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Ashley Juraschka, Michelle Pelletier, Glenn Nelmida, Renee Tipler-Corpuz
Environmental dispossession, increased urbanization and cultural genocide are just a few of the barriers that Indigenous people in Canada continue to face due to the political and cultural violence that ensued through the colonization of Canada [1]. These barriers, in conjunction with factors including decreased access to social, kinship and traditional food networks has contributed to approximately 55% of urban-based Indigenous community members describing themselves as food-insecure [1]. In the context of Scarborough, the low-income Indigenous population is at the forefront of this problem, however, many other stakeholders are also involved. Indigenous Elders, dieticians and nutritionists all play a role in restoring traditional food diets for Indigenous people. Non-profit food distribution centres and local governments are stakeholders who prioritize food accessibility for all. It is necessary for these stakeholders to work together in order to improve the accessibility of nutritious and culturally appropriate food options for the approximately 30,000 food-insecure Indigenous people living in Scarborough [2, 1].
For more information about the problem of Indigenous food insecurity in Scarborough, check out our design brief:
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Our solution involves the creation of an NGO (TruthBox) to resolve Indigenous food insecurity in Scarborough. TruthBox takes a both a long- and short-term approach to resolving this issue. To equip food-insecure Indigenous people with nutrient-dense, culturally appropriate foods, TruthBox will partner with Indigenous community centres to distribute subsidized traditional food boxes. Food boxes will be made available to food-insecure indigenous people and will be filled with traditional meats, grains and produce that has been hunted and gathered by Indigenous people. The proposed long-term solution involves educating Canadians on the lingering effects of colonialism to bring more support to Indigenous issues, including food insecurity. To achieve this, knowledge packages about Indigenous culture, history and the colonial legacy will be developed and sold to educational establishments and corporations that are looking to do anti-colonial work. This will be the main source of funding for the food box program while also playing a part in honouring Truth and Reconciliation mandates.
A limit when tackling issues related to Indigenous people is the lack of available research. As a result of residential schools and the negative history between the Canadian Government and Indigenous communities, statistics on Indigenous people are limited. As such, we have extrapolated the limited available research to approximate the extent and underlying factors of the Indigenous food insecurity problems in Scarborough. If these assumptions prove to not be true, and the demand is greater than the 30,000 people predicted, the solution may not be as effective. Furthermore, we have not had the opportunity to engage with Indigenous community members directly. As such, we are assuming that the success of similar projects to the one proposed will indicate the successful adoption of the proposed solution. Before proceeding with the implementation, it is critical to involve Indigenous people in Scarborough to ensure their needs are being met appropriately. Another key assumption made is that companies and schools will want to invest in TruthBox for the reasons expressed in the detailed explanation. To create a viable business plan, market research will need to be undertaken by business professionals, and will need to be outsourced. We also assume a different definition of economic viability, one with limited market growth. This is done to be aligned with the Indigenous perspective of sustainability, one which allows future generations the use of goods without evolving in a capitalistic, “infinite growth” mindset. Additionally, we assume that the use of existing infrastructure including southbound transport routes and community centres will be possible. Without this infrastructure, the solution will need to be adjusted. Finally, we have not performed any detailed cost analysis given the limited resources and knowledge in our team. Rather, we identified resources and estimates from other projects which could be consulted at a later date to further develop the financial viability of the project.
Of the approximately 55,000 indigenous people living in Toronto [2], Indigenous people living in Scarborough, especially low-income ones, are highly affected by food insecurity, as a result of the impact of colonization (and the political and cultural violence which ensued from the Indian Act), environmental dispossession, and increase urbanization of the Indigenous community [1]. Households who are food insecure tends to suffer from illnesses or diseases such as diabetes, and are likely living in poverty with less than $40,000 in before-tax income [3]. Food desserts exacerbates the problem of food insecurity in Scarborough. Food deserts are areas in which there is limited access to affordable, nutritious, fresh foods; this usually translates to a lack of grocery stores in a 500m radius [4]. In Scarborough, the number of convenience stores in low-income areas, far out-weights the number of grocery stores where nutritious food can be accessed. The proposed solution addresses food insecurity among Indigenous communities in Scarborough, and at the same time tackling the UN Sustainable Development Goal #2 by way of making a food box delivery ecosystem. An example of a sample traditional Indigenous food box designed by TruthBox is detailed in Figure 1. TruthBox also plans to develop learning resources as depicted in Figure 2.
<aside> 💡 Commonwealth nations have a horrible history of colonization, which is perpetuated by a lack of education at all levels; this project must be approached with the assumption that every Canadian citizen knows nothing about Indigenous peoples or their histories. Thus, the practical humility clause first addresses the reader and urges them to research anti-colonial Indigenous history before continuing their reading.
