Title

Baseline, exploratory research to identify wild-dietary components and assess the perceived high risk food items

Fiscal Year

2013-2014

Community/Region

Lac La Ronge Indian Band in Grandmother’s Bay, Sucker River, and Stanley Mission, Saskatchewan

Principal Investigator

Naomi Carriere

Community Project Lead

Naomi Carriere

Project Members

Peter Vanriel, Erika Quiring, Ryan Froess, Samantha Pham, Blake Charles, Leon Charles, Kenny Ratt, Lester Roberts and John P. Roberts

Project Summary

Members of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band (LLRIB) questioned the health and environmental impacts of exploration activities, mining and milling operations, and abandoned mine sites. Due to increasing demand for natural resources in northern Saskatchewan, band members were concerned about impacts to their health from eating traditional foods such as fish, wild game, and plants hunted and gathered in the region. The goals of the study were to record  harvesting and consumption patterns within the communities, and determine the level of contamination in water, sediment, and wild foods.

The team documented the quantity, type, and harvest location of wild foods eaten by residents of Grandmother’s Bay, Sucker River, and Stanley Mission. They collected samples of water, sediment, soil, and wild food (blueberry, fish, duck, grouse, and moose) near the three communities and an abandoned copper mine site. These samples were analyzed for chemical contaminants of concern.

The analysis found the levels of contaminants posed no health issues at current levels of consumption. The study team encouraged continued use of traditional foods as they have numerous health benefits. However, the team recommended that lead ammunition not be used when hunting as it can contaminate the surrounding meat and pose a health risk. The study found high concentrations of metals in water, sediment, and soil samples near the abandoned copper mine site. The study recommended restricting access to the site until it is formally assessed by the Ministry of Environment (MOE) and determined to be of low risk to human and ecological health.