Maybe I'll just continue on to the next section.
In connection with some of the work we're doing in collaboration with indigenous faculty, students and a growing urban network, food gardens are being expanded in the wider Grand River territory and at the University of Guelph, to strengthen land-based relationships and local food sovereignty. Using food as a starting point for action, I am leading a community-based research program addressing community needs previously identified here in southwestern Ontario. The ongoing research is designed to engage a diverse group of partners, collaborators and knowledge users.
Garden sites have been established with the assistance of local indigenous communities at the University of Guelph arboretum and at the organic farm on the University of Guelph campus. Our aim is to address food access and knowledge barriers to exploring innovative land-based education and practices. Since the spring of 2018, edible crops and medicinal plants have been planted and nurtured by a group of committed community members, faculty and students. The gardens are known collectively as wisahkotewinowak, which means “green shoots that grow after the fire”. The garden brings together indigenous community agencies such as the Grand River Métis Council, the White Owl Native Ancestry Association, the Global Youth Volunteer Network and the Aboriginal Resource Centre.
Given the momentum and interest I have observed at the community level in regions where I am involved in research and supporting community needs, I believe it is timely to provide longer-term funding and infrastructure to support indigenous food producers, both on and off reserve.
In the fall, I attended a conference on the topic of native nutrition in Minnesota and was amazed at the innovative community-based programming supporting local food production across the U.S. Many of the projects were supported at the federal level through Indian Health Service. Indigenous communities in the U.S., such as the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux community, have also provided a significant amount of funding to the organization called Seeds of Native Health. I have provided links as part of the reference list. The organization in turn allocates grants to support food research, education and access, and to build on localized efforts.
The mission of the indigenous food and agriculture initiative based at the University of Arkansas is to enhance health and wellness in tribal communities by advancing healthy food systems, diversified economic development and cultural food traditions. They work towards empowering tribal governments, farmers, ranchers and food businesses by providing planning and technical assistance, creating new academic and professional programs in food systems and agriculture, and increasing indigenous student enrolment in food- and agriculture-related disciplines.
In 2018, the U.S. Senate passed a new farm bill that included 63 tribal-specific provisions to make a historic investment in indigenous food and agricultural production, infrastructure and economic development. Some provisions of historic significance include creating a tribal advisory council to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, adding two tribal colleges that had previously been excluded, and creating parity for access to additional agriculture programs for indigenous students.