Indigenous fisheries and food security: Norway House Cree Nation, Manitoba, Canada
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Date
2016
Authors
Islam, Durdana
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Abstract
This thesis addresses food insecurity from an Indigenous fisheries lens and presents a conceptual model by integrating three different but inter-related domains (ecological, cultural, and business) that impact Indigenous food security. Under the broader umbrella of fisheries and food security, the thesis addresses four objectives: (i) to investigate the co-existence of commercial and subsistence fisheries, (ii) to assess food security among commercial and subsistence fishing households, (iii) to explore the meaning of traditional food by engaging Indigenous youth with an objective to revitalize culture, and (iv) to examine the role of the fisherman’s co-operative as a social enterprise to address community economic development. The study was conducted over a period of 14 months (from September 2013 to December 2014) in Norway House Cree Nation, northern Manitoba, Canada.
Community members are engaged in both subsistence and commercial fishing. The two kinds of fisheries co-exist, and potential problems of overlap are handled by temporal separation; spatial separation; formal mechanism of monitoring of net ownership; and informal communication for conflict resolution consistent with Cree values. The study found that extensive sharing of fish and other traditional foods by commercial fishers reached almost half of the total population in the community and contributed to improving food security. I used a participatory research approach to engage Indigenous youth to explore the meaning of traditional food. Participants produced a collaborative artwork on the theme of “what traditional food means to you?” This art work functioned as a boundary object, initiating discussion about food security planning in the community. Norway House Fisherman’s Co-op operates as a social enterprise mainly because of fish sharing and its role in business diversification for community economic development. The Chief and Band Council requested an exploration of ways to add value to their existing commercial fisheries. Based on the findings, further development can rely on: (i) better use of existing fish resources, such as the by-catch, (ii) fishing related economic development, such as value-added fish products, and (iii) use of options regarding regulatory bodies, such as eco-certification.
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Keywords
Indigenous fisheries, Collaborative artwork, Commercial fisheries, Native subsistence fisheries, Community economic development, Food security, Food sharing, Traditional foods, Social enterprise, Value-added fisheries, Fisherman's Co-op
Citation
Islam, D. and Berkes, F. (2016a). Can small-scale commercial and subsistence fisheries co-exist? Lessons from an indigenous community in northern Manitoba, Canada. Maritime Studies 15:1.
Islam, D., & Berkes, F. (2016b). Indigenous peoples’ fisheries and food security: a case from northern Canada. Food Security, 8(4), 815-826.
Islam, D. and Berkes, F. (in press). Between a business and a social enterprise: The Norway House Fisherman’s co-op, northern Manitoba, Canada. Journal of Enterprising Communities.
Islam, D., Zurba, M., Rogalski, A., & Berkes, F. (2016). Engaging Indigenous youth to revitalize Cree culture through participatory education. Diaspora, Indigenous and Minority Education. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15595692.2016.1216833.
Islam, D., & Berkes, F. (2016b). Indigenous peoples’ fisheries and food security: a case from northern Canada. Food Security, 8(4), 815-826.
Islam, D. and Berkes, F. (in press). Between a business and a social enterprise: The Norway House Fisherman’s co-op, northern Manitoba, Canada. Journal of Enterprising Communities.
Islam, D., Zurba, M., Rogalski, A., & Berkes, F. (2016). Engaging Indigenous youth to revitalize Cree culture through participatory education. Diaspora, Indigenous and Minority Education. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15595692.2016.1216833.