Good afternoon. First off, thank you for having us. My name is Erica Ward. I'm a member of Eel Ground First Nation. I'm Mi'kmaq, and I'm the Program Coordinator for the Natoaganeg Community Food Centre.
Eel Ground First Nation is a Mi'kmaq community in New Brunswick that neighbours the city of Miramichi, a suburban community with approximately 1,000 band members, of which an estimated 600 live on reserve. There are an estimated 230 homes in Eel Ground of which around 90 struggle to secure healthy food on an ongoing basis.
The Mi'kmaq people have lived on the banks of the Miramichi River for over 3,000 years and throughout history have utilized the abundance of natural land-based food sources such as fish, game and berries. Some of the earliest historical accounts of the Mi'kmaq drew attention to their living in unison with the land. They didn't till the ground but would hunt, fish and gather as the seasons allowed.