Social representations of the food system in Nunavik: a glimpse into procurement strategies and human-environment relationships - Annie Lamalice, Alexandre Granger, Thora Martina Herrmann, Sébastien Rioux, Véronique Coxam, Marion Macé & Sylvie Blangy

The Inuit food system in Nunavik has changed drastically in recent decades. Today's food consumption consists of about 80% of imported foods, which have neither the same nutritional quality nor the same cultural and spiritual importance than country foods that made up most of the traditional diet. Traditional Inuit food systems rely on strong human-environment relationships and are based on subsistence activities (i.e., hunting, fishing, gathering) and mobilize the profound knowledge Inuit are holding of the natural environment. In the light of the rapid and drastic changes that transformed their diet, how do today’s Nunavimmiut perceive their food systems and the different types of foods that compose them? During four participative workshops held in Kuujjuaq and Kangiqsujuaq in 2017 and 2018 local residents drew 30 mental food maps” representing their food sources and food procurement strategies. These food maps show that country food still occupies a key place in the way Nunavimmiut think about and perceive their food environment. The food maps further demonstrate the different food procurement strategies which highlight family relationships while also taking advantage of new opportunities provided by information technologies (e.g., Facebook and online orders).