anth 329a - food sovereignty

who coined the term food sovereignty in 1993

la via campesina, international movement of small scale farmers and peasants

what was the initial focus of the food sovereignty movement

protecting family based, small scale sustainable agriculture

what is food sovereignty

the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through economically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to defend their own food and agricultural systems.

what does the indigenous food sovereignty movement focus on

harvesting and processing land based foods, like fishing, hunting, and gathering

tseshaht

an indigenous group that spent spring and summer moving from site to site thru territory, harvesting marine resources, land animals, plats, etc.

winter = spent in the larger village, promoting a time for winter ceremonies and potlatches

tseshaht and spiritual ties to salmon

yes, they have this cultural and spiritual tie to salmon, protecting its habitat is just as important as eating it

salmon description

anadromous fish

born in freshwater, migrate to ocean, and return to river they hatched in to spawn and die. their return is a run

5 types of pacific salmon and diff methods of catching them/preserving them

pink, chum, spring, coho, sockeye

what are salmon essential for

nutritional, physical, spiritual health

salmon are a keystone species for the ecosystem of

the pacific northwest

nuu-chah-nulth whaling

hunt whales, its meat, and blubber = important part of diet

story of the thunderbird

thunderbird = legendary, colossal supernatural bird

role in creation, balance, and nature

first salmon ceremony

first fish caught up are cut up and shared among all present

prayers + ceremonies

all remnants of bones and skin are saved and return to the water

spirits of these fish return to home and tell their relatives they were treated with respect, ensuring salmon will return next year and offer their physical bodies

salmon, physical and spiritual

have a physical body and spiritual form, as do all animals

proper rlt needs to be maintained w salmon and other animals

ppl are in rlt with the animals they eat

conservation management

essential to the return of the fish

chiefs manage their territories under this concept

linked to social and political organization → ecological knowledge

chiefs also set harvests and gave permission on these territories

how do chiefs occupy their position

thru lineage based on inheritance

chiefs in the tseshaht language

hawil, haw’ilth

territories in the tseshaht language

hahuuli

preservation

life cycle of the fish and the need for habitat preservation + regulation of harvest

removing the knowledge via disrupting generational transmission

thru residential schools damages the health and well being of communities

benefits of traditional foods

wild salmon are rich in protein, low in saturated fat, and high in omega 3 fatty acids

benefits of omega 3 fatty acids

reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes, and inflammation related conditions

beneficial for brain health

indigenous struggles with poor health and nutrition

heart disease and diabetes

high rate or chronic disease

lower life expectancy

higher rates of type 3 diabetes, 3-5x higher than the general canadian pop

what are diabetes rates linked to

changes in eating patterns

tseshaht and inuit traditional diet

marine foods

fish, shellfiish, fish oil, meat, seaweed

western diets are high in starch + low in nutritional value

also reduction in physical activity that comes with settlement

food in the stores in rural areas

packaged, not healthy, and expensive

cardiovascular disease =

leading cause of death for IP in both the US and canada

how is traditional food healthier

healthier and cheaper

reinforces social bonds and transmission of knowledge (fish day + communal fish pot)

animals are shared via extended fam + reinforces social bonds

traditional foods are interwoven with cultural knowledge, lang, stories, history

diet rich in sea mammal oils

decreases risk of death from heart disease, reduces symptoms of diabetes, and helps alleviate symptoms of arthritis and other chronic diseases

what comes qwith fish

essential fatty acids that improve metabollic health

traditional food

has cultural and psychological importance

ppl report hunting sea mammals = community solidarity, collective security

nutritional + emotional + psychological benefits

elders on food

needing to eat traditional foods to feel normal/not sick/weak

colonization has removed ppl from food sources, while suggesting other food (culinary imperialism)

threats to wild salmon

habitat destruction thru dams, logging, urban development

climate change, ocean acidification

pollution

fish farms

fish farms

sea lice

disease from penned fish spread to wild salmon and other marine animals

water contamination (antibiotics, pesticides, feces from pens)

escaped fish risk supplanting wild salmon

recent court case re the nuu-chh-nulth

right to sell, trade, and barter fish

before the case, what did the nuu-chah-nulth have the right to do

right to a food fishery as per the regulations of the department of fisheries and oceans and the indian act

commercial fishing required a commercial license

inuit seal hunt

mostly ringed seal

like whale meat, seal is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals

main local source of food

atlantic seal hunt

includes harp seals

yearly hunt in the spring

conducted by non aboriginals

seal hunt = secondary economic activity

not a subsistent hunt not a full use hunt

what was the problem with the atlantic seal hunt

internationally condemned, drawing attention of stars like ellen degeneres

hunting of whitecoats

banned in canada since 1987

legal to kill them after they shed their baby fur

anti sealing protests

began in the mid 1960s, targeting the hunt of whitecoat seal

by mid 1970s

the goal of animal rights organizations was to stop all sealing in canada, including inuit harvesting

richard hunter/paul watson

first president of greenpeace, former sea shepherd

argued all commercial exploitation of seals = wrong

inuit = victims of european colonialism, drawn into commercial market for furs, perpetuating colonial structure

inuits should

stop “for their own good”

watson had not ___ w/ inuit

consulted. no understanding of the economic importance of the seal when he made those comments

inuit’s argument

their voices have not been heard in this controversy, where they are the most negatively impacted

key argument in angry inuk

regaining control of the narrative

in atlantic canada, the anti sealing protestors are seen as _____

southern elites pitted against working class men w/ few econ prospects