As diabetes rates are skyrocketing in Saskatchewan, a national indigenous partnership is offering help.
Current estimates say 97,000 people in Saskatchewan have diabetes, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association. This means that 59 per cent more people have diabetes today than 10 years ago, with aboriginal people seeing higher rates.
Now, the Indigenous Peoples Assembly of Canada (IPAC), is training facilitators to run a program that teaches healthy food habits. IPAC recently received funding through the Canadian Diabetes Association to expand the Food Skills for Family Program.
IPAC National Chief Dwight Dorey says they want to combat Canadian diabetes rates that are higher in the indigenous population.
“It’s a way of helping them adapt to indigenous traditional foods and incorporating that into their daily lives,” he said.
The goal of the hands-on lessons about healthy eating is to educate people, he said.
“Part of this program will in fact provide training for facilitators who can understand Canada’s food Guide and what some of these implications are in respect to diet and they’ll go out and talk to people and hopefully educate our people on it,” Dorey said.
Dorey says learning more about food will improve the quality of life for people he serves. IPAC serves off-reserve indigenous people in Canada.
Communities interested in the Food Skills for Family program can contact IPAC for more information.