2024 Speakers

As implied in the deliberate naming of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, ‘truth’ must come before ‘reconciliation’ ­– that is, before we can begin to heal relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, there must be shared understandings of the realities and ongoing impacts of what happened in residential schools, as well as other policies and practices that were designed to control and oppress Indigenous peoples. So then, what is the truth of the impact these policies and practices have had on Indigenous peoples’ diets and health? This presentation addresses Indigenous peoples experiences of colonization in Canada through the lens of food, and shares examples of steps being taken by Indigenous Nations to improve access to healthy, whole, and traditional foods as a means of healing and survival.