A report on food and nutrition in the Tla’Amin (Sliammon) First Nation community contains promising data on the safety of traditional foods but warns of obesity and diabetes related to poor diets.
The December 2010 report, entitled “Healthy Environment and Healthy Foods for Healthy First Nations,” was prepared by the University of Northern British Columbia, Université de Montréal and Assembly of First Nations and funded by Health Canada. It finds that within 21 randomly selected on-reserve first nation communities in BC, including Tla’Amin, a lack of traditional foods is leading to poor health and concerns over food security.
High levels of obesity is a problem throughout first nation communities, the study found, but particularly among the 83 participants from Tla’Amin. Half of Tla’Amin women aged 19 to 30 who participated were categorized as obese, compared to 15 per cent of total participants across BC. Among women over the age of 51, 71 per cent were obese, compared to 49 per cent provincially. All age categories for Tla’Amin men were above the provincial average for obesity.
The report reveals that 86 per cent of Tla’Amin participants would like to see more traditional foods on their tables. A lack of equipment and transportation, availability, accessibility concerns and government regulations were expressed as the main barriers limiting the consumption of traditional food. In total 60 per cent of households that participated were also concerned about food security, mainly for financial reasons.
Traditional food is heralded as a nutritious and important part of first nations’ diets by the study. Such diets are a major contributor of protein, iron, zinc and other essential minerals and nutrients. Through tests of traditional foods sampled from Tla’Amin households the researchers found that although some concentrations of toxins can be found in many traditional meats and seafood, the levels are low enough that the risk is negligible.
Dr. Evan Adams, who hails from Tla’Amin and is aboriginal health physician advisor for the province, said the report should give the Tla’Amin community confidence that traditional foods are safe to eat and are a healthier choice than modern store-bought foods.
Adams said the risk from diabetes associated with a high-calorie and sugar diet far outweighs concerns over the toxicity of traditional foods. The gathering of traditional food is also historically the primary source of physical activity for first nation communities, said Adams, so a lack of traditional foods also leads to inactivity and further compromised health.
“Our culture is based on thousands of years of usage of natural resources and our relationship with the land,” said Evans. “The report’s findings give me confidence that we can safely eat certain amounts of [traditional] foods, that we needn’t be too concerned.”
Adams would like to see an increased promotion in the consumption of traditional foods along with continued monitoring of the environment and foods for safety. He said Tla’Amin and Powell River already do an above-average job of protecting the environment but that that needs to continue to ensure future food security and health.
“We have to keep working at making sure it’s better,” said Evans. “We have to make sure that the health of animals and birds are good because their good health means our good health...We can’t continue to degrade where we live.”
