Seeds of change: Strengthening Metlakatla cultural food and material practices

Indigenous food sovereignty is an important means to strengthen and honor traditional food systems and knowledge that have been impacted by colonialism and the neoliberal food regime. Given the importance of food sovereignty, the Metlakatla First Nation seeks to implement a cultural food and material strategy to strengthen and protect Metlakatla participation in important food, social, and ceremonial activities. This study sought to explore different mechanisms to implement Metlakatla's strategy and found that governance frameworks, such as adaptive management and transition management, can be useful tools. However, this study has also found that before using such governance frameworks, there are pre-conditions that are important to consider, including system awareness, compatibility, and structural conditions, that can help address institutional barriers that may otherwise impede intervention efforts. This study reinforces the importance of paying attention to the place-based pre-conditions needed to achieve long-term sustainable visions through intervention efforts.