Exploring the Perceptions of and Experiences with Traditional Foods among First Nations Female Youth: A Participatory Photovoice Study

Abstract

Traditional foods contribute to the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Many Indigenous Peoples within Canada have expressed a desire to consume more traditional foods; however, there are a number of barriers to doing so. Southern and urban communities face unique challenges associated with traditional food consumption. To address these concerns and build on community interests in a Haudenosaunee community in Southern Ontario, a participatory research project was initiated. This community-based study utilized Photovoice methodology to explore the perceptions of and experiences with traditional foods among local youth. Participants ranging in age from 15–22 (n = 5) took photos of their local food environments, including locations where foods were acquired, consumed, prepared, or shared during two seasons of the year. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect participants’ stories behind 8–10 self-selected images. A thematic analysis was subsequently utilized to identify patterns and themes illustrated by the photos and interview content. The youth conveyed contextual understandings of traditional foods and a preference for these items, despite their limited consumption, preparation or harvesting of these foods. The youth also identified the important influence of families and communities on their individual perceptions and experiences with traditional foods. Recommendations to reduce barriers to traditional food choices among youth are made.

The Impact of Land-Based Physical Activity Interventions on Self-Reported Health and Well-Being of Indigenous Adults: A Systematic Review

“…The differences between the types of activities and the benefits of integrating them into health and well-being interventions is community-specific and therefore more studies employing communitybased participatory research (CBPR) methods would be beneficial [56]. Many studies have highlighted the importance of CBPR when working with Indigenous communities [34,38,54,56,63]. One of these studies, by Foulds, Bredin and Warburton [63] examined the health benefits of community-based physical activity interventions for Indigenous Canadians.…”

“…The use of practices outside the conventional medical practices are referred to as traditional, complementary and integrative medicines (TCIM) [33]. Increasingly, there has been exploration of using both Western and traditional Indigenous knowledge when working with Indigenous populations [34]. Using complementary approaches to understand health and wellness outcomes [35]-recently coined as "two-eyed seeing" or Etuaptumumk by Mi'kmaq Elders Albert, and Murdena Marshall [36]-allows for the inclusion of the diverse perspectives and experiences of Indigenous populations.…”

Decolonizing the learning of sitopias in Toronto

“…Photovoice has been used extensively in food studies research, emphasizing the "voices" of marginalized populations. In Canada, photovoice has been used to study international students' food experiences in Canada, urban school food systems, experiences with traditional foods among First Nations female youth, experiences of the food environment among new immigrants, and food (in)security (Amos & Lordly, 2014;Genuis et al, 2015;Hanemaayer, et al, 2020;Rodriguez, et al, 2016). Photography provides an opportunity for teaching and may offer unique contributions to food studies and education.…”

Indigenous Land-Based Approaches to Well-Being: The Amisk (Beaver) Harvesting Program in Subarctic Ontario, Canada

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