Today, wildlife hunting is part of the meal plan offered at Lubicon Lake Band’s Mihkowapikwaniy Cultural Camp, about 450 miles northwest of Edmonton, where students from nearby First Nations also learn about food traditions such as smoking and drying meat and collecting medicines. of the earth.
And this fall, the program will become a regular in schools, which means that traditional foods will be incorporated into the two meals and snacks that students make available each day.
“I wanted to make a difference in the community,” says Clifford Gladue, the education authority’s food services manager and promoter of the traditional food program. “I wanted to offer healthier options for our students.”
Standing under a canopy next to the camp’s outdoor kitchen, Gladue says the lunch he is about to enjoy is a far cry from those of his youth.
“All I had at school was processed food,” he says. “I don’t blame anyone, but processed foods have a lot of chemicals and a lot of them [other] things inside. “
Gladue was eventually diagnosed with diabetes, a chronic disease prevalent among Canadians.