Food Security of Arctic Indigenous Women

This secondary data analysis used a cross sectional survey of 1771 Yukon First Nations, Dene/Metis, and Inuit women. The aims were to evaluate access to traditional food and market food, identify advantages of traditional and market foods, and explore understudied characteristics of food security in Arctic Canada. Results indicate considerable regional variation in affordability of food. Similarly, regional variation was reflected in the percentage of women who had access to hunting or fishing equipment. Participants described many culturally relevant food security indicators: food needed to be fresh, natural, tasty, varied, healthy, safe, convenient, and accessible. Between 10 and 38% of participants noticed recent changes in the quality or health of traditional foods. Caribou, moose, and seal were popular and considered particularly healthy. This study emphasizes the importance of traditional food for Arctic indigenous women's food security and the dynamic nature of food security in this population.