Lucia Bartleman remembers her grandmother harvesting and drying clams to save for later. Her job was to dig out the fat butter clams and to pluck the ducks her brother and father once hunted.

A lot of that’s been lost now, said the Pauquachin First Nation health supervisor.

“Our people used to eat things like fish, deer meat and clams,” Bartleman said. “We never had hamburgers ... it’s more foods from grocery stores that you see people buying now.”

Bartleman works with Sue Schaefer, a diabetes educator and registered nurse, to discuss First Nations diabetes.

Together they have helped the West Saanich Pauquachin First Nation community implement healthy eating through traditional feasts to combat the disease.

Schaefer, through her alter ego Mrs. Pudding, presents theatrical skits and works one-on-one with the 21 people living with diabetes in the 400-person community.

“Aboriginals are one of the ethnic groups that has a much higher predisposition to diabetes. They have three to six times more likelihood of diabetes than the rest of the Caucasian population,” she said.

But food is only one part of the equation. She said a lot of the issues facing First Nations people predispose them to obesity, like poverty, lack of education, and depression.

“Plus stress. They live with a huge amount of stress, whether it’s housing, financial or loss of culture,” Schaefer, said.

Stress will be the focus of her upcoming workshop to promote First Nation’s health.

She will do it from the perspective of the quirky, and eccentric Mrs. Pudding, who she describes as “everyone’s grandmother” who uses humour to discuss diabetes.

Mrs. Pudding shows that it’s not about perfection, but making healthy choices most of the time.

“Are you making healthy choices most of the time? Are you trying to get out and be active most of the time? Healthy eating actually helps you with your stress. When you’re out on that walk it’s actually helping with stress,’ she said.

The Canadian Diabetes Association’s 16th annual diabetes symposium happens Oct. 31 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration ($20) for the event starts at 8 a.m. in University of Victoria’s Farquhar Auditorium and includes a nutrition break. Fees can be waived for financial need.

lweighton@vicnews.com

Did you know?

• At the end of 2007, there were about 7,100 Status Indians living with diabetes in B.C. That number is increasing by about 450 people per year.

• Status Indians with diabetes compared to Status Indians without have five times greater rate of hypertension, three times greater rate of heart failure and three times greater rate of heart attack.

– Canadian Diabetes Association