Tea Creek Screening: Food Sovereignty, Storytelling, and Community Dialogue
- Mar 23
- 2 min read
This past weekend, the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust, in partnership with Story Money Impact and the Salt Spring Film Festival, hosted a community screening of Tea Creek—a powerful documentary exploring Indigenous food sovereignty, agriculture, and community wellbeing.
The film follows Jacob Beaton and the remarkable evolution of Tea Creek, an Indigenous food sovereignty training centre in northern BC. In just a few short years, Jacob and his team have transformed a family farm into a thriving hub for land-based learning—reviving traditional food systems, restoring Indigenous agricultural knowledge, and creating pathways for community healing.
One of the central threads the film challenges is a widely held narrative: that Indigenous peoples were solely hunters and gatherers, and that agriculture was introduced by settlers. Tea Creek makes clear that this misconception not only erases a rich history of Indigenous food systems, but also helped justify the dispossession of land. In reality, Indigenous agricultural practices were sophisticated and abundant. Much of this knowledge was disrupted through colonization and residential schools, where the transmission of knowledge from Elders to younger generations was forcibly interrupted. In this way, the film offers an important contribution to truth and reconciliation.
At the same time, the story is deeply hopeful. Through the voices of participants—including Justice Moore—we see the profound impact this work is having on young people. Tea Creek offers more than practical skills (like horticulture, carpentry, and plumbing): it creates a sense of purpose, belonging, and self-worth. For youth navigating the realities of trauma, addiction, and limited opportunities, the program provides a pathway forward—grounded in culture, community, and meaningful work.
The screening was followed by a thoughtful panel discussion featuring local voices:
Kurt Irwin (Penelakut Tribe) shared reflections rooted in his lifelong relationship with the land and waters around Salt Spring, and his current work advancing marine protection and land access through governance and reconciliation efforts.
Ken Thomas (Penelakut Tribe) a natural raconteur, wove stories and insights from his leadership in fisheries, wildlife, and natural resource stewardship.
Paz Q Rainville (Métis artist and farmer) spoke to relational approaches to land stewardship, shaped by experiences in wildfire response, land defence movements, and farming on Salt Spring.
Together, the panel explored the intersections of Indigenous knowledge, food systems, and community responsibility—highlighting both the challenges and the possibilities ahead.
What emerged from the evening was more than a conversation—it was a reminder: that food is not just sustenance, but relationship; that how we grow food matters; and that meaningful change begins with listening—to the land, to history, and to the knowledge held within Indigenous communities.
We’re grateful to everyone who joined us for this gathering, and to our partners for helping bring this important story to Salt Spring. Events like these are part of an ongoing commitment to learning, unlearning, and supporting more just and resilient food systems.
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