Dr. Priscilla Settee’s Profile Story

This article captures of the current state of food sovereignty viewed through an Indigenous lens, as told by Dr. Priscilla Settee.

Dr. Priscilla Settee is a current faculty member in Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan in the College of Arts and Science and is the 2012 Queen Elizabeth Award winner for her contribution to Canada.

Dr. Settee has gathered an incredible wealth of knowledge spanning decades, in respect to the complex issues and subsequent solutions surrounding Indigenous foods, politics, knowledge systems, and the impact of globalization on Indigenous peoples, to name a few.

Dr. Settee’s unique passion is evidenced by her natural ability to speak from the heart and by creating a voice for those who have not yet had their story told. Dr. Settee is also an Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Change Fellow with the David Suzuki Fellowship program.

Do you currently see any gaps within the area of food security that are not being addressed?

 

“We are up against an enemy that is grabbing at every last blade of grass.”

What do you feel that everyone needs to know about Indigenous food sovereignty?

 

“Governments and corporations have very dangerous extractivist policies and practices on our land.”

What are the benefits of working toward food security?

 

“The benefits of food sovereignty is in the definition of true sovereignty. You cannot be sovereign unless you can feed yourself, and your community.”

What is being done to address the significant difference in the cost of food in Northern communities compared to larger urban communities?

 

“Communities are rising up slowly and taking back some of their production and control of their food, but we still have a long ways to go.”

Food Secure Canada

What is being done to address the rising costs of food in Canada?

 

“When you start to examine the politics of food, you know, the costs are both seen and unseen.”

Are there organizations you are working with regarding food security? If so, which ones?

 

“It all starts with the seed.”

Aki Energy

 

National Farmers Union

 

Seed Change Canada


 

This Profile Story was created by Red River Collage students Jo-Ann Johnson, Robin Swampy, and Andreas Thompson as part of their Social Innovation capstone project. A huge thanks to all three of them for creating this profile!

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