平特五不中

| Valerie MacLeod

Although Homecoming 2020 took on a different shape this year, the new virtual delivery of Masterclasses and other celebratory events gave alumni a unique opportunity to tune in to fascinating discussions on a variety of different topics, at their convenience, from the comfort of their homes.

One such class鈥攑resented by the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences鈥攅ntitled 鈥淚ndigenous Peoples鈥� Nutrition, Food Security, and Well-being,鈥� served as an introduction for many 平特五不中ians to Treena Wasonti:io Delormier, BSc(NutrSc)鈥�93, MSc鈥�96, Associate Professor in the School of Human Nutrition, recently named Canada Research Chair Tier II in Indigenous Peoples鈥� Nutrition and Food Security, and Associate Director for the Centre for Indigenous Peoples鈥� Nutrition and Environment (CINE). 聽Delormier, whose research interests include nutrition and health, Indigenous and social perspectives of food, and food security, among other topics, is using her work to build respectful and mutually beneficial connections between institutions like 平特五不中 and the Indigenous communities she partners with.

A unique approach

Through her work, Delormier seeks to address the social determinants of health underlying the inequalities Indigenous peoples face, in a historical context of colonialism, and explores how these themes connect to Indigenous identity.聽She is outspoken about the importance of self-determination: the ability for Indigenous communities to make choices to ensure that they are able to meet social, cultural and economic needs; food sovereignty: the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced ecologically and sustainably, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems; and food security: ensuring accessibility to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.

And as both an accomplished academic and a Kanien鈥檏eh谩:ka from Kahnawake, Delormier has a unique perspective, straddling the line between researcher and Indigenous community member. Her current research program鈥攆or which she was named to a Canada Research Chair (Tier II)鈥攅xplores the concepts of food sovereignty and security from Indigenous perspectives. 鈥淭he idea of food sovereignty comes back to this notion of having rights and governance over what you鈥檙e eating. For Indigenous peoples, this means having access to land and having access to Indigenous knowledge systems that support the kind of food that not only reinforces health but also identity,鈥� she explains. 鈥淯nderstanding these concepts from an Indigenous perspective requires that we respectfully learn these ways of knowing from the community鈥檚 knowledge holders, who can tell us some of the story.鈥�

As such, Delormier will devote the $3.5-million Canadian Institutes of Health Research鈥檚 (CIHR) Institute of Indigenous Peoples鈥� Health operating grant endowed to her in 2020 to the establishment of a Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) over the next five years in the province of Quebec.

Heeding the calls

On the heels of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Calls-to-Action, 平特五不中 sought to examine its own relationship with Indigenous peoples with the creation of the Provost鈥檚 Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education in 2016. A year later, the Task Force issued fifty-two calls-to-action鈥攄eemed essential to 平特五不中鈥檚 own project of Indigenous recognition and reconciliation鈥攐utlining specific steps to better engage and collaborate with Indigenous communities, with the aim of enhancing the presence and success of First Nations students, staff and faculty at 平特五不中.

Among the calls-to-action outlined in the Task Force鈥檚 final report, priorities include the prioritization of Indigenous studies and education and increased representation and funding of Indigenous research, which has renewed an academic interest in working with these unique and culturally rich communities, something Delormier can appreciate.

鈥淭he university is taking steps to ensure that Indigenous students not only have better access to education, but also that this education addresses Indigenous knowledge systems, and that ways of knowing include Indigenous knowledge holders as well as Indigenous faculty,鈥� she explains. 鈥淭here are also a significant number of researchers who feel encouraged to work with Indigenous communities because that鈥檚 what we鈥檝e been called to do through the actions that the Provost鈥檚 Office has put forward.鈥� The challenge, however, lies in ensuring that the relationships between researchers and the communities they work with are mutually beneficial. 鈥淲e need to put infrastructure in place to support both researchers and communities to work together collaboratively to ensure we are doing research projects that are both meaningful for Indigenous people while also contributing to the university鈥檚 broader mission.鈥�

A hopeful future

Although the road to reconciliation will not be easy, it鈥檚 researchers like Delormier who are drawing the blueprint for success, respectfully and meaningfully connecting with the culture while actively partnering with Indigenous communities in their research. And moving forward, there鈥檚 a lot to be hopeful about, says Delormier. 鈥淵outh in Indigenous communities are showing interest in health in food systems, in learning culture and knowledge. Language revitalization programs, cultural ceremonies and practices are now part of the way we are promoting health and health issues in the community. And Canada鈥檚 Truth and Reconciliation Commission is an important first step in recognizing how history is shaping the well-being of today鈥檚 Indigenous communities. Further, it鈥檚 hopeful to see the universities and other organizations making an effort to do things better and differently, working with students who understand the aspect of social justice and research work as it relates to food systems and sustainability, and the health of our planet.鈥�

Watch the full Homecoming 2020 Masterclass presentation: .