Food Secure Canada Stands in Solidarity with Idle No More

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Food Secure Canada stands proudly in solidarity with our friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues across this land known as Canada, and around the world, who are organizing and inspired by the Idle No More movement.

Outrageously high rates of hunger (as high as 70% for children in Nunavut to cite one example) and rampant diet-related chronic diseases amongst First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, as well as the destruction of traditional indigenous food systems are a deep concern to Food Secure Canada.



We extend our gratitude and respect to the women who are the heart, soul and backbone of this powerful movement characterized by prayer, ceremony, song, and dance.

We stand with and respect indigenous leaders. With sadness and outrage we recognize that those currently on hunger strikes follow generations of Indigenous mothers who have gone hungry for the sake of their children. Indigenous peoples are literally starving for justice.


The food insecurity and disease that Indigenous communities struggle against every day are symptoms of a deep and tragic dysfunction that rests squarely on the shoulders of Canada's colonial policies of forcible assimilation and resource appropriation. To remove Indigenous People’s traditional means of life and livelihood, undermine their rights to foster traditional food practices such as hunting, gathering and fishing, destroy the land and contaminate the water that have sustained them since time immemorial, and blame them for their resultant poverty and disease, are tragic abuses of human rights, dignity and justice.



We stand with Idle No More and call upon the Government of Canada to remedy its historical and current policies of colonization, assimilation and destruction, and work with each Nation to define and engage in an appropriate relationship based on respect and responsibility and full recognition of the right to self-determination.

Healing and rebuilding contemporary relationships between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian government and honouring original nation-to-nation agreements are crucial steps towards achieving food sovereignty and food security for all.



Food Secure Canada is a national membership based network working towards zero hunger, healthy and safe food and sustainable food systems.  Our vision for food sovereignty is laid out in Resetting the Table:  A People’s Food Policy for Canada.  The People’s Food Policy includes strong support for Indigenous Food Sovereignty (see in particular pages 10-12 of Resetting the Table).

Adopted by Food Secure Canada's Steering Committee January 9, 2013.