Future Directions Summary

Reflections & Lessons Learned

Over the past four years, the Understanding Our Food Systems project team has supported 14 First Nations communities in advancing their food sovereignty visions. Key insights from this work include:

• Building relationships and partnerships is central to success
• All work must be grounded in place and guided by community and Elder knowledge
• Progress takes time; long-term funding is vital
• TBDHU leadership means stepping back and allowing communities to lead
• Food opens the door to broader community conversations and actions
• Learning involves sitting with discomfort and confronting hard truths
• A strengths-based approach is essential
• There is a need to continue expanding local and regional connections

Future Community Goals

As of the 2024 planning visions, First Nations communities have identified the following short- and medium-term food sovereignty goals:

• Purchase materials for food growing, harvesting, and preservation
• Offer canning, cooking, and gardening workshops
• Host community kitchens and traditional food programming
• Organize land-based harvesting camps and events
• Renovate or create spaces better suited for food initiatives
• Provide training, certifications (e.g., Safe Food Handling, firearms, trapping), and networking
• Share traditional knowledge and recipes

Long-term Goals

Communities envision stronger infrastructure to support food sovereignty, including:

• Butcher shops and outdoor kitchens
• Four-season greenhouses
• Multi-purpose buildings for food programming and storage
• Expanded land-based harvesting and traditional food sharing programs

Action Steps for Understanding Our Food Systems to Support Communities

To help realize these goals, the project team will focus on:

Implementation Funds

• Support long-term infrastructure planning
• Provide ideas and guidance on fund use
• Begin planning with communities early each year
• Help communities access additional grant opportunities

Gatherings

• Include more land-based learning (e.g., moose harvesting, gardening)
• Promote greater youth involvement
• Increase frequency and length of gatherings
• Host events in community locations, not just Thunder Bay

Knowledge Sharing

• Fund and support inter-community learning opportunities
• Develop a community cookbook or recipe-sharing platform
• Create spaces (virtual and in-person) for communities to share experiences and knowledge

Resources & Tools

• Develop a high school curriculum based on the 13 Moons resource
• Provide training and workshops on priority topics (e.g., canning, seed saving)
• Continue creating relevant toolkits

Relationship Building

• Maintain regular Advisory Circle meetings, open to all food champions
• Increase staff visits to communities throughout the year
• Share the work with other First Nations, health units, and Indigenous food sovereignty practitioners

These collective efforts will help ensure that food sovereignty work continues to grow in strength, sustainability, and community leadership.

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