Title

The Use of Traditional Knowledge to Identify Key Cultural Resources to be Tested for Contamination and the Link to Human Health

Fiscal Year

2009-2010

Community/Region

Swan River and Driftpile First Nations (Kinuso), Alberta

Principal Investigator

Dr. Ave Dersch (University of Calgary)

Community Project Lead

Sietse Sowan

Project Members

Daisy McGee and John Henry Giroux

Project Summary

Members of the Swan River and Driftpile First Nations have harvested fewer traditional food resources and have needed to travel farther distances to harvest these resources due to growing concerns over the accumulation of industrial contaminants in country foods resulting from oil and gas activity, forestry operations, agriculture, transmission and transportation corridors, and the Swan Hills Waste Treatment Centre.

The objectives of this study were to 1) conduct a dietary survey; 2) measure the concentrations of an extensive list of metals in traditional plants, such as blueberries, rat root, and Labrador tea; and 3) clarify the link between the quality of traditional plants and human health. The project engaged First Nations youth in sampling traditional plant resources, gathering traditional knowledge through interviews, assessing traditional food consumption patterns, and mapping areas of traditional land use.

The results of this study showed that the metal concentrations in samples of traditional plants did not exceed benchmark levels and did not appear to have been impacted by industrial activities or emissions in the region. Based on the metal concentrations in the plant samples and documented community consumption rates, the study concluded that it was safe for community members to consume traditionally harvested plants within their territory.