Tag Archive for: Indigenous Health

Summer Check-In

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Hello everyone!  It is hard to believe that July is almost over!

Summer on the Wasauksing First Nation is an amazing time of year.  Whether it is family time, walks in nature, fresh blueberries, boating, or attending Pow Wows, this season really makes you appreciate the incredible world that the Creator has provided to us.

Over the past few months, our team at First Nation Growers has had the privilege of seeing the natural beauty of many First Nations communities and receiving the wise council of Indigenous leaders from across the land.  Our travels have helped us better define the Mission of First Nation Growers and expand our circle of stakeholders.

The First Nations Growers Advisory Panel

I am honoured to introduce the First Nations Growers Advisory Panel.  We have assembled an innovative, forward thinking advisory panel made up of individual industry leaders that provide project added value services that include Indigenous pre-care & after-care support, development & training.

Each of our corporate advisory panel members is indeed a true and sincere friend of the Anishinaabe.

Our shared goal is to create Indigenous long-term, sustainable employment opportunities and newfound revenues from within First Nations and Inuit communities themselves, helping to create self-sustaining indigenous economies producing cold-climate 4seasons, indoor, chemical free, clean & green natural organic fresh produce at prices all families can afford for 7 Generations.

A Broader Mission

You may be wondering why we’ve added an Advisory Panel.  The answer is simple.  During my travels over the past six months, I have learned that our Community Gardens are just one piece of the solution to the Indigenous Food Security Crisis.  Some communities we visited do not have enough power to build one additional community home, let alone a Community Garden Farm.  We can’t leave those communities behind – we need solutions that address the entire scope of the Food Crisis.

Our goal is so much broader now than when we started this journey.  Working with our Advisory Panel, First Nation Growers is committed to providing holistic solutions for sustainable and self-sufficient First Nation communities.  This can only be achieved by applying 7 Generation solutions in the following areas:

  • Fresh Produce & Natural Foods
  • Traditional Medicines & Remedies
  • Water & Soil Treatment
  • Waste Resource Management & Waste Minimization Solutions
  • Indigenous Community Energy Needs and Shortfalls
  • Licensed Medical & Recreational Indigenous Medicine Production Facilities

Moving Forward

2017 has been an enlightening year for me.  I have been equally frustrated by the scope of the Food Crisis and inspired by my Indigenous Sisters & Brothers who remain strong in the face of suffering.  In the coming weeks, I’ll have updates for you on various projects being undertaken by First Nation Growers and our partners, as well as information about our Wasauksing First Nation showcase facility.

Thank you for your amazing support, feedback, and wisdom that you’ve provided on our journey so far.  I look forward to what the rest of the year brings!

Dawn Tabobondung is a proud member of Wasauksing First Nation and the Chief Executive Officer of First Nation Growers.  First Nations Growers builds indoor “Community Garden Market Farms” that provide Indigenous & Inuit communities with a financially viable, year round opportunity to grow their own nutritionally rich fresh produce and foods.  Be sure to follow First Nation Growers on Facebook.

 

first nation growers full logo

Fresh, affordable food should be a right, not a privilege. (Part 3)

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Welcome back!

In the first two parts of this series, I reviewed the ineffective Nutrition North Subsidy Program and our Mission / Vision here at First Nation Growers.  In this third and final part, I’ll discuss the solution.

Many of the key issues that are of greatest concern for Indigenous peoples in Canada today are complex and inexorably intertwined – so much so that government, researchers, policy makers and First Nation leaders seem hamstrung by its enormity.

First Nation Growers has a mission to empower First Nation communities toward a nutritionally improved, healthy future in providing every indigenous community with an opportunity to grow their own year round, indoor, natural, fresh produce, vegetables, fruits, herbs and traditional medicines to service their own First Nation and Inuit communities, their members and their member’s children, from within their own community, through their own First Nations self government community programs and community owned and operated year round Fresh Garden Farming Markets.

No other company to date, that we are aware of, has offered Indigenous and Inuit people an alternative, affordable, year-round 4 seasons,fresh foods contributing solution. First Nation Growers is dedicated to taking this problem head on.

