Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on Dec. 8th, 2020

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Walsh, if I could come back to you, I find these on-the-land initiatives very interesting. I really appreciated the information you gave us about communities coming together and buying a lot of freezers to store food.

I know that when we look at health— and I appreciate what Mr. Powlowski was talking about earlier, about people having healthy food, the affordability of more healthy food and the challenges—but especially when we talk about indigenous communities, I'm wondering if there's been any reflection on the ability of people to harvest off the land to start to meet the gap in those healthy choices in food because of their traditional knowledge.

I'm wondering if that's come together and if there's any feedback on that, and if in the long term there's any reflection on measuring health outcomes based on that.

[Wayne Walsh]

Thank you for that.

The reality is that the traditions, approaches and cultural practices will vary from region to region and community to community, so we designed the harvesters support grant to be as flexible as possible so that the communities could target their funding accordingly. What we've been finding is that some communities have been looking at it as part of a cultural revitalization, mentoring or matching elders with youth to go out on the land to do that.

The program is still really young, with money having just started to flow in April. The communities are required to report back, and we anticipate that we will see different metrics and different data coming in because the different communities will take different approaches. It will be interesting to see what lessons are learned. I think what's really important is that at the end of the day, it's about what matters in the community. We didn't design it in Ottawa. It really was designed for northerners by northerners, so that's going to be a bit of a balance.

In terms of the health outcomes, I'll defer to Mary from the first nations and Inuit health branch. I will also say that one of the concerns going forward that we'll have to keep an eye on and certainly—

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

I'm sorry, but we're way over time on the answer. I apologize for that. My microphone switch wouldn't come on to interrupt. Every now and then technical glitches happen. Perhaps you can complete that answer later on.

We go now to our next round of questioning, the five-minute round, and we have Mr. Melillo.

Eric, please go ahead.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I'd like to go back to you, Mr. Walsh, and pick up on something that my colleague Mr. Vidal was asking about, which was how we measure the success of Nutrition North and these programs.

You mentioned tracking the cost of the food basket and tracking the amount of food in the north, which are obviously very important aspects, but I think that overall what we should be tracking is the goal of having food security for those in the north. I think if that is not our primary focus with these goals, then perhaps we're missing the mark a bit, and perhaps there is a bit of a lack of focus on building capacity in northern communities.

What sort of mechanisms are you using to monitor food insecurity across the north in order to respond to that issue more directly?

[Wayne Walsh]

The reality is that food security is a complex issue that requires lots of partners to collaborate and come together with solutions. Nutrition North Canada is a retail subsidy. It's one aspect in what we think requires a suite of actions. In and of itself, Nutrition North is never going to solve food insecurity, and that's why we've introduced things like the harvesters support grant. That's why we're working with our federal colleagues at CanNor on the community innovation stuff, with our colleagues over at AgCan on the national food policy, and obviously with our indigenous partners.

As I mentioned before, the number one cause of food insecurity in the north—and in Canada, frankly—is poverty, so we need to engage with other partners in order to address that core issue. On that issue as a whole, that is the approach we need to take.

In terms of providing data, we have our metrics for the program and we follow our Treasury Board reporting requirements for the program itself. As well, certainly we keep an eye on think tanks and other agencies nationally that track food insecurity rates in the north and in Canada.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Thank you.

I agree with a lot of what you just said, particularly in terms of poverty being a real issue that shows we need to do more to increase economic activity and create more opportunities for jobs and more opportunities for prosperity across the north. Unfortunately, I think that over the past few years this government has opposed many opportunities for development in the north. I'm wondering if you could speak more to a plan to develop the north and to create some more opportunities so that, as you said, we can have a more comprehensive approach to addressing this issue.

[Wayne Walsh]

Thank you. That's a great question.

In 2019, the government announced the Arctic and northern policy framework. It's a codeveloped policy approach between the Government of Canada and northerners to map out a road map for sustainable social and economic development in the north between now and 2030.

The Arctic and northern policy framework has eight goals and multiple objectives. We are now in the process of implementing that framework with our partners, which include territorial and provincial governments as well as indigenous governments, to make progress against that framework.

The framework looks at things such as some foundational infrastructure requirements, economic development, education attainment levels, health, reduction of poverty, etc. There is a comprehensive framework in place that has been developed with our partners, and that's what's really guiding our work right now to advance the north and those goals and objectives in the Arctic and northern policy framework.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

There are 10 seconds left, Eric.

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

I'll give that time back to you, Mr. Chair. Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks very much.

