Edmonton Food Reconnect - hosted by Néḱem: To Change Something
On Friday, April 28, Righting Relations and the John Humphrey Centre were honoured to help facilitate a gathering where Edmonton Food Stakeholders were able to reconnect and deepen our understanding of anti-oppressive practices in food work. We were thankful to each and every one of the attendees who made it - over 35 people representing 20 different agencies doing food work in and around Edmonton.
We are honoured that our friends from Nék̓em, meaning “to change something”, offered to host this gathering, and to Tee Pee Treats for providing delicious bannock and stew that nourished us, and to the three speakers - Vee Duncan, Emilea Saadeh, and Curtis Cardinal, for their bravery in sharing their experiences and wisdom with us.
During this session, the focus was to bring Indigenous voices and experiences to the forefront of our collaborative work, and to hear from speakers the impact of oppression and colonialism on their lives and professional work spaces. The speakers spoke openly from the heart and shared the realities and trauma they have lived that continues to impact their life and work daily. Attendees contemplated many of the themes that were brought up, including tokenism, the importance of representation in non-profit organizations and leadership roles, working with a trauma-informed and anti-oppressive lens, and the need for those with lived experience to be part of working with our most vulnerable and creating solutions for change.
Each of us is on a journey to learn, to do better, and to bring change that benefits all. When we listen with open hearts and bring the voices of the most vulnerable and those with lived experience to the forefront, we also aid in the journey towards reconciliation and healing. We thank each of the speakers for sharing their time and wisdom to help us on this journey of learning. Let us continue to support and integrate these teachings so that they may translate into action that will impact the work we are all doing around food and provide pathways for change on all levels.
To learn more about Nék̓em or support the work they do, you can visit their website or facebook page. They also have a GoFundMe donation page: Nekem - To Change Something: Go Fund Me.
Photos from April 28th: Edmonton Food Reconnect with Nékem
Our thanks extend to the City of Edmonton for once again donating space to host this gathering, and to the Catherine Donnelly Foundation for supporting the work of Righting Relations Canada.