This course builds off the concept of "Decolonize Your Diet" (coined by various food justice practitioners) by examining the ways in which systems of colonialism and oppression have shaped communities' access to food. In this course, we will study the histories of colonialism through case studies in the U.S., South Asia, and other regions of the world and critically examine the impacts of the colonial political economy on Indigenous food systems. Further, we will examine efforts to "anti-colonize" foodways through the reclamation of traditional, pre-colonial ways of eating, often led by frontline communities at the grassroots level. This course will offer a brief immersion into Ayurveda (an ancient and holistic system of medicine from South Asia) through two Saturday intensive hands-on cooking workshops that focus on Ayurvedic approaches to nutrition, and consider ways that these approaches can inspire further anti-colonizing foodways.
Students will need a computer (with a microphone and speakers and preferably with a camera) and internet access.This course will be taught mainly online (through asynchronous Canvas learning modules) except for 2 Saturday all day classes, which will take place in person at the Sustainable Agriculture Lab.
Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:
2 - Colonial Food Systems Histories
2 - Ayurvedic Cooking
Registration
Academic Details
Food systems, education, food entrepreneurship, healthcare.
$75 Fee will be used to cover food ingredients and expenses for the 2 all-day in-person cooking workshops.