FNG is addressing important Indigenous daily health and community nutritional needs in providing an environmentally friendly, financially viable and sustainable, attractive, cold, climate, year round, indoor fresh foods growing solution for every indigenous community, living in our more remote sub-zero, time restricted, growth unfriendly, geographical locations.

First Nation Growers through our “Community Fresh Garden Farm Markets” program, is a proponent of Aboriginal self-government as one key to unlocking the future well-being and nutritionally rich betterment of our Indigenous peoples. Timing is everything and our First Nation Growers “Community Fresh Garden Farming Market” technology has come of age, and is well positioned to contribute to improved indigenous community social development, with the improved health and future well-being of our Indigenous and Inuit peoples in providing affordable, quality, fresh foods for every First Nations and Inuit community. 

First Nation Growers goal is to is to nutritionally empower our Indigenous communities and their peoples.

Dawn Tabobondung, Chief Executive Officer

Dawn Tabobondung, Chief Executive Officer

Dawn Tabobondung is a proud member of Wasauksing First Nation and the Chief Executive Officer of First Nation Growers.  First Nations Growers builds indoor “Community Garden Market Farms” that provide Indigenous & Inuit communities with a financially viable, year round opportunity to grow their own nutritionally rich fresh produce and foods.  Be sure to follow First Nation Growers on Facebook.

“Indigenous indoor fresh foods farming today for a healthy tomorrow”

https://www.facebook.com/FirstNationGrowers/

https://twitter.com/FNGCanada

Fresh, affordable food should be a right, not a privilege. (Part 1)

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Welcome to my first article of 2017!  Over the past few months, we’ve been having conversations with remote First Nation communities across Canada.  Our goal wasn’t to promote First Nation Growers, but rather to listen to the members of those communities and develop a deeper understanding of how the Northern Food Crisis is affecting them.

What we heard made us sad, angry and, more than anything, strengthened our resolve to help our brothers and sisters end this crisis.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing the thoughts and impressions that I’ve collected.

First up, a program that simply isn’t effective at addressing the problem – the NNC Subsidy.

What is the Nutrition North Canada (NNC) Program and Subsidy?

The NNC is a government program that is supposed to subsidize the high costs of transporting food to remote communities.  I’ve been told repeatedly – by the people suffering the most – that the Subsidy Program simply doesn’t work well, has not for years and needs radical change in order to work properly for our most remote Indigenous communities.

There are 32 remote First Nation communities in Northern Ontario alone. This is more than any other region across Canada, yet only eight communities are eligible for the full NNC food subsidy!  Another seven receive a partial subsidy ($0.05 a kilogram), while 17 communities are not eligible for any food subsidy at all – even though they pay up to four times as much as others do for fresh produce and foods across Canada.

This is outrageous!

It begs the questions … who decides which communities are eligible for the food subsidy, which ones are not, and why?

The program came under serious criticism in the 2014 Auditor General’s Report that found that the government could not verify whether the food subsidy savings were being passed onto Indigenous consumers in full, nor whether community eligibility was based on need.

Frankly, from what I understand, very little NNC food subsidy (and in some cases no subsidy at all) is being passed on to our more remote First Nation and Inuit Indigenous peoples.

It really is a sin that in our most remote Indigenous communities many foods are exorbitantly priced and primarily targeted to the area mining incomes, not the family incomes of our own First Nation and or Inuit family community members!

At First Nation Growers, we take great pride in being a friend of the Anishinabek, helping other communities where we can. Our mission is to work directly with various First Nation leaders so their communities can produce their own year-round fresh produce and other natural foods locally.  FNG, along with our Canadian Manufacturing Partners, are so very proud our progress toward our goal of helping provide better year round nutritional streams to our most remote Indigenous communities across Canada.

Helping First Nation communities to produce their own fresh produce, natural foods, herbs, and other traditional indigenous medicines at year-round prices that each community family and their members can afford gives us incredible incentive to put our best foot forward, ensuring the First Nation’s future successes in their own indoor “Community Garden Market Farm” facility.

That’s all for Part One.  Please join me next week for Part Two, our “Mission & Vision”.

