Food Sovereignty: A Growing Movement

18 snips

Mar 2, 2019

Valerie Segrest, a Native nutrition educator and advocate for food sovereignty, sheds light on the significance of reconnecting with traditional food practices. She discusses how colonialism disrupted Native food systems and the importance of revitalizing these connections. Valerie emphasizes the role of breastfeeding in this movement and shares her personal journey towards food work. The conversation also covers small, actionable steps individuals can take to support local food sovereignty, encouraging everyone to honor their ancestors through food choices.

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INSIGHT

Sovereignty As Daily Practice

Food sovereignty means the inherent right to define and practice your own food system, rooted in treaty rights and cultural survival.
Valerie Segrest frames sovereignty as daily actions like fishing, drinking nettle tea, and defending water rights.

ANECDOTE

Traditional Foods Meet Modern Grocery Stores

Valerie recounts being told traditional harvest grounds are now QFC and Safeway, reframing how to practice traditions today.
That pushed her to develop principles for a traditional-foods diet within modern life.

INSIGHT

Food As Identity Medicine

Valerie describes reconnecting to family history through food after years in the military system and adoption separations.
She sees traditional foods as medicine that awaken DNA memory and identity.

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Are you truly sovereign if you can’t feed yourselves? Today we delve into a topic we can all relate to! We all got to eat! But how are we eating, or better, WHAT are we eating? And how has colonization disrupted our relationship with our traditional foods?

That is why today’s discussion on food sovereignty is so important because we all know that colonialism destroyed our food systems, sometimes on purpose and sometimes as a byproduct of other colonial policies— But separating Native peoples from the way we traditionally ate and harvested was a very effective tool of colonization.

Fortunately, we are living in a time of reconnection and revitalization— and our there are many people throughout turtle island who are doing this good food sovereignty work. Listen in, as we bring in our amazing guest Valerie Segrest to discuss the definition of food sovereignty; learn how breastfeeding supports the food sovereignty movement; and how all of us, even if it is just in tiny ways, can become food sovereignty activists.

Valerie Segrest is a Native nutrition educator who specializes in local and traditional foods. As a member of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, she serves her community as coordinator of the Muckleshoot Food Sovereignty Projectand also works as Traditional Foods and Medicines Program Manager.

In 2010, Valerie co-authored “Feeding the People, Feeding the Spirit: Revitalizing Northwest Coastal Indian Food Culture.” Valerie received a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University, and a Masters Degree in Environment and Community from Antioch University. She is also a fellow for the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy. Valerie aims to inspire and enlighten others about the importance of a nutrient-dense diet through a culturally appropriate, common sense approach to eating.

Related Resources

https://gardenwarriorsgoodseeds.com/

https://sioux-chef.com/

Twitter thread of indigenous foods you can buy! https://twitter.com/NativeApprops/status/1072525570716651521

Camas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camassia

Decolonizing Diet project: http://decolonizingdietproject.blogspot.com

The Pueblo Food Experience: https://shumakolowa.com/products/pueblo-food-experience-cookbook-whole-food-of-our-ancestors

Billy Frank: http://billyfrankjr.org/

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Follow us on Instagram @amrpodcast, or support our work on Patreon. Show notes are published on our website, Allmyrelationspodcast.com. Matika's book Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America is available now! T'igwicid and Hyshqe for being on this journey with us.