CDAR MARKS WORLD DIABETES DAY WITH A SPECIAL JOINT EVENT

Every year, on November 14, individuals and organizations throughout the globe mark World Diabetes Day with events that are intended to raise awareness about living with diabetes, advocate for increased research, and to promote the adoption of healthier lifestyles. This year, the Canadian Diabetes Association at Ryerson (CDAR) was proud to commemorate World Diabetes Day by jointly hosting an event with Ryerson Aboriginal Student Services (R.A.S.S.), Ryerson’s Indigenous Students’ Association (ISA) and the School of Nutrition that focused on the impact that diabetes has had on Aboriginal communities in Canada.  Aboriginal cultural practices were observed, including a traditional smudging ceremony and the formation of a healing circle for our event.

The first featured speaker was Joanne Dallaire, Traditional Counselor and Elder at Ryerson University. She gave attendees a brief overview of the history of First Nations people in the country and highlighted various cultural values and dietary practices that have sustained their communities for generations. She spoke about how colonialism has disrupted Aboriginal Canadians’ connection to the land and undermined their cultural practices and linked this to the disproportionately high prevalence of diabetes that is seen in their communities today.

Kathleen Laforme, the Family Wellness Coordinator at the Southern Ontario Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative (SOADI), also spoke and she emphasized the importance of diabetes screenings and the maintenance of healthy lifestyle and self-care practices, for both diabetes prevention and management.   We also heard from Spenta Mazkoori, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Anishnawbe Health Toronto, who used a specially designed vest to provide us with a 3-D visualization of the inner organs to demonstrate how diabetes is manifested in the body.

The evening culminated with a community potluck where Ryerson community members were able to partake in traditional Aboriginal cuisine including elk, venison, wild rice and fried bannock. The event was a great success!  A big thank you goes out to our partners for the evening, the featured speakers and all of the Ryerson community members who came out to mark World Diabetes Day with us!

Attendees hear from registered dietitian Spenta Mazkoori

A 3-D demo of the physical impact of diabet    

Some of the great resources shared during the event    

Traditional Aboriginal fare