An Indigenous-led group that promotes food sovereignty by reclaiming indigenous ways of living gathered at the Regina Food Bank for a buffalo harvest ceremony.
More than 700 pounds of buffalo meat, which will last at least four months, was prepared, chopped, and packaged by members of the Comeback Society using space at the food bank.
Approximately 95% of the people served by the Comeback Society, according to chief visionary officer (CVO) Alicia Morrow, are Indigenous. The group serves at least 300 meals to the community each week.
We wanted to “truly think about how we might use food sovereignty to alleviate food insecurity,” she said. “We thought as an agency how important it would be for us to reclaim that aspect of us, to be able to provide food to our people from the buffalo.
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To harvest the buffalo, the Comeback Society met with the Peepeekisis First Nation last week. This method required all parties to comprehend and adhere to protocols, therefore a lot of work went into it.
We don’t follow their customs. These teachings have been lost, and we no longer possess them, claimed Morrow. “I think it’s huge for us as an agency to be able to feed our workers by reclaiming something like this.
A self-described knowledge keeper named Rod Belanger claimed that the buffalo was a symbol of economic sustenance and that it had sustained humanity for thousands of years.
There were many promises made throughout our ceremonies that the buffalo would return, and now we are beginning to see those promises come true, according to Belanger. “This is only the start. There’s a whole future of our history not yet written of what this buffalo will do for Indigenous people in our territory.
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Belanger said there’s a spiritual connection to the buffalo within Indigenous communities and that it’s a good feeling to see people learn to harvest the animal.
In a similar community harvest, The Comeback Society will collaborate with other First Nation communities to provide meat.
a Regina-based indigenous organisation harvests buffalo to provide to food bank clients
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