NAN symposium focuses on traditional foods, food preparation

Traditional foods and food preparation are on the table this week, as about 70 delegates from Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) communities gather for NAN's ninth-annual food symposium.

The group spent the symposium's first day — Tuesday, Aug. 22 — touring community gardens in Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation. They then headed to Quetico's learning centre, where they'll spend the remainder of the symposium taking part in education sessions and workshops dealing with topics like traditional foods and diabetes, smoking cessation, growing sprouts and microgreens and fermenting food.

"It's just showing people what could be done around gardening," said Wendy Trylinski, NAN's director of public health education. "Trying to network and support each other, and trying to move the NAN food self-determination forward."

Distribution system 'broken'

Trylinski said northern communities deal with many issues when it comes to distribution of food, a system she called "broken."

"They have to rely on a large, corporate retailer in terms of getting any kind of market food in," she said. "The prices are high, due to shipping costs. There's a huge lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in the communities."

The hope is that communities that participate in the symposium will be encouraged to grow their own food. And Trylinski said it's working, with changes happening in NAN communities.

'Amazing gardens'

"We have some amazing gardens up north," she said. "Fort Albany is just developing a seven-acre garden."

"[Sachigo Lake First Nation] has a huge garden, and they've got 10 families that have their own backyard gardens," Trylinski said. "And what's really exciting is that Sandy Lake has just gotten some laying hens, so they're expecting their eggs to be coming any day."

Attendees will also have opportunities to provide input into the Canadian food policy, which the federal government is currently developing.