claxton (2015), Beckwith et al. (2017), Lutz (2020), and Minnis (2021).

claimIndigenous communities in Northwestern North America have initiated efforts over the last few decades to restore and revitalize ancestral foods and re-learn traditional methods of processing and harvesting.