Kara Pictou, Bsc;
Kara is an L’nu’skw (Mi’kmaw woman) and Kiju (mother) born in Epekwitk (P.E.I.). She is a member of Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation in Mi’kma’ki (Nova Scotia). Kara graduated from the Human Nutrition program at Saint Francis Xavier University in 2018 and completed her degree with a directed study, called “Reclaiming Traditional Foodways in Mi’kma’ki, which was at the time a gap in the HNU program. This later led her to pursue the Land2Lab project by delivering the program to her home community of Paqtnkek. She is now exploring her role as the Community-Based Climate Monitoring Coordinator at the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq in Truro, NS. Kara joined CMM in 2019, where she has brought expertise on Mi’kmaw knowledge, climate monitoring, community engagement, skill development for Mi’kmaw youth, and traditional knowledge interviews emphasizing the importance of Elder-youth intergenerational knowledge transfer. Before working for CMM, Kara worked as a research assistant for Dr. Ann Fox, where she integrated and strengthened the Indigenous content into the Nutrition program at St FX University. Since then, Kara has presented to numerous HNU students sharing her Mi’kmaq cultural knowledge, respect for ceremony and living experiences to students. Kara believes this will help minimize the negative stigma against Indigenous people in the health care setting.

In addition, Kara has worked closely with her home community of Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation on many projects reclaiming traditional food and land-based education, particularly with Elders and youth. Kara’s background in Human Nutrition paired with her desire for local resurgence in Mi’kmaw foodways, has provided her a unique perspective on the undeniable connection between the land and food as it relates to accessing healthy, traditional foods thus reinforcing her inherited treaty right to fish, hunt and harvest traditional foods and medicines. Kara continues to be the community lead for the Land2Lab project and is grateful to work with her project team and is now looking forward in upscaling the Land2Lab program to eight other Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia.

Ann Fox, PhD PDt
Ann Fox is the Chair of the Department of Human Nutrition at St Francis Xavier University (StFX) in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Ann has been a registered dietitian for over 30 years and her practice has focused on chronic disease management and prevention, women’s health, and health education innovation. Ann completed her undergraduate degree in Food and Nutrition at Ryerson University, a Master of Health Science in Community Nutrition and a doctorate in Nutritional Science, both at the University of Toronto. Ann was the director of the Master of Public Health Nutrition program at the University of Toronto where was also a Faculty of Medicine Education Scholar. Ann’s research interests are rooted in promoting community health and well-being.

In 2016, Ann and her family made Nova Scotia their home, where she aims to support her local community through research, teaching, and collaboration. She is an advocate for local food, local arts and culture, and Traditional Knowledge. Ann is committed to learning with and from community leaders and blurring boundaries that separate old and young, arts and science, and different ways of knowing. Ann feels privileged to be working with Kara and Renée, Knowledge Keeper Kerry Prosper, and local youth on the Land2 Lab project.

Renee Bujold, MA (Cand), PDt
Renée is a Registered Dietitian and Master of Arts student (candidate) in Health Promotion at Dalhousie University under the co-supervision of Dr. Ann Fox and Dr. Debbie Martin. She completed her undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at Acadia University and her dietetic practicum in the South Shore of Nova Scotia in 2018. Before starting her Master's degree, Renée briefly worked at a non-profit community resource centre in British Columbia where she developed community kitchen workshops for newcomers and refugees focused on healthy eating and cultural recipes, and worked within the community to support food secure initiatives.

Renée started working with the Land2Lab project in September 2019, both as a research assistant and as partial fulfillment of her master's program. Renée is interested in Indigenous food sovereignty, holistic and environmental health, and sharing her love for food with others. Her thesis has been centered around the Land2Lab project, and she will be exploring how land-based and online learning can come together to teach Indigenous youth about their Traditional foodways. Through the Land2Lab project she has enjoyed learning more about Indigenous knowledge systems surrounding food, health, and learning, and hopes to continue learning about how to support and advocate for Indigenous communities.