Dawn Tabobondung, Chief Executive Officer

Dawn Tabobondung is a proud member of Wasauksing First Nation and the Chief Executive Officer of First Nation Growers.  First Nations Growers builds indoor “Community Garden Market Farms” that provide Indigenous & Inuit communities with a financially viable, year round opportunity to grow their own nutritionally rich fresh produce and foods.  Be sure to follow First Nation Growers on Facebook.

“Indigenous indoor fresh foods farming today for a healthy tomorrow”

https://www.facebook.com/FirstNationGrowers/

https://twitter.com/FNGCanada

 

Who We Are / The Tabobondung Family Legacy

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The Flora Tabobondung Mandala

The Flora Tabobondung Mandala

Last month, I wrote about the Northern Food Crisis.  A few people asked me how come my first article wasn’t more about who we are at First Nation Growers.  The answer to that question is easy – when it comes to our business, the “why” and the “who” are inseparable.

First Nations Growers is an organization committed to improving the over all social development and well-being of Indigenous Peoples by improving daily, year round, healthy diets and providing continual access to affordable, fresh foods in every Indigenous community possible.

Improving the lives of our sisters and brothers, especially those in remote communities, isn’t just a corporate slogan – its our core fundamental value.  For far too long, government studies, Royal Commissions, and ineffective programs have come and gone while the suffering of Indigenous People escalated to crisis levels.  It became impossible for us to sit on the sidelines while men, women, and children continued to go hungry.

 

The Tabobondung Legacy

Flora Tabobondung

Flora Tabobondung

The passion that motivated me to found First Nation Growers runs in my blood.  The Tabobondung family’s long history of leadership and dedication to our community has been shared with me since I was a young girl.

My Grandmother, Flora “Zhashkwogiizhigokwe“ Tabobondung, spent her life fighting to preserve our legacy and enhance Indigenous rights.  During the Constitutional debates of the early 1980’s, she was a key advocate in having our voices represented in the discussions, and was one of the Chiefs chosen to go to England in 1982 for the official repatriation.  Our Blue Sky Lady lived by the native traditions and they guided the decisions that she made in her life.  On a local level, she was the Wasauksing First Nation Chief for more than a quarter of a century. Flora was named to the prestigious Order of Canada for her leadership among First Nations people.  She passed away in 2006.

 

Joyce Tabobondung

Joyce Tabobondung

Joyce Tabobondung, Business Development / Elder Advisor

My mother, Joyce, inherited Grandmother’s sense of duty.  Growing up, she saw that her mother’s life was dedicated to Indigenous culture.  Joyce followed Flora’s path towards leadership roles, holding the position of Chief for many years and becoming a well respected Indigenous Elder including serving as Grand Chief the Huron-Robinson Treaty Area,  Joyce founded the Parry Sound Native Friendship Centre and currently sits as its President.

Joyce understands the needs and wants of the Anishinabek peoples.  She has a keen ear for community concerns, including the important nutritional well-being of First Nations and Inuit communities throughout all of Canada.  She has been an inspiration to her children throughout her life.  My brother, Warren, has followed her footsteps to become our current Chief, and I have been inspired by her passion to help Indigenous communities near and far.

 

Dawn Tabobondung, Chief Executive Officer

Dawn Tabobondung, Chief Executive Officer

Dawn Tabobondung

As you can imagine, the inspiration of two such incredible women empowered me with a strong passion for helping others, especially fellow First Nation Members.  It has been my life mission to provide support and assistance where I can, when I can.

Our family legacy continues to grow.  I’m the proud mother of three bright children, all community-minded members of Wasauksing First Nation.  My two oldest currently attend University – one in Ottawa, another in Halifax – while my youngest is preparing to finish high school this year before attending University herself.

Over the years, I’ve held many First Nation management positions including Economic Development Officer, Office Administrator, Office Manager, First Nations Marina Manager, Administrator and a registered Commissionaire recognized by the Department of Indigenous Affairs, representing the Wasauksing Lands Development Corporation.

 

Our Vision

We envision a future that sees First Nations & Inuit communities growing together while taking care of their own community fresh food needs that includes both quality and costs while improving daily diets and better health.