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Figure 1: Image Depicting Traditional Indigenous Foods that will be provided in Truth Box Food Boxes
Figure 2: Examples of Learning Resources to be sold in Knowledge Packages (Infographics, Video Resources, Lesson Plans and Testing/Evaluation Resources)
The design criteria with which this solution is tested are as follows:
The proposed solution aims to satisfy each of the design criteria in a unique which simultaneously empowers the Indigenous community. The first criteria will be satisfied through our subsidized food box program. Each food will be selected by Indigenous chefs and nutritionists to ensure we meet the 190 days of traditional food consumption. The combination of the long- and short-term approach to this solution has the possibility to achieve zero hunger by 2030 for this community. The food boxes will support the short-term reduction in food insecurity by providing immediate relief to those in need, while the knowledge packages will raise awareness about Indigenous issues, increase the long-term support of food insecurity. Furthermore, the United Nation’s SDG #2 of zero hunger references the importance of increasing the ability for Indigenous people to perform agricultural practices [6], which will be accomplished through empowering Indigenous people through employment opportunities to perform traditional hunting and gathering practices for the collection of food for the boxes. The third criteria will be satisfied through the access to traditional foods. This will initiate the sharing of historic recipes and the methods food is traditionally sourced [7]. Additionally, Indigenous children attending urban schools will have greater access to this knowledge as they will be learning about their traditional food systems both in the classroom (through our learning resources) and at home.
The technical feasibility of this venture relies primarily on the willingness of Indigenous hunters and gatherers to supply food to their communities down South. Its success also relies on optimal chain supply management, gathering and distributing Indigenous knowledge, making this knowledge accessible and securing funding from schools and corporations through sales of knowledge packages.
The Makushaan project [8], illustrates the possibility of making Indigenous food more accessible in Québec’s prisons. Cree social workers and family members hunt, cook and deliver homemade meals to incarcerated Indigenous people. Goose, caribou, moose, beaver and bannock are served. This project is funded through Cree Justice and is endorsed by the Elders of the village. Due to the Crees’ participation in the fur trade in the 1700s, they are one of the richest nations on Turtle Island. Their historic wealth allows them to fund this project themselves [9].
<aside> ✅ The system developed in the Makushaan project demonstrates the strength and determination of the Indigenous community to make traditional food more accessible.
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Indigenous Feast Boxes in another project which demonstrates the success of a program similar to TruthBox within the City of Toronto. Indigenous chefs from the Indigenous Culinary of Associated Nations (ICAN) banded together to create food boxes for low-income families. Inuit, Métis and First Nations chefs created the menus and sourced the items themselves to feed approximately 1,300 families of 4-6 people [10]. They received funding through GoFundMe, which relies on public donations, and through their own businesses’ capital. These meals cost $50 and were delivered through the Indigenous Family Network. The success of this project provides a great case study for a similar project to be completed in Scarborough.
Partnerships with Indigenous people that hold the necessary knowledge to feed their community (local Toronto chefs) [11], the ICAN, the Indigenous Family Centre of Scarborough, the Indigenous Nutritional Knowledge Information Network and the Centre for Indigenous Nutrition and Environment are key stakeholders) is necessary for appropriate knowledge transfer.
To initiate the preliminary funding for this venture, funding that does not rely solely on Indigenous capital (from private corporations (i.e. in the engineering sector like Hatch and WSP, and in the investment sector like the CDPQ and PSP) and from educational institutions) should be acquired. Funding by these corporations and institutions in exchange for learning resources is assumed to be possible, given the vested interest they have in social justice initiatives. Schools in particular are obligated, through Truth and Reconciliation, to teach Canadian history from an Indigenous perspective and thus require learning resources.
With respect to supply chain management, it would follow a pre-existing one; when communities up North receive food and other items through trucks and rail, they could send back the hunted and gathered foods to reach the community centre in Scarborough. It would be packed and sent to Scarborough to support Indigenous food insecurity.
TruthBox could be scaled in the future by connecting different communities together and allowing more expansive meal plans from a wider network.
A proposed implementation schedule is detailed in Figure 3.
Figure 3. Gantt chart for project management and approximate timeline (fictitious).
In order to objectively assess the economic viability of the project, there are three things that should be considered: cost to collect traditional foods, logistics costs to transport between the food source and Scarborough, and lastly, the cost of materials and/or labour in preparing the food boxes and knowledge packages. Specific information about the costs can be found in Appendix A.
Existing initiatives such as volunteerism and donation drives can help offset the costs associated with materials and labor in preparing the food boxes and educational materials. However, the main revenue stream is from selling (at a premium) the educational materials to schools and private institutions that are interested in engaging with Indigenous people and their knowledge as part of their Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR). Several companies, particularly mining corporations, are engaged with Indigenous people to conduct their businesses and operations [12]. We are interested in selling the educational materials to these companies to help them achieve their CSR goals. More importantly, this will increase the awareness of their employees when talking to Indigenous people and hopefully lead to better communication and understanding. Additionally, based on the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, there is great emphasis placed on educational institutions to engage in activities/initiatives that focus on educating students with Indigenous history and knowledge [13]. Partnerships with various school boards can provide stable revenue by offering the school boards with appropriate learning materials developed by the Indigenous community themselves.
