Title
Youth Taking Action on Environmental Contaminants: Anicinabe Foods and Harvesting Areas
Fiscal Year
2013-2014
Community/Region
Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and Sagkeeng First Nation, Manitoba
Principal Investigator
Gordon Bluesky
Community Project Lead
Gordon Bluesky and Allan Courchene
Project Members
Daniel Gladu Kanu, Maria M’Lot, Shianne McKay, Dr. Stephane McLachlan and Michael Tyas
Project Summary
Traditional food is an important component of the Anicinabe identity for the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation (BON) and Sagkeeng First Nation (SFN) in Manitoba. The residents of the communities were concerned about the health of their environment had been adversely affected by industrial development in the area. Residents were anxious because of the rise of some diseases and the changes to Anicinabe foods. In the BON community, youth had suffered skin related illnesses (e.g., rashes and skin discolouration) after swimming in the river. Residents had seen a decline in the number of moose, muskrat, and beaver.
The main objective of the study was to explore exposure to contaminants from the traditional foods harvested by these communities. The team collected tissue samples of moose, deer, rabbit, wild rice, weekay, and pickerel at key harvesting sites identified by community members. Each sample was analyzed for 36 metals (e.g., mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and a variety of pesticides (e.g., hexachlorobenzene, 2,4-DDT, Aldrin). In addition, the team developed a food frequency questionnaire study for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and interviews were conducted about local Anicinabe harvesting practices.
The results of the sample analysis showed that some foods harvested from some sites had elevated levels of heavy metals, including mercury in pickerel, arsenic in wild rice and weekay, and cadmium in moose and deer liver. The study concluded that some harvesters may need to seek new harvesting areas and residents should limit their intake of moose and deer liver.