Wellness through the lens of gathering, gardening, and grocery

Abstract

The food environment in rural Alaska has undergone a rapid transition as communities have gone from subsistence to cash based economies. As this nutrition transition continues and is further impacted by climate change, rural Alaskans need diverse food sources to maintain health and improve resilience. The objective of this research was to assess the role cultivated and wild plants play in wellness, and to understand current perceptions of gardening as a source of vegetables and improved wellness in Barrow, Alaska. A mixed methods approach was used, the qualitative component consisting of seven focus groups, 60 minutes each, which were audio recorded. Following each focus group, a questionnaire was administered to all participants. Focus group recordings were transcribed and coded in Atlas.ti for themes. Questionnaire data were compiled in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Alaska Native adults were recruited to participate through snowball and convenience sampling. The study found that gathering played a strong role in wellness, in particular as it relates to nutrition, connection to the land, traditional foods, culture, and medicine. However, participants also reported lacking knowledge about plants from the tundra. The overwhelming majority of plants consumed were from the grocery store. In contrast to gathered plants, participants’ perceived that plants from the grocery store only address one dimension of wellness--dietary health. Gardening was perceived as a valuable new local source of fruits and vegetables. These results provide insight into the role that plants play in wellness in an Alaska Native community that is experiencing a nutrition transition. This study found that fruits and vegetables from the garden, grocery store, and tundra each play important, but different roles in wellness. This is consistent with previous studies and highlights the importance of considering each source when addressing wellness in Alaska Native communities. In addition, having a diverse food portfolio that includes fruits and vegetables from all three sources, especially local sources, is key to achieving food security and sovereignty.