<aside> ⚠️ While the project aims to provide free food to the target population in Scarborough in the long run, the project will start with losses at first as it is established.
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With losses expected in the early years, the food boxes will only be subsidized for the community – they can be bought at a cheaper price. The cost of the food boxes will be gradually decreased yearly as revenues increase until it is possible to offer the boxes for free.
Indigenous Peoples are deeply connected with their land and research shows that there is a correlation with a loss of well-being and quality of life associated with the loss of traditional, land-based livelihoods. Western medicine does not take a holistic approach and Indigenous communities are not getting the correct resources or treatments because they are not educated on Indigenous cultures. Indigenous Peoples believe their land to be a living entity and the only way for them to be healthy is to make sure that every aspect of them is healthy, i.e. if their land is unwell, they are unwell [21]. Unfortunately, through historic governmental disinterest and lack of action, they have had to learn to rely on themselves and their communities. Without proper education, Indigenous Peoples will continue to receive improper care and will continue to be disrespected.
Community is a pillar for Indigenous peoples’ social relations. It allows them to practice their culture, keep their languages alive and form tightly knit bonds between community members. Food sharing plays a pivotal role in Indigenous community building and employing Indigenous hunters and gatherers has already been expressed as a request [20]. As indicated by the adoption of programs including, Indigenous Feast Boxes and The Makushaan project (see Technical Feasibility), it is apparent that the community built through Indigenous programs is particularly effective at achieving social acceptability [8, 10].
<aside> 🪶 As such, TruthBox aims to achieve this through partnerships with Indigenous community centres and other Indigenous organizations to help foster community building. With this intent, most Indigenous stakeholders will likely be accepting of the solution providing the Indigenous community is closely involved in the organization and decisions being made in the proposed programs.
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With respect to the local government, their direct involvement will be minimal and thus minimal opposition to this solution is expected. However, should the local Government want to support this program in order to build more vibrant and healthy neighbourhoods through the support of this community-led program, there is no indicator that governmental opposition would occur. This is a result of the increased pressure to improve Indigenous community development, as specified in the Canadian Federal Government’s publishing of Indigenous Community Development National Strategy [14] and the fact that eating traditional foods leads to improved health and less demand on governmental programs, like the healthcare system [22]. With respect to the learning resources being sold to schools, the local government is likely to be accepting of this given the push towards Truth and Reconciliation content in schools [13].
While the main objectives of TruthBox are outlined in the design criteria, TruthBox is also committed to being environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.
Environmental sustainability lies in the careful and planned use of the available materials on one’s land. Through the employment of Indigenous people to hunt/gather and prepare traditional foods, TruthBox adopts the sustainable practices that Indigenous food systems practice. Traditional food systems place an emphasis on natural growth, reproduction and regeneration cycles of plants and animals. Indigenous food systems do not rely on mass production or consumption but rather ensure that naturally occurring food systems will be available for generations to come [15].
![Figure 4: Hunted and Gathered Indigenous foods based on Natural and Seasonal Growth, Reproduction and Regeneration Cycles [16].](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/secure.notion-static.com/fe9e40ff-9420-4435-ba7e-95b5d1d87e20/Untitled.png)
Figure 4: Hunted and Gathered Indigenous foods based on Natural and Seasonal Growth, Reproduction and Regeneration Cycles [16].
Social sustainability aims to improve people’s quality of life by creating tools and laws that centre on health and wellness. TruthBox satisfies this by creating equal opportunities for low-income Indigenous people to access traditional foods that would not otherwise be accessible. Furthermore, the partnerships that are leverage with existing community programs helps to bring greater unity within the Indigenous community, while also pooling strength from each organization, leading to greater social sustainability [23].
TruthBox’s economic sustainability lies within creating a circular economy that is placed in the hands of Indigenous people, in which they have the power to mould it as they see fit. Indigenous people place their community’s well-being at the centre of their lives.
<aside> 🌿 TruthBox’s delivery model would allow them to create a health service system that allows a non-capitalistic, non-westernized solution, aligned with traditional Indigenous values of holistic consumption. Furthermore, the increase in job opportunities for Indigenous people as a result of TruthBox, will also help to support economic sustainability.
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[1] C. Richmond, M. Steckley, H. Neufeld, R. B. Kerr, K. Wilson, and B. Dokis, “First Nations Food Environments: Exploring the role of place, income, and Social Connection,” Current Developments in Nutrition, vol. 4, no. 8, 2020.
[2] M.A. Rotondi et al., ‘Our Health Counts Toronto: using respondent-driven sampling to unmask the census undercounts of an urban indigenous population in Toronto, Canada,’ BMJ open, vol. 7, no.12, p. e018936, 2017.