Indigenous teachings and ways of living kept our peoples well for centuries. By reconnecting with our traditional practices, like eating sacred foods, doing traditional movements, singing our songs, and speaking our languages, we can be mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually strong.
The food we consume is so much more than just “eating to survive.” The foods we eat speak to our bodies and minds. Spiritually, the foods we choose to eat can ground us to Mother Earth. They can also connect us to our ancestors.
Typically, many of our traditional foods are from the earth and don’t involve heavy processing by machines or the addition of chemicals. By eating foods close to the earth, some people believe that our bodies can access the foods’ natural medicines better.
Today, accessing our traditional foods can be challenging. But there are things we can do when Indigenous foods are not accessible:
- Eat real, whole, unprocessed foods
- Learn to cook
- Create meals and snacks that are nutritious and tasty
- Keep Indigenous values in mind while eating, such as thinking about the process it took for the food to come to you and having gratitude for the people who grew the food
If you’d like more information on this topic, here are some resources:
