Indigenous food sovereignty: Pathways for Native scholars

Revitalizing Indigenous food systems through research and knowledge-sharing

Abstract

Introduction

This inaugural column by the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Editorial Circle (IFSEC) in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD) introduces a dedicated section of articles on Indigenous food sovereignty in partnership with First Nations Development Institute (FNDI). The column and the IFSEC reflect both our mission to work toward a more equitable and just food sys­tem, and JAFSCD’s long-standing commitment to Indigenous food sovereignty, illustrated by the 2019 special issue[1] on “Indigenous Food Sover­eignty of North America.” An Indigenous-led edi­torial circle as part of JAFSCD, IFSEC uplifts Indigenous values and community food system aspirations in academic publishing. As an intro­duction to the IFSEC, this column will briefly outline the centrality of food, place, and learning in Indigenous lifeways, the main differences between Indigenous and Western approaches to the food system, and some thoughts on the role of Indige­nous ways of knowing and being for the collective flourishing of humanity and all our relations, human and otherwise. The cycle of themes, along with other emergent topics related to Indigenous food systems, will thread throughout future columns. The current geographic focus in­cludes the continental United States, Hawai’i, and Canada. The geographic scope is determined by the terri­torial affiliations of IFSEC members and may broaden to include other nations and regions over time.

[1] See the special issue, JAFSCD volume 9, supplement 2, at https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2019.09B.024