Identifying needs and uses of digital Indigenous food knowledge and practices for an Indigenous Food Wisdom Repository

Indigenous food sovereignty and security are essential to Indigenous health and cultural perpetuity. Revitalization of traditional foodways can counteract the negative impacts of colonial food practices and policies on the health of Indigenous peoples. A mixed methods survey was conducted to describe the data needs of people working in Indigenous nutrition related fields. Results showed that nutrition education, academic scholarship, and community projects were the most frequently used data categories. With improved access, projects-in-progress and raw data would be utilized for reference and staying current. The most common barrier was not knowing where or how to access information. Raw research data, research, projects-in-progress, and tribal policy were the most difficult to access. The study concludes that an online Food Wisdom Repository can contribute to health equity by improving access to Indigenous knowledge and wise practices, cultivating culturally appropriate data sharing, and sustaining and extending current work in the field.