Grant: Project Grant

Indigenous Peoples in Canada experience environmental injustice at disproportionately high rates, often linked to proximity to industry and legacy contamination. This project supports federal commitments (e.g., Bill C-22 to address environmental racism and advance environmental justice) in the face of legislation that erodes Indigenous rights and environmental protections (e.g., Ontario's Bill 5 to fast-track development). We have co-developed this proposed transdisciplinary, community-engaged research program with Indigenous leaders to help meet identified needs in Anishinaabek territory. Aamjiwnaang First Nation is located in the midst of Sarnia's 'Chemical Valley' and the nearby Kettle and Stony Point First Nation has an exposure profile and legacy of contamination related to military activity at Camp Ipperwash. These partners have identified the need to strengthen and connect existing efforts to understand how environmental risks and health are linked, by integrating Western scientific and Indigenous knowledge systems. We will characterize the chemical and microbiologic environment (exposure to VOCs, indoor microbiomes) using environmental monitoring, as well as complementary indicators of community health and well-being using non-invasive biomonitoring. All aspects of the research will draw from the principles of community-based participatory research, Two-Eyed Seeing, and First Nations principles for research that is respectfully reciprocal and governed by the community. We will (1) identify how air pollutants and related exposures are affecting day-to-day life and health; (2) clarify community strengths and needs; and (3) co-develop and implement responses to improve environmental health and well-being. The outputs will help reduce health inequities, build local capacity for long-term monitoring and response, and inform policy on local, regional, and national levels as part of a transformative change for Indigenous health in Canada.