The Adverse Effects Government Initiatives Have on Aboriginal Food Insecurity

This research paper focuses on the attempts of the Canadian government to deal with food scarcity in the Indigenous community. Despite the many efforts of the government to make amends with the Indigenous population, they have some of the highest rates of poverty demographically in Canada. Food scarcity is a major topic when talking about Indigenous people because many live in areas where there is no access to healthy affordable food. Many do not have access to traditional food and are unable to exercise their right as Indigenous people to fish and hunt. Within this paper, three pertinent examples are explored: first, the lack of regard for Indigenous food sovereignty; second, the issue of fishing legislations; finally, food security initiatives in the North. Far from meaningfully, addressing food insecurity, nutritional programs designed by the federal government have often exacerbated the issue. This is likely due to the lack of involvement from the Indigenous community and their leaders in decision-making. By incorporating the Indigenous community, food security laws and programs made for Indigenous people have the potential to actually have a positive impact on the Indigenous community.

Publication Date: 
2017
Volume: 
10
Issue: 
1
Journal Name: 
The Journal of Student Science and Technology