A new food security initiative has been launched by the Huron-Superior Métis Community
The goal of the project, which was launched on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the landmark Powley Decision, is to identify and close food-related gaps faced by Métis citizens in the region, beginning with a survey.
“At its heart, the Powley case was about a Métis community’s inherent right to feed and care for its families,” says Regional Councillor Mitch Case. “Twenty years later, we still face many challenges to ensuring that every Métis family has access to healthy and nutritious foods, including the traditional foods that our community historically relied upon.”
Case has received calls and messages from Huron-Superior Métis Citizens with concerns about how inflation, climate change, and other factors are making it increasingly difficult to meet food-related needs and they were issues made worse by the COVID pandemic and are often felt most by Métis citizens who already face cost-of-living challenges.
“What we hear is that it’s our Métis elders and families with young children that are facing the greatest food security challenges,” adds Case. “As a Métis government, it’s our duty to work to meet the needs of our citizens - especially when mainstream programs and services are falling short. We are committed to doing just that.”
Collecting data to accurately get the full picture of Métis-specific regional food security data is an important first step that would paints the full picture of Huron-Superior Métis citizens’ food-related needs, including where the needs are greatest. That led to the release of the first Huron-Superior Métis Food Sovereignty Survey.
The survey was designed using the Canadian Community Health Survey, which will enable apples-to-apples data comparison with broader regional and national benchmarks.
The survey also includes many additional components that examine unique aspects of Métis food-related culture and practice.
The ultimate goal is for Huron-Superior Métis citizens themselves to identify the highest priority needs and opportunities that can guide future community investments, such as those in community food programs, land, food-related equipment, or skills development.
Any verified Métis Nation of Ontario citizen living within the Huron-Superior Métis Community can complete the survey, found here before Sept. 30.
Those who complete the survey will be entered to win prizes, including a Bradley Original 4-Rack Electric Smoker, Excalibur 9-Tray Food Dehydrator, and gift cards to Huron-Superior Métis businesses.