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Small Berries, Big Lessons: A Reflection on Nature’s Wisdom and the Impacts of Climate Change

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I am reminded of a surprising and cherished memory of a gift that arrived at my office door one July afternoon—four tiny raspberries. As I sat at my desk, deeply immersed in writing, Shyra, my partner in life and business, returned from a short walk. In her hand, she held these delicate ruby-coloured gems, her face alight with excitement and curiosity as she asked, “Are these wild raspberries?”

My affirmation brought a look of elation to her face, but I could see the question forming in her eyes. Why were these berries so much smaller than the ones we typically see in stores? This simple question transported me back to a cherished memory, a lesson from my grandmother that has stayed with me for years.

The Sacred Role of Berries in Nature and Community

I remember clearly the day my grandmother and I walked along the east side of a large hill she lived on. With a subtle gesture—a point of her chin—she directed my attention to a patch of raspberry bushes. “These are raspberries,” she said. “They have been here for many years. There is just enough for us to enjoy their sweetness.”

Curious about their diminutive size, I asked her why they were so small. Her response was simple and profound: “I believe they are tiny because they serve a purpose: to create more raspberries.” She explained that raspberries are keepers of their seeds, designed to be eaten so humans, birds, and animals can disperse them. This natural process ensures the growth of new raspberry plants, perpetuating their life cycle and maintaining the balance of nature.

Her teachings revealed a sacred truth: these berries are not merely food but an essential part of the ecosystem, holding a sacred role in sustaining biodiversity of creating sacred spaces. The small size of wild raspberries isn’t a flaw but a feature that ensures their purpose is fulfilled. Every berry, every seed, every bite connects humans, animals, and the land in a cycle of interdependence.

Climate Change and the Balance of Nature

This delicate balance, however, is increasingly under threat from climate change. Rising temperatures, unpredictable weather patterns, and habitat destruction significantly impact the growth, health, and distribution of wild berries, including raspberries. Warmer winters disrupt dormancy cycles, leading to poor fruit production, while more frequent droughts stress plants and reduce yields. Unseasonal frosts can damage early blooms, and shifting climate zones are forcing plants to adapt to conditions they may not survive.

Other native berries in Ontario, such as blackberries, blueberries, serviceberries, elderberries, and strawberries, are also experiencing similar challenges. These plants, which once thrived in harmony with the local environment, are now vulnerable to changing precipitation patterns, invasive species, and soil degradation. This impacts the plants and the entire ecosystem that relies on them, from pollinators to humans.

For Indigenous communities, these berries are more than sustenance—they are integral to cultural identity and practices, traditional medicines, and food sovereignty. They symbolize the reciprocal relationship between humans and nature, which is strained by environmental degradation and climate change. The loss of these berries would represent an ecological crisis and a profound cultural loss.

Berries as a Foundation of Food Sovereignty

Berries like raspberries hold a sacred role in food sustainability and sovereignty. Their abundance supports a diverse food web, providing nutrition to countless species, including humans. In Indigenous food systems, berries are central to seasonal diets, ceremonial practices, and economic sustainability. Harvesting wild berries fosters a connection to the land, reinforcing the principle that food is a gift from Mother Earth to be shared responsibly.

The role of berries in the local food economy is also significant. Wild and cultivated berries contribute to community-based economies, supporting local growers and Indigenous harvesters. These plants embody the principles of balance and reciprocity, teaching us that sustainable food systems depend on healthy ecosystems. When climate change disrupts this balance, the consequences ripple through the food economy, threatening food security and sovereignty.

A Call to Protect the Sacred Role of Berries

Climate change is a threat to the environment and a challenge to the sacred relationships that sustain life. Berries like raspberries remind us of the interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of preserving these relationships. Protecting these plants means addressing the root causes of climate change, restoring habitats, and respecting Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) that has long guided sustainable stewardship of the land.

We must recognize the sacred role of berries as decision-makers in the health and well-being of people, plants, and animals. They are not mere commodities but vital participants in the dance of life, shaping ecosystems and supporting the cycles that sustain us all. Safeguarding their future is a moral and ecological imperative.

Honouring the Lessons of the Raspberry

As I savoured the sweet-tart flavour of the raspberries Shyra had found, I was grateful for her thoughtful gesture, the spirit of the berry, and the enduring wisdom of my grandmother’s teachings. These tiny berries, with their significant purpose, remind us of the beauty and fragility of the natural world. They teach us that food is not just sustenance but a sacred gift, a testament to the balance and wisdom of nature.

These lessons are more critical than ever in our modern world, where food systems are often disconnected from the land. The impacts of climate change compel us to reexamine our relationship with food, the environment, and each other. By protecting berries and the ecosystems they support, we honour the sacred balance of life and ensure a future where food sovereignty and sustainability are possible.

Let us walk gently on this Earth, remembering that even the smallest berry carries the wisdom of the land and the power to nourish life. By protecting these treasures, we uphold our responsibility to future generations and the sacred cycles that sustain us all.

 

By Rye Karonhiowanen Barberstock

 

(Image Credit: Christian Wiediger, Unsplash)

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Food Sovereignty Indicators for the Health of Indigenous Communities

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Food security means that a community has stable and sufficient access to nutritious food. Climate change further threatens Indigenous communities from maintaining secure access to country foods. Indigenous food sovereignty is a means by which food security for Indigenous communities is achievable. Having measurable indicators for food sovereignty in Indigenous communities can go a long way in securing the long-term health of Indigenous peoples.

