Learning circles: an adaptive strategy to support food sovereignty among First Nations communities in Canada.

Indigenous communities in Canada are concerned about the health of their youth and the reclamation of traditional food-related skills amongst their people. Food sovereignty has an integral role in food and nutrition security, and the path to Indigenous self-determination. Learning Circles: Local Healthy Food to School (LC:LHF2S) was a community engagement model that aimed to enhance access to local, healthy, and traditional foods for youth. In each of four First Nations communities, a Learning Circle Evaluation Facilitator worked to plan and implement activities, build on community strengths, and promote partnerships. This paper describes how the model was perceived to support food sovereignty. Data included interviews, process reporting, and school surveys, and was analyzed according to pillars effective for the development of food sovereignty in Indigenous communities. Goals set by two communities incorporated food sovereignty principles, and in each community capacity-building work furthered the development of a more autonomous food system. There were many examples of a transition to greater food sovereignty, local food production, and consumption. Indigenous governance was an important theme and was influential in a community's success. The model appears to be an adaptable strategy to support the development of food sovereignty in First Nations communities. Novelty: LC:LHF2S was a community engagement model that aimed to enhance access to local, healthy, and traditional foods for youth. The model is an adaptable strategy to support the development of food sovereignty in First Nations communities. There were many examples of a transition to greater food sovereignty, local food production, and consumption.

Implementation of the Learning Circle: Local Food to School Initiative in the Island Communities of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada-a Descriptive Case Study.

Background: Indigenous communities in Canada are concerned about long-term food sovereignty and the reclamation of traditional food-related skills among their people. Learning Circles: Local Food to School (LF2S) was an innovative community-based project that worked to promote multisectoral partnerships, focused on food. Guided by a facilitator, the Learning Circle (LC) brought together interested community members to plan and implement activities aimed at enhancing access to local, healthy, and traditional foods for school communities. Objectives: The article describes the context, process, and food-related outcomes of the LC in Haida Gwaii (HG), British Columbia, Canada and evaluates perceptions of the transition in local food systems, food literacy, and community capacity associated with the LC. Methods: The sources that were gathered between 2016 and 2018 included annual semidirected interviews with community members and the Learning Circle Coordinator (LCC) (n = 24), process reporting (e.g., reports, conference calls, food sourcing and tracking data) (n = 62 documents), and photographs (n = 75). Data were analyzed thematically. Results: HG has a rich food environment and a vibrant local and traditional food culture. A variety of local food-related activities had been taking place before the launch of the LC in 2013, and by 2016 the initiative was firmly established. Between 2016 and 2019, activities in HG focused on schools (e.g., sourcing local, healthy food and developing traditional skills through schools) and pioneering local food pantries. Participants valued increased access to local and traditional foods and opportunities to build youth knowledge and skills. Noted successes of the LC process included transitioning to Haida leadership and fostering relationships. Conclusions: The inherent flexibility of the LC model means that communities can prioritize activities of interest. The evolution of the LC model in HG is an inspiration for other communities working to enhance food sovereignty.

Annual gatherings as an integrated knowledge translation strategy to support local and traditional food systems within and across Indigenous community contexts: a qualitative study.

Integrated knowledge translation (IKT) and community-based participatory research (CBPR) are recognized as effective approaches when Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners work together to focus on a common goal. The "Learning Circles: Local Healthy Food to School" (LC:LHF2S) study supported the development and implementation of Learning Circles (LC) in 4 Canadian Indigenous communities with the goal of improving local, community-based healthy food systems. Critical to the research process were annual gatherings (AG) where diverse stakeholders (researchers, Indigenous community members, and partners) visited each community to share knowledge, experiences, and provide support in the research process. Using a qualitative, descriptive method, this paper explores how the AG supported IKT across partners. Yearly interviews involving 19 total participants (with some participating multiple times across the 4 gatherings) elicited their AG experiences in supporting local LC:LHF2S. Three themes with multiple sub-themes were identified: (a) setting the stage for IKT (importance of in-person gatherings for building relationships across partners, learning from each other), (b) enabling meaningful engagement (aligning research with Indigenous values, addressing tensions and building trust over time, ensuring flexibility, and Indigenous involvement and leadership), and (c) supporting food system action at the local level (building local community engagement and understanding, and integrating support for implementation and scale-up of LC). This paper provides useful and practical examples of the principles of Indigenous-engaged IKT and CBPR in action in healthy, local, and traditional food initiatives. AG are a valuable IKT strategy to contribute to positive, transformative change and ethical research practice within Indigenous communities.