INTEGRATING INDIGENOUS FIRE AND SOIL ELEMENTS WITH FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION IN YOUTUBE VIDEO RESOURCES FOR RURAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN

This pilot project was a proof-of-concept endeavour to evaluate how the blending of Indigenous Knowledge and scientific concepts could be applied to Indigenous community needs and high school classrooms in central Saskatchewan. Completed in partnership with rural and Indigenous communities, organizations, and education boards in central Saskatchewan, the project aimed to evaluate current needs for nutritional education in their communities. These needs were evaluated by pursuing these research objectives: 1) to engage with education and Indigenous community stakeholders to co-develop YouTube video resources based on the Elemental Teachings of fire and soil to be incorporated into the high school curriculum; and 2) to gather insights from education and Indigenous community stakeholders on potential enhancement of the videos to further their applicability to educate rural high school students about community food security concepts, Indigenous land-based teachings, and practical nutrition information. The video products were co-created and developed in partnership with the community schools and Indigenous community members. This development included exploring Indigenous partner community needs for improving the content, delivery, and accessibility of these videos to address the food security and nutrition practices for rural and Indigenous high school students. First, the research team from the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and College of Agriculture and Bioresources engaged three rural communities in central Saskatchewan with a high population of Indigenous individuals and youth. Multiple initial community outreach engagements were conducted to evaluate the classrooms, gain perspective on the community needs, and to build relationships with Indigenous partners. Two video products were created that were approximately 15 minutes in length each. After community deliberation, they were based on Indigenous Elemental Teachings regarding fire and soil. The videos covered topics such as community food security, access to traditional foods, and nutrition education needs. They also included three recipe demonstrations to guide students to make simple dishes at home using traditional Indigenous ingredients. Finally, the videos demonstrate the cultural significance of fire and soil, the scientific concepts behind them, and their effect on the nutrition of individuals and communities. A panel of participants consisting of teachers, Indigenous community members, and Elders were then interviewed to review and guide the educational video content. The interviews were then transcribed and analyzed with a qualitative thematic data analysis to identify central themes in the data. Once initial themes were discovered, they were then brought to education professionals and Indigenous community and Elder partners for feedback and to verify accuracy. Data was identified and organized into two main themes: 1) Community Needs and Future Teaching points and 2) Video Feedback. Feedback included that the video products demonstrated the strong cultural significance of fire and soil and included relevant nutrition education for students based on present community food security needs. They also indicated that youth engagement and leadership is necessary to further strengthen nutrition education and food security needs in Indigenous and Saskatchewan classroom settings.

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