Our core goal at NATIFS is to strengthen the Indigenous food cycle, allowing more people (especially Indigenous folks) to connect with and consume various Indigenous foods that nourish the body, improve cultural and ecological health, and strengthen Indigenous prosperity and autonomy.
Colonization disrupted our traditional agricultural methods, diets, and food sovereignty and replaced them with a Western, industrialized system that relies heavily on a few key crops (think soy, corn, and wheat) and animals (chickens, cows, and pigs), on huge tracts of land that are transported across vast distances for processing and sale. The industrial system prioritizes a predictable, profitable output at the expense of health and biodiversity. Farmers produce a few key commodity crops, often grown for animal feed or processed and turned into low-nutrient junk foods and sold by big grocery chains (often the only option in an area) to consumers. A huge amount of waste is involved – often, fruits and vegetables that don’t fit into narrow requirements for color, size, and shape are simply thrown away.
Food in this system is a commodity above all– and rarely an acknowledgment that these plants and animals are our relatives. But the Indigenous food cycle shows us another way of nourishing ourselves and the earth.
Producing: The Indigenous food cycle emphasizes the full, seasonal cycle of local food production: from growing to harvesting to distribution and consumption to waste management and composting. It involves foraging (respectfully collecting directly from the land), growing (on relatively small plots using crop rotation, the three sisters method, and other ancestral traditions that build soil health and create nutrient-rich foods), and hunting and fishing (using whole-animal butchery and taking only reasonable amounts).
On the buying side, consumers can do so much to help the Indigenous food cycle thrive. When we, as consumers, divert our money from the industrial food system and instead buy Indigenous-produced foods, we help create a thriving, economically stable, and ecologically regenerative network of Indigenous producers, food entrepreneurs, and communities.
An important piece of the puzzle is getting out the word about Indigenous foods and creating easy opportunities for consumers to choose them. For instance, the Indigenous Food Lab Market is stocked with dozens of products from food producers all over Turtle Island (the Indigenous term for North America) who steward and grow foods ranging from centuries-old heirloom corn varieties to hot sauces, teas, and even bison pemmican, a jerky-like dried meat. NATIFS is working on creating food hubs like these across North America to create access for all to enjoy Indigenous foods – and to help create revenue for producers.
NATIFS is also invested in creating opportunities for Indigenous chefs to hone their crafts, develop new recipes and products, and for more consumers to try them. The recent boom in Indigenous restaurants is bringing fresh new takes on ancestral recipes, showing the world that Indigenous foods are dynamic, innovative, and delicious.
Following the Indigenous food cycle empowers our communities to reclaim control over our food sources. It creates opportunities to better understand and respect the land we live on and can have ripple effects outwards to all our relationships – not just with our food. We hope that some consumers go even further and become advocates for the Indigenous food system in their communities by requesting Indigenous products at their local grocery stores and contacting local representatives to encourage support for Indigenous food sovereignty, feeding right back into opportunities for producers and continuing a cycle of nourishment.
