Growing Beyond Nutrition:

Abstract

Many Indigenous communities in Canada experience disproportionate rates of food insecurity and diet-related diseases impacted by historic and ongoing colonialism. Barriers to health and wellbeing associated with ongoing colonial processes also have resulted in inequities for Indigenous peoples within the criminal justice system. A prison garden program in British Columbia, Canada, attempts to address inmate rehabilitation and Indigenous community food insecurity by supporting incarcerated men to grow and subsequently donate organic produce to rural and remote Indigenous communities. Qualitative research undertaken to study program impacts shows that the focus on food security for Indigenous communities, while important, does not take into account wider contexts of colonialism and the importance of access to land, resources and rights inherent in food sovereignty. The study findings signal the limitations of programs and research that focus solely on food security for Indigenous peoples, and outlines how accounting for the colonial context can emphasize the critical role of Indigenous values, community strengths, and priorities for fostering food sovereignty and health.