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Dr. Sarah Schmidt is a Political Science professor at ������ who will lead the new Indigenous Food Systems and Environmental Policy program in Canada this summer.

The Canada program is a continuation of a larger research project focused on small-scale indigenous farming cultures around the world. “The program focuses on the consumption and production of foods in indigenous cultures. Considering how most foods in the US are incredibly processed and produced by the same few corporations, we find it important to focus on these smaller communities.”

Each year, Schmidt leads a short-term education abroad program to Mexico City during spring break (focusing on indigenous farmers, chinamperos, at Lake Xochimilco) and to one other location during the summer to continue the research. Schmidt believes that Canada is an ideal location for this year’s summer program. “Canada came to mind as a destination because we were aware of the indigenous movement there and the amount of focus that Canadian residents put on it.”

The environmental message of this program is incredibly important to Schmidt, as she stated that “The environmental component is a really important focus in this program. There’s all kinds of evidence showing the degradation of the environment due to these big corporations. As a research team, we’re looking for alternatives to this.”

Schmidt also detailed what students will be doing during this program, saying that “The vast majority of the academics are on-site, but we do some meetings before departing. At the end of all of this, we transition our experiences into policy recommendations.”

The Canada program, to Schmidt, can truly change a student’s life. “The immersion into a place that’s different from what we’re accustomed to is an incredibly powerful learning experience. Visiting an indigenous community is visceral and has been transformative to my students.”

Schmidt also made sure to establish the accessibility of the program, stating that “The program itself is relatively inexpensive and provides students with an alternative to their daily living.”

The food of these cultures is also worth focusing on and praising, as Schmidt stated that “Food is the nature of this research, so one of our activities involves eating foods in these various communities. We also get to see how these communities produce and consume food. That’s one of my favorite parts, and the food is always tasty!”

Giving students the opportunity to explore these indigenous communities is also important to Schmidt, as she said that “Indigenous communities in Canada are much different than, say, the Niagara Falls. You learn a lot about Canada in this program beyond just the country's similarities to the United States.”

Are you interested in participating in the Indigenous Food Systems and Environmental Policy program? Head to our website to learn more and apply.