A Model for Indigenous Leadership
Inception of Tea Creek
In 2018, the Benton family purchased a farm in Kitwanga in search of more space to pursue gardening and homestead food production. The family quickly realized the land’s powerful potential as a space to grow, train, inspire, and guide their community toward a more sustainable future and as a response to the threats and uncertainty posed by climate change and the ongoing effects of colonization. Tea Creek was born in 2020.
Since its inception, Tea Creek has grown into a nationally recognized model of Indigenous leadership in food systems. The initiative won the 2022 Land Award for sustainable land use and was named a Food Hero of Canada by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. In 2023, it became the first site in the province to receive designation from SkilledTrades BC as an Indigenous Landscape Horticulture training centre.
Indigenous-Led Education and Training
Tea Creek Programs
Tea Creek has made a transformative impact on Indigenous communities in northwestern BC and beyond. By creating an inclusive space for learning, healing, and growing, it is helping restore both food sovereignty and economic self-determination. The initiative’s programs serve a wide range of participants, from youth to Elders, and are designed to support not only individual success but also broader community well-being.
At the core of Tea Creek are the land-based, culturally safe, Indigenous-led learning programs they offer. For example, the I-FEAST program (Indigenous-led Foodlands Employment Apprenticeship Skills Training), provides culturally relevant, land-based employment training for Indigenous people who are unemployed or underemployed. This includes hands-on instruction in carpentry, mechanics, cooking, machine operation, and food production. Participants are also provided with daily meals, mental health support, and living allowances to reduce barriers to access and ensure holistic support.
In 2023 alone, Tea Creek recorded 292 Indigenous enrolments in its programs, over 140 graduates, and more than 30,000 hours of work experience. The initiative also served over 11,000 free meals and provided free mental health support to trainees, staff, and community members. Through these efforts, Tea Creek is addressing the root causes of poverty and unemployment in a culturally grounded, community-driven way.
Food production remains central to Tea Creek’s work. In 2023, the initiative grew and distributed more than 20,000 pounds of food, much of which was shared with local schools, families, and Elders. Seasonal harvest programs teach students and traditional Indigenous leaders about food cultivation, harvesting techniques, and respectful land stewardship. Tea Creek also supports other Indigenous farmers by partnering with nearby farms to distribute free seed packets, helping to catalyze a broader regional movement toward food sovereignty and Indigenous land-based education.
The initiative’s influence extends far beyond Kitwanga. By generating regular impact reports, offering scalable models, and cultivating a strong online and community presence, Tea Creek is becoming a national example of what’s possible when food systems are rebuilt with Indigenous leadership, values, and knowledge at the centre.
Tea Creek Documentary
Video: Trailer
In May 2024, CBC aired a documentary on Tea Creek for their Absolutely Canadian series. The 75-minute film follows Jacob Benton and his team through the growing season, exploring the story of Tea Creek, a history of Indigenous agriculture, and intimate portraits of program participants. The full film is available on CBC’s website.
Building on the Tea Creek Model
Tea Creek offers an innovative model for communities, particularly Indigenous Nations, seeking to combine food sovereignty with job training and cultural revitalization. A defining feature of Tea Creek’s success is its ability to bring together multiple priorities: skills development, mental wellness, land-based education, and food production. Other communities should consider how they might design holistic approaches that support participants not only economically but also socially, emotionally, and spiritually.
The I-FEAST program illustrates how employment training can be reshaped to reflect Indigenous realities and strengths. By offering trades and foodlands training alongside meals, mental health supports, and living allowances, Tea Creek removes many of the systemic barriers that often prevent participation. Similar programs elsewhere should assess community needs and design supports that reflect local values and lived experiences, using flexible funding streams and community partnerships to sustain them.
Tea Creek also demonstrates how education can be tailored to different audiences. Its seasonal harvest programming and land-based learning opportunities serve not only trainees but also school groups, Elders, and visitors. This intergenerational and inclusive approach creates long-term community engagement and fosters knowledge transmission. Communities aiming to replicate this model should consider working with local schools, Indigenous organizations, and Elders to co-create culturally grounded curricula and learning experiences.
Tea Creek shows that impact can be scaled through networked collaboration rather than centralized expansion. By offering seeds, partnerships, and peer support to other Indigenous growers, Tea Creek expands its influence while respecting local autonomy. This model of mutual support and shared leadership is a powerful alternative to top-down replication. It centres relationships, reciprocity, and a shared vision of land-based resurgence.
Explore Tea Creek’s Website
Learn more about Tea Creek’s programs, read impact reports, and explore further content.
A Model for Indigenous-Led Food Sovereignty
Tea Creek exemplifies how Indigenous-led, land-based initiatives can simultaneously advance food sovereignty, economic self-determination, and community healing. By grounding its programs in Indigenous knowledge, cultural safety, and holistic supports, Tea Creek addresses the root causes of food insecurity and unemployment while restoring relationships between people, land, and food. Its success demonstrates the power of community-driven, values-based approaches and offers a compelling model for other Indigenous Nations and communities seeking to rebuild resilient food systems through reciprocity, intergenerational learning, and Indigenous leadership.