We founded First Nation Growers because we cannot stand by and wait for the government to solve the Northern Food Crisis.  We are ready to empower our sisters and brothers with a solution.

Food access is a human right and essential to the health of our people. The time for reports, studies, and consultations is over.  The time for results is now.

Dawn Tabobondung is a proud member of Wasauksing First Nation and the Chief Executive Officer of First Nation Growers.  First Nations Growers builds indoor “Community Garden Market Farms” that provide Indigenous & Inuit communities with a financially viable, year round opportunity to grow their own nutritionally rich fresh produce and foods.  Be sure to follow First Nation Growers on Facebook.

 

“Indigenous indoor fresh foods farming today for a healthy tomorrow”

https://www.facebook.com/FirstNationGrowers/

https://twitter.com/FNGCanada

The Northern Food Crisis

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Most Canadians take food security for granted.  Living in Southern Urban areas means that you are surrounded by a surplus of food shopping options.  From local Farmer’s Markets to Big Box Retail Chains, fresh produce is readily available at affordable prices year-round.

Just check out some of the prices in this week’s flyers from some of the large chains:

  • McIntosh or Gala Apples – $0.77 lb. / $1.70 kg
  • Carrots – 3 lb bag for $1.47
  • Beefsteak Tomatoes – $1.47 lb. / $3.24 kg
  • Bartlett Pears – $1.49 lb / $3.28 kg
  • Romaine Hearts – $3.49 for 3
  • Canada Potatoes – $3.00 for 5 lb. bag

Some good deals, eh?  Unfortunately, for many of our sisters and brothers in remote communities, the reality is far different.  The same bag of apples that costs $2.31 in Toronto takes $7.99 out of your food budget in Attawapiskat First Nation.  Those nutritious carrots?  $8.97 in Pond Inlet.  Even something as simple as a bag of potatoes costs almost double Southern prices for residents of Fort Albany.

According to Food Secure Canada, food costs for Northern families are double those of families in Southern Canada.  The gap is even more pronounced for on-reserve families.

“The average cost of the Revised Northern Food Basket (RNFB) for a family of four for one month in three northern and remote on reserve communities (Fort Albany, Attawapiskat, and Moose Factory) is $1,793.40.” – Food Secure Canada

Photo via Facebook

Photo via Facebook

Food prices have always been an issue for remote Indigenous communities, but the problem has intensified in recent years.  A lower Canadian dollar and weather conditions caused food prices to rise across Canada in 2016, worsening the crisis in the North.   This past winter, a simple bag of grapes cost $28.19 in Sanikiluaq, while apples cost as much as $11.49 in Rankin Inlet.

As author Jean Ziegler noted to the United Nations, the right to food is a human right.  “It protects the right of all human beings to live in dignity, free from hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition. The right to food is not about charity, but about ensuring that all people have the capacity to feed themselves in dignity.”  The Northern Food Crisis is an ongoing human rights violation.

The Northern Food Crisis is leaving Indigenous Communities in a State of Emergency and dramatically impacting the health of our people.

“Children who go hungry are more likely to experience asthma and depression…for adults, their physical and mental health are likely to suffer and they will experience higher rates of depression, diabetes and heart disease.” – Vice News

Indigenous peoples have the right to eat healthy, natural, fresh foods every day, regardless of their geographical locations, This is a rightat prices all can afford.

Programs like Nutrition North Canada can’t and won’t solve the problem.  The cost of shipping fresh food to remote reserves will continue to rise and negatively impact the health of our communities.

We founded First Nation Growers because we cannot stand by and wait for the government to solve the Northern Food Crisis.  We are ready to empower our sisters and brothers with a solution.

Food access is a human right and essential to the health of our people.  The time for reports, studies, and consultations is over.  The time for results is now.

Dawn Tabobondung is a proud member of Wasauksing First Nation and the Chief Executive Officer of First Nation Growers.  First Nations Growers builds indoor “Community Garden Market Farms” that provide Indigenous & Inuit communities with a financially viable, year round opportunity to grow their own nutritionally rich fresh produce and foods.  Be sure to follow First Nation Growers on Facebook.