Led by Dr. Andrew Spring, the Northern Food Systems Research Group (NFSRG) is composed of researchers, students, and community practitioners engaged in Participatory Action Research in the Northwest Territories. The NFSRG works collaboratively with partners on community-defined and led projects that build towards more resilient Northern food systems.
Key community partners include: Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation, Délı̨nę Got’ine Government, Tsá Tué Biosphere Reserve, Sambaa K’e First Nation, City of Yellowknife, Ecology North.
Wilfrid Laurier University students and Ecology North staff collaboratively organized a Compost Summer Camp in Ka’a’gee Tu/K’ágee Tue First Nation (Kakisa) in July 2024. The camp provided educational programming related to composting for youth in the community.
Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (KTFN) and researchers from Wilfrid Laurier University’s Northern Food Systems Research Group celebrate 10 years of sustainable food systems research and practice. This milestone was reached due to the trustbased relationships between community members and researchers that have
been nurtured through collaborative Participatory Action Research.
In 2022, WLU Masters student Laura Rodriguez-Reyes worked with partners in Kakisa to understand the dynamics of food and economic development in the community. This research aimed to 1) identify the challenges and opportunities of operating an enterprise in Kakisa, 2) determine the community’s vision of an Indigenous-led enterprise, and 3) identify next steps to realize this vision.
On-the-land camps provide a space for youth to learn about changes happening in their homelands and connect vital Indigenous teaching peactices and ways of knowing with scientific tools in traditional languages.
As climate change impacts the northern landscape and expands agricultural opportunities, it is important to consider how land use changes will impact soil carbon and what it will mean for communities in the North.
Laurier researchers are working with Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (KTFN) and territorial fire managers to establish a Firebreak Farm that supports the community’s food system and adapt to climate change.
Food hubs connect those who grow, harvest, and process food directly with people. While food hubs can look different, they make a significant impact on food system sustainability and resilience in the North.
The Sambaa K’e First Nation is working with Laurier researchers to integrate agroecology—ecological approaches to farming—into their planning for food system resilience. Community gardens are important sites for agroecological food growing, education, research, and engagement.
Agroecology offers a model for agriculture in the North that centers the relationship between humans and the environment, prioritizes long-term land stewardship over short-term yields, works within the unique boreal landscape, and supports Indigenous sovereignty.