Caribou Nutrition
Adapted from "Nutrition," by Jill Christensen, in People
and Caribou in the Northwest Territories, Ed Hall, Editor
(1989).
Since time immemorial, caribou has been a staple food for
the Dene people of the Sahtu. Now, every community has at
least one food store.
This is a mixed blessing. On the one hand it means that starvation,
which was once common, is no longer a threat. On the other
hand, stores are a source of many foods whose nutritional
value is considerably lower
and less complete than traditional country food. To this
day, caribou remains a key source of nutrition for many people.
Caribou will provide such a complete source of nutrition
only if all the parts are eaten.
Caribou can provide nutrients that would require eating a
wide variety of foods in a modern diet - not only meat, but
also milk, bread, fruits and vegetables. The only essential
nutrient that is not
found in caribou is vitamin D. Traditionally, people had
to use other food such as fish liver oil to get this.
Caribou liver is rich in vitamin C, but caribou muscle is
not. If the liver isn't eaten, it is necessary to get vitamin
C from another food source.
Caribou is leaner than most store-bought meats. Caribou fat
is also better for you, since it is more "unsaturated." This
means that those who eat it are in less danger of getting
heart disease.
Eating country foods such as caribou can also prevent
other
diseases, such as diabetes have become distressingly common
in southern communities that have become dependent on store-bought
food.
Milk and Milk Products
soft ends of bones
stomach contents
intestines
Meat and Alternatives
meat, heart, liver
kidneys, brain, blood
Bread and Cereals
heart, liver, kidneys
bone marrow
intestines and web covering stomach
Fruits and Vegetables
stomach contents
eyes, liver
ELDER STORIES | YOUTH SPEAK | CARIBOU NUTRITION
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