While food security focuses on protecting and distributing food and produce from existing food systems, food sovereignty emphasises having a democratic approach that engages all community members and food producers in building and sustaining local food systems. Food Secure Canada highlights seven pillars for food sovereignty:

  1. Focusing on food for people
  2. Building knowledge and skills
  3. Working with nature
  4. Valuing food providers
  5. Supporting local food systems
  6. Putting control into local initiatives
  7. Food as sacred/gift of life

Indigenous food sovereignty is action-oriented and connected to a broader social movement that considers the needs of future generations. However, determining how to gauge where progress is being made in securing the overall health of Indigenous communities through Indigenous food sovereignty is difficult to achieve. Every effort should also consider the capacity of Indigenous communities to be engaged for long-term engagement.

Indigenous food sovereignty indicators can be used to build both community food systems and improve overall community health. Through a literature review, content analysis, and Indigenous community engagement, a collective of Indigenous and non-Indigenous university researchers has identified seven Indigenous food sovereignty indicators:

  1. Access to resources
  2. Production
  3. Trade
  4. Food consumption
  5. Policy
  6. Community involvement
  7. Culture

An additional twenty-five sub-indicators are identified  and are intended to be transferable to diverse Indigenous communities across differences of “cultural values, history, traditions, geography governance, beliefs, resources, capacity, and goals.”

One of the limitations of this research is that current public policy does not typically connect food sovereignty with public health priorities and so the implementation of these Indigenous food sovereignty indicators will require leadership to meet community expectations that link food security with sustainable health and wellness in Indigenous communities. Indigenous food sovereignty indicators can also be used to frame health promotion initiatives at the local community level by supporting Indigenous approaches to farming, harvesting, cooking, and language revitalization in conjunction with enhancing scientific work.

Indigenous food sovereignty projects worth considering in terms of their efforts to build food security and to heal from centuries of colonization include: Ginawaydaganuc Food Sovereignty Project; a project of the Pauquachin and T’Sou-ke First Nations of South Vancouver Island called Feasting for Change; and projects led by 28 different organizational efforts worldwide. Many of the projects combine seed saving, financing, guidance and mentoring by Elders, food preparation, and feeding programs.

Indigenous-led food sovereignty projects, combined with an application of indicators to gauge for impact, could offer a powerful means to manage and overcome Indigenous food insecurity, while promoting long-term Indigenous community health in the context of climate change.

 

By Leela Viswanathan

 

(Image Credit: Johnny McClung, Unsplash)

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Saving Seeds: Protecting the Planet and Seed Sovereignty

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Seed saving is about more than food; it is also about protecting future food crops on Mother Earth and facilitating Indigenous food sovereignty around the world. Saving seeds from one harvest to the next is necessary for Indigenous communities to meet their need for certain food crops, traditional medicines, as well as other cultural and social needs.

As a highly evolved process involving different stages, seed saving can include “optimal season times for seed saving, seed-saving rotations, containers, and storage units that lasted for hundreds of years, processes that considered pollination patterns and systems, and associated cultural meaning to different stages of the seed-saving process.” The importance of seed sovereignty has increased with the commercialization of seed markets. Seed sovereignty is “[t]he farmer’s right to breed and exchange diverse open-source seeds which can be saved and which are not patented, genetically modified, owned or controlled by emerging seed giants.” Seed sovereignty also aligns with “seven pillars of food sovereignty” that:

  • Focuses on food for people
  • Builds knowledge and skills
  • Works with nature
  • Values food providers
  • Localizes food systems
  • Puts control locally
  • Food is sacred.

Seed saving enables Indigenous communities to get back to their roots and to reconnect with Mother Earth. Saving seeds holds spiritual significance for Indigenous peoples. Seeds are understood as living beings from which humans are descended and with whom humans hold a reciprocal, if not symbiotic, relationship. Therefore, with seeds as their relatives, “members of an extended family,” Indigenous peoples must take care of them by preserving them for future generations.  Returning seeds to Mother Earth, their original home, is sometimes referred to as “seed rematriation.”

Seed banks and seed sanctuaries are vital repositories to protect the genetic diversity of food crops on the planet. They are intended to protect seeds for the future. There are seed sanctuaries operated by collaboratives, such as the Native American Seed Sanctuary, which involves Akwesasne, the Hudson Valley Farm Hub, the Indigenous Seed Keepers Network, and until the end of May 2021, Seedshed.  Indigenous nations have also developed their own seed banks, such as the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank and the Kenhte:ke Seed Sanctuary and Learning Centre; the latter is managed by Ratinenhayén:thos in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. The most significant seed bank on the planet is the Svalgard Global Seed Vault, located in Norway, which securely stores the world’s food crop diversity. The Cherokee Nation was the first Indigenous nation to contribute seeds to the vault.

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, often referred to as “The Seed Treaty,” is “a global agreement on sharing and caring for seeds.” The Seed Treaty serves to ensure that there is genetic diversity in seeds for the world’s food; however, the treaty does little to protect Indigenous knowledge about the seeds, nor does it protect against commercial exploitation. Clear documentation and agreements are needed when seeds are first collected and deposited in seed banks in order to reinforce Indigenous peoples’ seed rights.

By Leela Viswanathan

 

(Image Credit: Melanie Hughes, Unsplash)

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