Linking health and the environment through education—A Traditional Food Program in Inuvik, Western Canadian Arctic

A Traditional Food Program was developed at East Three Schools (Inuvik, Northwest Territories) in the western Canadian Arctic as part of a research collaboration with school staff and local Indigenous organizations focused on building evidenced-based strategies to promote food security in the region. The program promoted youth engagement with traditional foods in a school-based setting, including the development of traditional knowledge and skills (e.g., butchering, cooking, and preserving). Students engaged in the full cycle of TF procurement—harvest, preparation, consumption, and sharing. While students benefitted from increased access to traditional foods in the short term, the capacity-building aspect has the potential to improve long term food security. Additional program benefits included enhanced traditional language learning with Elders and an ongoing connection with Inuvik’s Long Term Care Centre. More broadly, this program highlights the importance of experiential education for Indigenous youth, policy support for such activities, and the potential role of multisectoral partnerships in addressing food security challenges.