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