Image Credit: Adam Donnelly / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

KNOWLEDGE MAKERS PRESENTATION

Coyote Brings the Food conference kicks off 2024 edition of TRU IDays

Mar 11, 2024 | 6:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — IDays kicks off this week at Thompson Rivers University. Each year the university hosts a weeklong celebration of diverse cultures and people that make up TRU and the surrounding community.

Monday (Mar. 11) began with a two-day conference entitled ‘Coyote Brings the Food,’ which features representatives from TRU, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, All My Relations Research Centre and the Knowledge Makers research program.

It’s only fitting that a conference centred around Indigenous knowledge and food featured a research publication formed with Indigenous knowledge about food.

“The Coyote Brings The Food conference is a celebration of 16 global Indigenous women who have written a research paper that showcases and highlights the knowledge of their communities,” explains Jeneen Herns-Jensen, who is a lead with the TRU Knowledge Makers Program and an assistant director of All My Relations Indigenous Research Centre.

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The conference sets the stage for TRU’s week of I-Days events. The schedule features two days of networking and presentations, and highlights a recent publication based on food security and climate solutions through an Indigenous lens.

Dr. Rod McCormick is the director of All My Relations Indigenous Research Centre and says the Knowledge Makers research has become an important avenue for voices outside Western academia to be heard.

“It’s kind of revolutionary because what we’re doing is we’re saying that the solutions to climate change and food sovereignty have to come from the youth and Indigenous people have a lot to offer,” said McCormick.

This particular publication is one of several under the Knowledge Makers program. Volume 8 includes research from Indigenous women across multiple countries, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Dr. Airini is one of the founding heads of Knowledge Makers at TRU and says this recent work brought together valuable information from sources — which was known in many instances, but not yet distributed by a university.

“We’re thinking about here, how do we make sure that everybody has access to food, and that we develop the food in ways thats good for the planet?” said Airini.

Alongside Airini, Dr. Sereana Naepi is another founder behind Knowledge Makers and says a highlight of the conference was the presence of several of the women who contributed to the research, who had flown in from around the globe.

“This journal is a labour of love and a reflection of multiple communities across the globe,” she adds. “To stand here in person and to stand here with them is such an incredible privilege.”

Moving forward, the Knowledge Makers program is building its publication momentum, with the next volumes already in progress.

“Knowledge Makers makes it possible for us to be able to access and build upon Indigenous knowledge bases, and to do that in a way that’s respectful,” says Dr. Airini.

The remainder of I-Days runs until March 15 and the full schedule of events can be found on TRU’s website.