Cuthand: Scurvy latest poverty disease for northern Sask.

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Historically the diseases affecting the morbidity rates of Indigenous peoples have been the diseases of poverty. Tuberculosis, pneumonia and gastrointestinal diseases are all related to living conditions and poor water. Now we can add scurvy to the list of ailments, particularly in the north.

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Scurvy is a series of symptoms brought on by a vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin C isn’t stored in the body and must be provided daily by a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.

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Scurvy is a growing problem south of the border and large swaths of America are regarded as food deserts with a lack of nutritious foods. It’s not just related to poverty. The abundant fast food and junk food lack proper nutrition and make up much of people’s diet.

Prepackaged food doesn’t spoil and is easier to transport and keep than fresh fruits and vegetables. According to a 2022 report from the Saskatchewan Health Authority, the weekly cost of nutritious food for a family of four in the south was $291.58 and $358.79 in the north.

In the far north, defined by communities located at Wollaston Lake and farther north, the weekly cost was $464.37.

The reason breaks down to small markets and the cost of transportation. In the south, supermarket chains can bulk order and lower the cost per item. In a small community, food stores serve a much smaller population and are unable to buy in bulk.

But the real culprit is transportation. Fuel, distance and labour costs drive up the cost of food in the north. The provincial government blamed the carbon tax in response to a question from the NDP. The reason is more complex.

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The Prince Albert Grand Council is planning to present a resolution at the December sitting of the Chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations. Their concerns are related to the increase in scurvy and tuberculosis, which are related to overcrowded housing and poverty.

There are a variety of solutions to this resurgence of an ancient disease.

Transportation costs could be subsidized by the provincial government to lower the cost of food in the north. The federal government has a program like this in Nunavut and a similar one could be implemented in northern Saskatchewan.

I recall comments by Jim Sinclair, the former head of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan and later a member of the FSIN senate.

He pointed out that the provincial government subsidized the cost of alcohol where a bottle of whiskey cost the same in the government liquor store in La Loche as a store in Regina. His conclusion was that if they can do that for booze, they can do it for staples like milk.

In addition to scurvy, our diet is the cause of other diseases like the diabetes that is reaching epidemic proportions. The high transportation rates are only part of the problem. We must return to our roots and recreate the healthy diet and lifestyle of our ancestors.

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The answer lies within our people. Traditionally our people could live on the land year-round and not suffer from malnutrition and scurvy. People would pick berries and preserve them for the winter.

Pemmican was a mix of chokecherries, meat and fat. It was highly nutritious and sustained our people over the winter. There are also stories of early European settlers receiving help from local Indigenous people with spruce tea and other remedies.

Also, most First Nations have community stores, and they have to assess the nutritional content of their products. Junk foods and sugar drinks should be seriously cut back.

The people suffering from scurvy are either invalids who can’t get out to a store often or those who are separated from a healthy lifestyle and traditional diet. A person can be employed full time with a steady income and still suffer from malnutrition based solely on their diet.

Some communities are bringing back the use of community gardens to improve food security. Muskoday, for example, maintains a community garden and provides members with root vegetables like potatoes.

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On a macro level we need to improve the housing stock and eliminate overcrowding. We continue to suffer from the diseases of poverty.

Proper nutrition is both a seemingly simple and complicated issue. It means changing lifestyles and taking care of each other.

Doug Cuthand is the Indigenous affairs columnist for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix and the Regina Leader-Post. He is a member of the Little Pine First Nation.

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