Honouring Wiiche’iwaymagon: One Year of Collaboration

It’s been one year since the Wiiche’iwaymagon partnership was officially signed, marking the start of a united effort to improve food security and increase access to affordable, healthy food for northern and remote communities in Manitoba and Ontario.

The Indigenous-led partnership, which was signed on Dec. 13, 2023, brings together food banks, hunger relief organizations, tribal councils and other Indigenous groups, collectively reaching approximately 345,000 people.

Food insecurity in the North is shaped by a web of interconnected challenges. Climate change, industrial activities and government policies have disrupted traditional food systems by altering wildlife patterns, damaging ecosystems and limiting access to land resources and fishing areas. For generations, regulations around resource management have often disregarded Indigenous knowledge, further straining relationships between communities and governing bodies.

Accessing store-bought food comes with its own set of challenges. Many northern communities can only be accessed by ice roads in winter or by air during other seasons, making transportation expensive. The high cost of shipping to these remote areas often results in inflated grocery prices.

Unfortunately, when food shipments do arrive, they can be spoiled — fruits may be rotten and bread can arrive moldy. This unreliability not only wastes resources but further drives up costs, with some families paying $500 for a few bags of groceries. These issues highlight the urgent need for sustainable, community-led solutions that respect and address local realities.

The Wiiche'iwaymagon partnership, which is guided by Indigenous decision makers, takes a community-driven approach to addressing these challenges. By centring Indigenous leadership and prioritizing local needs, it not only addresses immediate food security issues, but also seeks to help communities shape their local food systems. This initiative sets an example for future projects across Canada, highlighting the importance of Indigenous voices and worldviews in creating lasting solutions.

Second Harvest is honoured to support the Wiiche’iwaymagon partnership by coordinating food shipments to meet local needs, working closely with organizations within the recipient communities.

In just one year, Second Harvest has distributed over 100,000 pounds of food to northern communities through this partnership. But this initiative is about more than food distribution — it’s about building relationships and fostering a future where everyone has access to the nourishment they need.

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