Youth, Arts and Media Team

Niriqatiginnga 
FOOD SECTOR News
Hard at work: Niriqatiginnga is so excited to be collaborating with this year's biosystems class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. It's great to see Minnesota and Manitoba connecting this way.
Hard at work: Niriqatiginnga is so excited to be collaborating with this year's biosystems class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. It's great to see Minnesota and Manitoba connecting this way.

Niriqatiginnga in the classroom: Biosystems with MCAD

Over the next five weeks we are excited to be able to connect with Kami Norland's biosystems class at the MInneapolis College of Art and Design.

MCAD Biosystems project connects arts and food security research through cross-border collaboration

Over the next five weeks we are excited to be able to connect with Kami Norland’s biosystems class at the MInneapolis College of Art and Design. Their program has expressed interest in working together to co-create a toolkit and facilitator’s guide to support immersive community projects like Niriqatiginnga. The class project will center around themes of food security, food sovereignty, and their related challenges.

CBRL Conversations: Dr. Olaf Kuhlke

How can arts-based, experiential and participatory approaches to creative food sector entrepreneurship be used to support innovation and research in the agricultural sector, including opportunities to expand regenerative agriculture?

This guide will also serve as a valuable resource for those interested in hosting workshops and activities, offering a roadmap for the planning and execution of events. It will encompass various elements, such as instructions for organizing workshops, or hosting a canning session, conducting cooking demonstrations, and providing participants with opportunities for community- based and driven social programming. The guide is not limited to any single use but is instead meant to be adaptable and flexible, catering to a wide range of community initiatives.

In addition to the practical guidance it can provide, the handbook will also include a participant journey map, which outlines the entire experience, from the initial invitation to active engagement from the core relationship development and engagement activities, to the lasting memories created after each event.

Furthermore, the guide is intended to incorporate artistic marketing materials for each stage of the participant’s journey, enhancing the overall experience and ensuring that the projects inspired by it are not only educational but also engaging and memorable. 

As a new project that is just starting out, everyone on the Niriqatiginnga is  incredibly honored and excited to be able to connect with the programs like the MCAD Biosciences class. We believe this collaborative adventure has a lot of potential to bring our communities together in more than a few new and different ways.

Upcoming events:

Activities for this new, and exciting project start this Friday, November 3, 2024 with a special University of Victoria Community Based Research Lab Community Conversation with Dr.Olaf Kuhlke. He is Professor and Chair of Creative Entrepreneurship at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. 

Dr. Kuhlke’s talk will outline a planned project in Nunavut, Northern Manitoba and Alaska, addressing supply chains and their relationship to food (in)security in these regions. This project aims to focus on the tenuous relationship between Nunavut and Southern Canada regarding food systems development. It will seek to examine the flows and needs of food supplies to the North while simultaneously evaluating the possibilities and limits of local production.

Picture of Niriqatiginnga

Niriqatiginnga

The Niriqatiginnga Pilot Project serves as a prototype social program, arts entrepreneurship and online marketplace incubating data- driven research and innovation, capacity building and collaborative partnerships to address food insecurity in northern communities. The program uses a fusion of creative arts and data-driven approaches to cultural entrepreneurship, through partnerships with northern Indigenous Elders and youth, local Winnipeg businesses, Manitoba farmers, food producers, artists and researchers.
This project supports SDG 2 by empowering Indigenous youth with entrepreneurship skills in the food sector and addressing food insecurity in northern communities through initiatives like "Aqpik Jalapeño," promoting local food systems and economic opportunities while ensuring access to nutritious and culturally relevant foods. Through mentorship, training, and community engagement, it contributes to the goal of achieving zero hunger by fostering sustainable livelihoods and promoting healthy eating habits in Indigenous communities.
The Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) will contribute approximately $13.5 million to projects that employ youth and youth facing barriers. Each project will be eligible to receive up to $14,000 in matching funds to employ one (1) employee. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is one of several Government of Canada departments participating in the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.

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Upcoming Events

The Amautiit Nunavut Inuit Women’s Association is conducting preliminary research regarding the distinct and unique risks that exist in Nunavut that can make residents more vulnerable by nature of policies and/or programs.

About Niriqatiginnga

As a community program, nurturing the skills, knowledge, and networks of our future leaders, this unique, pilot program contributes beyond the success of its participants. Niriqatiginnga also lays foundations for sustainable and impactful business and entrepreneurship programming across the Kivalliq Region and Northern Manitoba.

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