Using participatory research to communicate environmental health risks to First Nations communities in Canada

Community consultations and reviews
Discussion meetings across different project areas
Data analysis of chemical exposure risks and epidemiological reports

This article discusses three successful environmental health projects that used participatory research as their methodology. Focusing on the First Nations Food, Nutrition, and Environment Study (FNFNES) and its two follow-up projects, the First Nations Biomonitoring Initiative and the First Nations Indoor Air Study, this article demonstrates how successful research projects with Indigenous communities are constructed through trust, nurturing relationships, guaranteeing Indigenous ownership and control over the data gathered, and creating culturally relevant and useful information for the community at large.

The Assembly of First Nations participated in all aspects of the research while coordinating communications and arranging timely dissemination of results. All the results and consequent publications were openly discussed within the communities and were immediately made available to community members. Moreover, considering that the main concern of the study involved human and environmental health, follow-ups and medical consultations were made available for community members and detected health issues were addressed in timely manner.

The resultant data from all projects have informed policy analysts for ways to advocate for change in government policy. Based on the lessons learned from the preliminary activities, these three projects indicate that participatory methods promote self-reliance and decision-making at the community level, indicating that capacity building is a successful methodology for the promotion of Indigenous sovereignty.

Documentation produced in community consultations and reviews.
Interviews with community members.
Reports on human and environmental health.
Academic publications on environmental health, pollution, and environmental risk assessment.

The knowledge produced in each project were widely documented and made available to the local community in different formats and in a timely manner.

“An important aspect of these projects was the method used for reporting deficiencies. During the course of fieldwork, if any analysis indicated an exceedance of the Health Canada guidelines for a certain chemical, for example an elevated mercury level found in a hair sample, a letter was sent to the participant informing him or her of the findings and what they meant. If appropriate, advice on how to reduce exposure, or referral to a medical authority was provided. Following notification, in keeping with the project’s confidentiality protocol, any information connecting a participant to a result was destroyed.” (p. 29)

“AFN considered all three projects important, not only in terms of the results obtained, but also in the manner by which they were implemented. These projects not only provided results that First Nations could relate to, but also showed that urgent changes are needed in the health policy to address First Nations’ environmental health concerns and reverse the trend of increasing chronic illnesses observed on First Nations reserves. It is clear that Universities, regional health authorities, federal and provincial governments, and First Nations need to investigate new models for cooperation that involve com- munities in productive research partnerships. However, it is also clear that to effect change, research needs to be beneficial, answer a community need for information, and provide data in a manner that is well understood and considered useful for follow-up studies and/or the design of intervention programs.” (p. 31)

Indigenous Science and Technology Studies
Environmental Health
Pollution Studies