Throughout the past year, MakeWay has been continually reminded of the immense value of bringing people together in-person to build relationships, share learnings, and spend time on the land or in ceremony.
We recently connected with Cheryl Antonio about the country foods gathering she attended in Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation last November. Cheryl is part of the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture, and Community Collaborative (NMFCCC) team, which hosted the gathering in partnership with Food Matters Manitoba and Manitoba Agriculture.
The gathering brought together 40 hunters, harvesters, and funding partners from across Northern Manitoba in Nelson House. Located on the northern shore of Footprint Lake, approximately 800 kilometers north of Winnipeg, Nelson House is the heart of Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, which translates to “Where three rivers meet” in Cree.
“The purpose of the gathering was to bring like-minded people from around the North together to meet and share knowledge in person,” says Cheryl, who was a helper at the event. It also provided an opportunity for Manitoba Agriculture, which supports Indigenous food security and sovereignty initiatives, to build relationships with community.
Uplifting Country Food Programs
Several First Nations communities in Northern Manitoba are taking steps to revive hunting and harvesting practices, strengthen their relationship with the land, and promote community well-being through country food programs.
Country food programs employ people to harvest food for their communities. This approach ensures that everyone, including those who can’t get out onto the land due to mobility issues, time constraints, or other barriers, has access to nutritious foods.
“These people are offering an extremely important service for their community,” says Cheryl.
Throughout the gathering, attendees had the opportunity to learn from one another’s experiences developing or managing country food programs. Through small group discussions, participants were able to foster connections, and share their successes, challenges, and strategies for overcoming obstacles.
“It was from these conversations that relationships were built and we were all able to see the good work being done in Northern Manitoba. […] It was such a feel-good part of the gathering,” reflects Cheryl.
Attendees also valued the chance to hear from Steve Ellis, who leads MakeWay’s Northern Program and supports country foods programs in the far North.
Hosting the gathering in Nelson House allowed for the spotlight to shine on Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation’s Country Foods Program, which has operated since 1992. The program employs people to harvest, process, and distribute country foods to citizens who are unable to do so themselves, such as Elders, single parents, and low-income members. The program operates year-round.
During the gathering, participants toured the Country Food Program’s distribution center, learning about the systems and equipment necessary for preparing and storing country foods.
Later that evening, attendees took part in a sweat lodge ceremony at White Wolf Medicine Camp. The gathering ended with a delicious feast of foods harvested from Nisichawayasi Nehethowak territory.
The Power of Gathering
Facilitating learning and connection opportunities, such as the country foods gathering in Nelson House, is core to the NMFCCC’s work.
“It’s important to have in-person relationships to build trust,” explains Cheryl.
The collaborative’s theory of change shows how sharing stories and knowledge can benefit communities by making it easier to replicate and adapt projects, identify best practices, and celebrate good work.
People traveled from remote areas, some even by helicopter, to attend the gathering in Nelson House. For some attendees, it was the first time leaving their communities.
The gathering was worth the travel for the participants, according to Cheryl. It allowed people to forge connections, and they were grateful to gain insights for their programs and solve problems together.
“They were so appreciative of the opportunity to be there and made the best of it,” says Cheryl.
Cheryl notes that attendees are keen to get together again and returned home with a renewed sense of encouragement.
“To see how well everyone is doing gives them hope.”
To learn more about the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation Country Foods Program, visit: https://www.ncncree.com/wp-content/uploads/NCN-Brightlights-Country-Foods-Program.pdf
The Northern Manitoba Food, Culture, and Community Collaborative is one of several innovative community-advised funding collaboratives hosted at MakeWay that are disrupting traditional funding power dynamics by centering community voices.
