SASKATOON — Wanuskewin Heritage Park has partnered with Federated Co-op to launch a new line of bison food products that will be sold in stores in Western Canada.
A portion of the products will go to the non-profit heritage park as part of co-op’s Reconciliation in Action Program. The bison meat will be sourced from Alberta, produced in Saskatchewan and sold at co-op stores in Western Canada.
Artwork by Linus Woods, an Ojibway-Dakota artist from the Long Plain First Nation in Southern Manitoba, designed the packaging. A portion of the proceeds will support the cultural programs of Wanuskewin and all other aspects of the project that are unique in Western Canada.
Federated Co-operatives Limited Chief Executive Officer Heather Ryan said they had established a tremendous relationship with Wanuskewin as they take another step in their partnership journey.
“We are always pleased to find unique and creative ways to give back to our communities. The programming these proceeds will support is essential to moving toward a better collective understanding of Indigenous history and culture and supports our commitment to truth and reconciliation,” said Ryan.
Since late October, products such as bison burgers, jerky, meat sticks and smokies are now available in co-op stores. There are also discussions on other bison-meat-related products.
WHP CEO Darlene Brander said that seeing bison meat products across Western Canada helps people learn more about the heritage park.
“This is reconciliation in action. By answering those truth and reconciliation calls to action in creative ways like this, we elevate the understanding and appreciation of Indigenous cultures,” added Brander.
Co-op store brands manager Sav Bellisimo said the recipes for the products were developed at Wanuskewin and brought to life by the co-op team.
“Bison is so important in the Indigenous culture, so it was clear from the beginning that it would be the backbone of the product line. Having our recipes developed externally is something we haven’t done before, but we tried them and loved them, so we ran with it,” said Bellisimo.
Wanuskewin is working toward becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site, projected for 2025, becoming the first to earn the status in Saskatchewan.
