Network helps support First Nations nutritionists

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March is Nutrition Month across Canada, and this year's campaign offers advice on how people can include good nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle.

That advice includes following Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, eating a variety of foods, eating the right amount of food to suit your age, gender and activity level, and achieving and maintaining a healthy weight by eating well and keeping active.

The message the Dietitians of Canada want to get out to people during Nutrition Month is that, for reliable information about nutrition, your best source is a registered dietitian.

Now dietitians working in Aboriginal communities can help ensure they are providing the most current and complete nutrition information they can, thanks to the Aboriginal Nutrition Network.

Formed in April 2001, the Aboriginal Nutrition Network gives dietitians and nutritionists working in Aboriginal communities, or those interested in the area of Aboriginal nutrition, a forum to network and share their resources. The network was formed within Dietitians of Canada, the national organization of dietitians in Canada.

Through the network, members are also provided with opportunities to add to their knowledge base through continued education, both by participating in education programs organized through the network or by getting information about other education opportunities available in the area of nutrition.

The goals of the network also include helping raise awareness of the nutritional needs of Aboriginal people, as well as acting as a resource for government and policy makers to consult on issues related to the nutrition of Aboriginal people.

And with only a dozen Aboriginal dietitians and nutritionists across the country, the network members have begun work to try to promote nutrition as a career choice for Aboriginal students, as well as to increase the number of internship opportunities available to those students in northern and Aboriginal communities.

Laurie Nicholas, a registered dietitian, and a certified diabetes educator, is one of the co-chairs of the network. Originally from the Maliseet First Nation in Tobique, N.B., Nicholas has worked as a dietitian in a number of Aboriginal communities across the country.

"We really want to benefit communities overall, in terms of Aboriginal nutrition issues," Nicholas said. "We're continually working to build our membership, and we're doing some exciting projects."

One of those projects, being done in partnership with Dietitians of Canada and Health Canada, is the creation of an online database of nutrition resources, allowing members to share information. Training is also being provided to members who want to learn how to use and add to the database.

"We're also building capacity among existing network members by conducting a needs assessment, as well as two teleconferences, in terms of continuing education on priority topics identified by network members," Nicholas said.

The first teleconference for members was held in February on the topic of Nutrition and traditional food: Issues of food security and safety. The next teleconference-Staying well for seven generations to come-is scheduled for March 19, and will look at the topic of traditional foods and plants.

Another event planned for March is a retreat for Aboriginal dietetic students, with an equal number of member dietitians to attend as well.

Linking dietetic students with members is something the network is hoping to do on an ongoing basis through a formalized mentoring process.

"I had a mentor when I was going through school, and I always think about that, and wanting to do that same thing for others. Our members are so unique and they're so great. They're so helpful. Anything we ask them to do, you know, we'll send out SOS's-we need information on this, does anybody have that-you know, the communication is just wonderful, actually. We're having a great response," Nicholas said.

"All of our members, they'rereally great, and I think it's because of the expertise and the commitment that they have towards this issue."

For more information about the Aboriginal Nutrition Network, contact network co-chairs Laurie Nicholas at 613-932-6445, or via e-mail at maliseetrde@hotmail.com, or Bernadette de Gonzague at 705-859-3166 or via e-mail at abenaki25@hotmail.com.