Exploring the Perceptions of and Experiences with Traditional Foods among First Nations Female Youth: A Participatory Photovoice Study

Rebecca Hanemaayer, Kimberley Anderson, Jess Haines, Kitty RLynn Lickers, Adrianne Lickers Xavier, Kelly Gordon and Hannah Tait Neufeld
Additional contact information
Rebecca Hanemaayer: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Kimberley Anderson: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Jess Haines: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
Kitty RLynn Lickers: Six Nations Health Services, Ohsweken, ON N0A 1M0, Canada
Adrianne Lickers Xavier: Department of Indigenous Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada
Kelly Gordon: Six Nations Health Services, Ohsweken, ON N0A 1M0, Canada
Hannah Tait Neufeld: School of Public Health and Health Systems, the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-16

Abstract: Traditional foods contribute to the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Many Indigenous Peoples within Canada have expressed a desire to consume more traditional foods; however, there are a number of barriers to doing so. Southern and urban communities face unique challenges associated with traditional food consumption. To address these concerns and build on community interests in a Haudenosaunee community in Southern Ontario, a participatory research project was initiated. This community-based study utilized Photovoice methodology to explore the perceptions of and experiences with traditional foods among local youth. Participants ranging in age from 15–22 ( n = 5) took photos of their local food environments, including locations where foods were acquired, consumed, prepared, or shared during two seasons of the year. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect participants’ stories behind 8–10 self-selected images. A thematic analysis was subsequently utilized to identify patterns and themes illustrated by the photos and interview content. The youth conveyed contextual understandings of traditional foods and a preference for these items, despite their limited consumption, preparation or harvesting of these foods. The youth also identified the important influence of families and communities on their individual perceptions and experiences with traditional foods. Recommendations to reduce barriers to traditional food choices among youth are made.

Keywords: traditional foods; Indigenous foods; traditional food systems; Indigenous food sovereignty; traditional knowledge; Indigenous youth; southern Ontario (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2214/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2214/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:7:p:2214-:d:337300

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().