Incorporating traditional foods
Last updated on March 13, 2025In the Haida Gwaii School District (SD50), their school food program began with a simple belief: feeding kids at school is the right thing to do.
Traditional food in Haida Gwaii schools
“Food first, then nutritious and local – that was our wish list,” says teacher Dan Schulbeck who started the Garden and Gather program in the school district more than a decade ago. With 80% of students identifying as Haida, families also wanted their kids to learn traditional food practices. Incorporating these traditions into the program not only preserves cultural heritage but also teaches essential food and life skills.
The strategy
Today, SD50’s school food program is deeply connected to the entire food cycle. Local Foods to School (LF2S), a community food security initiative, sources ingredients from local harvesters, fishermen and hunters and supplies them to schools. LF2S pantries are stocked with clams, crab, fish, deer, tuna, chanterelles and local berries.
Students play an active role in sourcing food. “It’s more meaningful when kids are part of harvesting and processing,” says Shelly Crack, LF2S co-lead and Community Dietitian with Northern Health.
Processing crab that will be available to students through the LF2S south-end pantry. Photo: Marnie Smith.
In the Garden and Gather class, students learn to grow, gather, process and prepare foods in traditional ways, many of which supply the school lunch program.
For example, cod caught by local fisherman and sourced by LF2S is processed by students and transformed into fish tacos for the school lunch program. The school district works with traditional knowledge keepers and within food safety guidelines to keep the food safe for meal programs.
The hands-on learning is enriched by elders who share their ancestral knowledge, passing down traditions to the next generation.
The result
Students in SD50 eat high quality meals, with up to 30% of ingredients sourced locally or traditionally harvested. Ian Keir, principal of the island’s largest school, commented on the privilege of having fresh, photo-worthy meals daily. “We often don't realize how amazing those meals are because we eat them all the time.”
But the school food program does more than nourish students – it strengthens the local food economy on Haida Gwaii. Students learn to care for the land and connect with their food sources, while knowledge keepers enjoy opportunities to pass down ancestral traditions.
Students from Chief Matthews School working in the community greenhouse. Photo: Chris Horner.
These food skills reinforce what is taught in the community and in families, supporting students to harvest and process food for the next generation.
Schools on Haida Gwaii serving traditional food in their meal programs:
Number of students fed:
- 800