By Liz Lovell, Community Food Systems Coordinator, FAN-NWO
Actualizing Indigenous food sovereignty is about much more than addressing hunger—it is about rebuilding relationships with the land, reviving traditional practices, promoting ecological and cultural resilience, and enabling Indigenous peoples to determine their own food futures. The Understanding Our Food Systems (UOFS) project is just one of many initiatives that are working to realize Indigenous food sovereignty.
UOFS is a collaborative project led by fourteen First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario in collaboration with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Lakehead University’s Sustainable Food Systems Lab. It is a community-engaged and action-based project supporting Indigenous food sovereignty and self-determination in the region. Each year, UOFS hosts spring and fall gatherings where participating communities come together to prepare and share food, tell stories, laugh together, share knowledge, and strategize ways to advance Indigenous food sovereignty in their communities, across the region, and beyond.
At the gatherings, community members discuss traditional foods as being deeply connected to their identity, culture, language, land, and community. The core idea is that every generation and culture has the right to healthy and culturally appropriate food, and furthermore, the power to shape their own food systems. Understanding Our Food Systems emphasizes the importance of understanding not only the economic or nutritional aspects of food, but also the social, political, spiritual, and ecological contexts of land and food.
On the first day of the 2025 UOFS Fall Gathering, members gathered at the Roots Community Food Centre. The day started with an opening circle and prayer, followed by a meal prepared and shared together. Folks gathered to prepare the ingredients and then cook the food over the fire. After the meal, community members learned about the harvesting and practices of Manoomin, as well as fish filleting, and gathered in a sharing circle to discuss decolonizing their diets.
For the second day, folks met at the Fort William First Nations Community Centre. Members shared breakfast together, followed by a sharing circle discussing the benefits of traditional diets. In the afternoon, participants made infused oils, learned about canning, seed saving, teas, tinctures, and medicinal plants from the land. Following this was a planning session to discuss what UOFS Communities would like to see happen in the future, concluding with a closing circle.
Some of the project’s outcomes to date have included the development of the 13 Moons Traditional Harvesting resource, a related Kindergarten and Grade 1 curriculum and colouring book, as well as wild game hunting and cooking resources, along with other valuable community resources. All of these support the reclamation and revitalisation of Indigenous food practices, knowledge sharing across communities, and education that is culturally grounded.
To learn more about the Understanding Our Food Systems Project and access the resources mentioned here, visit https://www.understandingourfoodsystems.com
To learn more about FAN-NWO, visit https://nwofood.ca/about/ and find us on social media @nwofood
