On June 18 to 20, 2024, members of the CIER team took part in the 2024 Indigenous Food Sovereignty Summit in Winnipeg, MB, hosted by Four Arrows Regional Health Authority at the RBC Convention Centre. There was an opportunity to share and learn about Indigenous cultural food practices and the ceremonies, stories, and traditional languages that honour a variety of foods across the nation.

There was a large and diverse selection of speakers and presenters at the three-day event. Some of the topics staff members attended include: Food, Song and Drumming; Summer Solstice; Connecting Pipe with Food; Hide Tanning; Traditional Land Based Program; Innini Language Recourse; and The Language of Food.

This event was a significant opportunity to learn from Indigenous food sovereignty experts. Indigenous food sovereignty goes beyond food to ensure that people and the land are connected, and that cultural and traditional teachings can guide and protect our food systems. CIER team members in attendance noted that it felt good to be in the presence of the speakers and other attendees, and to be part of the spirit of protecting ininew mechim for survival, which refers to the collective effort of preserving traditional food and culture for future generations.

Participating in summits like these encourage in-person participation and connect Indigenous and non-Indigenous peers on the ways to restore the food systems that support Indigenous self-determination, wellness, culture, values, community-building, economic growth, languages, and families while rebuilding relationships with the land, water, plants, and animals that sustain all of us. From place to place, from season to season, we live to adapt and accept whatever creator has for us. Every day, for each of us, food is involved. All Food is Medicine!