BMC Public Health · 7 authors, 5 centres
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This scoping review of 41 peer-reviewed studies examined how colonization has disconnected Indigenous populations in Canada and the US from their traditional food systems. The review identified four sub-themes driving this disconnection: climate change, capitalism, legal change, and socio-cultural change.
This scoping review followed PRISMA-SR and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, searching five databases to identify 41 studies published between 2016 and 2021 examining changes to Indigenous food systems in Canada and the US. Studies described how disconnection from traditional foods contributes to nutrition transition and associated non-communicable diseases, loss of spiritual and cultural practices, and negative mental health outcomes. The review noted that only eight of 41 publications explicitly stated researcher positionality and only three included Indigenous authors, limiting the extent of authentic Indigenous engagement in directing research. Solutions proposed include community sharing networks, traditional knowledge integration, country food markets, and Indigenous leadership in food system revitalisation.