We go next to Mr. Battiste. Jaime, you have five minutes. Go ahead.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

I was lucky enough 18 years ago to be able to go to Iqaluit as part of an Assembly of First Nations youth council. We were at a meeting with provincial and territorial agreement agencies. I got a chance to speak to some of the people around the importance of indigenous harvesting. As a Mi'kmaq person myself, I know that harvesting isn't just about food; it's about a cultural practice and about transmission and transition of knowledge.

My question is around the harvesters support grant. I know that it's quite new in its launch. I'm wondering if you can provide any insight into how the program is being received by eligible communities and if you see any possibilities of expanding the program if it's successful.

Also, just generally, what is the health of the stocks of the traditionally hunted or fished animal life out there, just to get a sense of whether this program is working?

[Wayne Walsh]

Thank you for that question. I'm glad you asked it, because it will enable me to finish an earlier answer when I ran a little over.

It has been received very, very well in the communities. Some of our recipients have called it a game-changer for them. It's a game-changer not only because of the things that it accomplishes, as you mentioned, in terms of cultural reappropriation and mentorship between elders and youth; they are also telling us that it has some real impacts on language revitalization and the passing on of traditional information. That's the first answer.

Second, are we looking at expansion? We were being asked to expand it as soon as we announced it. They said, “This is great, and we could use more.” We're having conversations with our partners on this and a whole suite of other food security solutions.

On the final one, on access to traditional food or traditional animals, the wildlife itself, this is something that I was alluding to earlier that we're going to have to keep an eye on. The effects of climate change are having a tremendous impact on caribou herds, fish stocks and migration patterns. It's great to have a program like this, but we'll need to work very closely with our colleagues on the environmental side and with the territorial and provincial governments, because climate change does have the potential to have a significant impact on the whole program and the whole exercise of cultural harvesting.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

I've heard about some of the difficulties around caribou and the challenges to the stocks. Can you talk to me about some of the other traditional harvesting practices, whether they be fishing or some of the things that the Inuit are taking part in that we could expand on?

The biggest thing is that we want the stocks to be healthy and we want the survival of the species, regardless of what it is. I'm wondering if there are any healthy stocks out there—traditionally harvested foods—that we might be able to focus on and expand on.

[Wayne Walsh]

I believe that you will have officials from the Government of Nunavut in the next hour. They might actually be better placed to be more specific on that question. Certainly fishing has been seen as a huge opportunity in the north. It's probably been underdeveloped compared to in other areas of Canada.

I think another area of concern is invasive species—species of animals that are coming north that didn't exist there before—and what kind of impact those might have.

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Okay.

My last question, if I have any time, is about the indigenous community support fund. Can you provide some clarity as to how individual communities across the north are utilizing this funding to ensure they meet the food security needs of their members?

That's for any of the witnesses, really.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have half a minute.

[Wayne Walsh]

I think, Mary, that's your program, right?

[Mary Trifonopoulos]

It is, but not specifically, because the indigenous community support fund is supporting a broad range of needs to help communities adapt to the COVID crisis. Food security is definitely one of the needs that communities are addressing, and we're hearing from our partners that they are addressing it by providing additional food relief or delivering food hampers. Because of a lot of activities that normally happen in the communities, they've had to pivot to other modes of getting food to folks, so it's definitely being used in that way as part of a broad range of measures.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

Thanks very much.

We're going to conclude with two-and-a-half-minute segments for Madame Bérubé and Ms. Blaney, which will take us to time.

Madam Bérubé, for two and a half minutes, please go ahead.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you.

My question is for Ms. Trifonopoulos.

We are talking about the importance of traditional or local food for the physical and mental health and the cultural well-being of indigenous peoples.

According to you, what is the government doing to increase access to traditional foods in the north?

[Mary Trifonopoulos]

I don't know to which of my colleagues that question might be best directed.

Through Indigenous Services Canada, we do mostly support communities in designing their activities and services towards improving healthy eating. Often this does include increasing access to healthy store-bought food and traditional food. It could be improving knowledge around the use and the preparation. Inviting elders is often a very critical part of the activities that communities want to have. There are some on-the-land activities that are supported, whereby multiple objectives are often met. Mental wellness is often paired with learning how to hunt and fish, so the access has improved in that way.

I don't know if any of my other colleagues may have contributions.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Thank you.

[Wayne Walsh]

I think that was pretty comprehensive. The only other thing is that in terms of programs themselves, obviously the harvesters support grant is there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Bob Bratina]

You have one more minute.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

In 2011, the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs made recommendations. What measures has the government taken, if any, to implement those recommendations?