8 northeastern Ont. First Nations holding a food sovereignty summit this week

For most of the eight First Nations along the north shore of Lake Huron, the closest grocery store is a 30-minute drive away. 

When the COVID-19 travel restrictions were in full swing in these communities, it complicated access to food, and highlighted the need to have more local food supply chains. 

That's when Niigaaniin, the social services arm of Mamasweswen, the North Shore Tribal Council, started paying closer attention to food sovereignty. 

That organization serves Wahnapitae, Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, Garden River, Batchewana, Mississauga, Sagamok, Serpent River and Thessalon First Nations.

Initially created as part of Ontario Works, Niigaaniin has expanded in recent years to include language revitalization programs and mental health services. 

This week Niigaaniin and Mamaswen are hosting a food sovereignty summit at the Water Tower Inn in Sault Ste Marie. 

The four day event features community presentations, roundtable discussions and field excursions. 

Summit to focus on collaboration

Michelle Seanor, head of Research and Development with Niigaaniin, says the goal of the event is to plant the seeds for future collective food initiatives. 

"Food sovereignty looks like people getting back to more traditional ways," she said. 

"It involves working with the land for fruits and vegetables, as well as access to meats and traditional forms of harvesting." 

She says the summit will help showcase people from the North Shore communities involved in food security and sovereignty projects, like Wikwemkoong's livestock program. 

As part of sharing best practices, the summit will wrap up with a tour of Thessalon's greenhouses, a pilot project aiming to grow fresh produce for the Mamaswen communities. 

She says Niigaaniin is still in the early stages of using these facilities, but it has successfully managed to grow produce like tomatoes, lime, lemons and kale so far. 

Seanor adds that there is a strong link between food security and the organization's initial mandate, which is to deliver social services in the Mamaswen communities.

"There's a large proportion of community members who are trying to meet basic needs on a very limited budget. When you consider how much the cost of food has increased with inflation, food sovereignty initiatives provide more self-sufficiency and capabilities."