Inuit Food Insecurity

Tobacco on a public housing application form, symbolizing the realities of many Inuit.

Tobacco on a public housing application form, symbolizing the realities of many Inuit.

© Photovoice (McGill University & Arctic Health Research Network)

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  • An elder preparing country food her family has brought her. Inuit who have a hunter in the family have much better food security.
  • Preparing country food to share at the Tukisgiavarik drop-in centre.
  • The community centres are based on Inuit values, which put emphasis on taking care of others in their community. Inuit come to the centres not only to get food, but also to converse with other Inuit and feel a part of their culture.
  • Caribou in the Canadian Arctic, a traditional source of protien for the Inuit. Climate change is changing the natural distribution areas of animals and changing ice conditions, making it more and more difficult for hunters to get traditional country food.
  • With fewer and fewer hunters in the Candian Arctic and a transition to a mixed economy, many Inuit are increasingly becoming dependant on store-bought food.
  • Food that has to be shipped to the Arctic from elsewhere can be three times as expensive compared to Southern Canada. Traditional Inuit country foods sold in stores are often the most expensive products.
  • Many Inuit also struggle with tobacco and alcohol addictions, which can make it difficult for people who can't hunt or don't have a hunter in their family to have enough money to buy food.
  • Tobacco on a public housing application form, symbolizing the realities of many Inuit.

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