Indigenous Peoples & Places: History and Context
Prior to colonization, Indigenous people designed and planned their communities with the natural world in mind. Using oral stories, place naming and valuing land and humans as one and the same, Indigenous Peoples:
- Formed their communities based on where food, water, and medicines could be found (Stout, 2018).
- Adapted and modified their environments to meet their needs rather than seeing them as spaces to be exploited (Stout, 2018).
The places where Indigenous communities make their homes have been historically and continue to be influenced by the larger social, cultural and historical environment within Canada, often resulting in negative impacts to their physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental health.
Historic and contemporary policies like the Indian Act, Band Membership and Hunting and Treaty Rights, continue to have a large influence on Indigenous communities, their sovereignty and impact their ability to create and support healthy places.
Effects of Urban or Reserve Dwellings
As we examine the effects of policies, social and cultural influences on healthy places in an Indigenous context, it’s important to recognize the different challenges and environments between Urban Indigenous Communities and Indigenous Communities on Reserve. Read below for more detail.
The majority of Indigenous Peoples (~60%) now live in urban settings in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2016). Living away from reserves can exacerbate disconnect from:
- The land
- Their culture
- Family and other mentors
Communities who live on reserves may experience:
- Higher rates of food insecurity
- Limited access to and ability to participate in traditional food systems
- Higher cost and longer travel times to access grocery stores and other food retailers
(Stout, 2018)
Indigenous Hunting & Fishing Treaty Rights in Alberta
Through treaty rights, Indigenous Peoples have the right to hunt and harvest on Crown land. However, even today these rights are dependent on Indian Status as the land which is available for hunting is limited. Additionally, hunting and harvesting regulations can disproportionally affect certain Indigenous groups. For example, Métis in Alberta were recently granted the right to hunt under treaty rights in 2018 after years of not being recognized by the Government of Alberta (Government of Alberta, 2016 and Metis Nation of Alberta, 2018).
Tips for Supporting Healthy Indigenous Communities Through Allyship
Consider the following steps to help you move towards supporting healthy Indigenous communities through allyship.
Step 1: Learn more about Indigenous Hunting & Treaty Rights
This step is intended to help you check-in with any preconceived notions you and/or your organization may have of Indigenous peoples and to deepen your understanding of Indigenous Hunting & Treaty Rights and how these impact Indigenous peoples across the province. Check out the following resources:
- Indigenous Hunting and Fishing in Alberta
- Healthy Communities Framework: Indigenous Voices in Policy
- Métis Harvesting In Alberta: Violence, Racism & Resistance
Key Considerations
Overall, these regulations continue to affect the places and ways in which Indigenous peoples access and participate in traditional land-based activities that support healthy eating and active living. It is important to be aware of these regulations and their impacts on Indigenous peoples, and to look for ways to support healthy places for Indigenous communities and ally organizations.
Step 2: Further Your Understanding
Before you take action, take the time to further your understanding on a deeper level. Consider expanding your reconciliation and allyship journey by learning more about what factors influence the creation of healthy places for Indigenous peoples. The eCourses and resources below offer a great starting point!
Learn from Elders and Indigenous communities across the province why returning to a Traditional Food System is important, how communities are returning to it and what role you can play in supporting Traditional Food Systems.
Start the eCourse here!
Developed in partnership with World Urban Parks, this module explores the opportunities and strategies to create healthy food environments in all the spaces where our communities recreate (on the land, in community centres, and in our parks).
Start the eCourse here!
If you work directly with Indigenous communities, consider the following resources:
Step 3: Supporting Healthy Indigenous Communities Through Allyship
At an individual, group or organizational level, consider how you can work with Indigenous partners to create healthy places. Once you’ve taken the time to educate yourself, consider some of the following actions below to initiate community level allyship:
- Participate in educational opportunities to create an informed foundation for allyship (i.e. online eCourses and resources)
- Create partnerships that allow for sharing of organizational resources to support Indigenous led programs or initiatives
- Provide funding support for Indigenous led initiatives and programs (i.e. grants, bursaries, etc.)
- Provide in-kind support (i.e. shared-use agreements, volunteer support, equipment sharing, etc.)
- Participate in publicly open events and activities (i.e. virtual fitness programs like Powwow Sweat)
Key Considerations
Remember: While it may be tempting to jump into advocacy work on the behalf of an Indigenous community, each Indigenous community is unique with different histories, values and needs. Before pursuing advocacy it’s important to:
- Create and maintain genuine relationships with the community. They are best at knowing what they want and need; seek to understand their perspective on advocacy work.
- Be educated and have a deep understanding of the Indigenous community you are advocating for. *Note: Take special care not to view the Indigenous community with a pan-Indigenous lens. Get to know the specific community you’re working with.
- Ask where you can help. Some communities may not want or require advocacy, and others may desire advocacy to take a specific form. It’s important to get direction from the community prior to taking on advocacy work.
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