Mobilizing and promoting family well-being through Indigenous food systems

We explored how Indigenous food sovereignty promotes sustainable human-environment connections when families work together to reinvigorate Indigenous food systems.

We employed an Indigenous modification of Photovoice to follow the principles of Anishinaabe Symbol-Based Reflection, which emphasizes creating and describing photographs as symbols for a holistic experience that engages mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Drawing from community-engagement praxis, we co-developed a codebook and analyzed transcripts using ATLAS.ti.

This project emerged from a long-term partnership, Wiba Anung (Early Star), between Indigenous community leaders, the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, and researchers, focused on reclaiming Indigenous practices and promoting food sovereignty and well-being by co-developing resources for Indigenous families.

Six mothers and grandmothers caring for Anishinaabe children under age five across participated. Their intergenerational and caregiving experiences grounded the project in lived realities.

Participants shared 147 photographs, discussing the images in a series of five 2-hour meetings. We present images, captions, and quotes from our meetings, which together illustrate the experiences of Indigenous families. Discussions focused on the importance of sharing food knowledge between generations, reclaiming Indigenous cultural practices through food, and learning from our more-than-human relations to promote holistic well-being.

Participants expressed personal well-being as a reflection of broader community and environmental well-being. Food systems become an effective conduit for promoting healing from colonial trauma and rebalancing all aspects of well-being. This illustrates the importance of integrating the holistic practice of relationality and connectedness when mobilizing for change through new food and nutrition programming, particularly for Indigenous communities.