scholarly journals “Is it Safe?” Risk Perception and Drinking Water in a Vulnerable Population

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Spence ◽  
Dan Walters
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Policy Issue ◽  
Large Degree ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Aboriginal Peoples ◽  
Accessibility Issues ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Research And Policy

Access to safe drinking water is a pressing social policy issue globally. Despite the milestones reached in this area of Canadian public health, marginalized and vulnerable populations, including those founded on racialized identity, such as First Nations, continue to be plagued by accessibility issues. This work sheds new perspective on the issue, arguing for a research and policy focus that is inclusive of risk perception. A model of risk perception of drinking water is developed and tested for First Nations on reserve in Canada using the 2001 Aboriginal Peoples Survey. It is shown that the analytical use of racialized identity advances understanding of risk perception and the environment (water). Moreover, a large degree of heterogeneity within the First Nation population across a number of social determinants of risk perception illustrates the shortcomings of framing the issue in a simplistic manner (First Nation population versus general population). Implications for risk research, including risk communication & management, and policy are provided.

scholarly journals Drinking Water Consumption Patterns: An Exploration of Risk Perception and Governance in Two First Nations Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (17) ◽  
pp. 6851
Author(s):  
Neal Spicer ◽  
Brenda Parlee ◽  
Molly Chisaakay ◽  
Doug Lamalice
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Bottled Water ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Individual Risk

Many Indigenous communities across Canada suffer from the lack of access to clean drinking water; ensuring individuals and communities have safe water to drink either from their home or from their local environment requires the consideration of multiple factors including individual risk perception. In collaboration with local leaders, semi-structured interviews (n = 99) were conducted over a two-year period in the Dene Tha’ First Nation and Kátł’odeeche First Nation to unpack the issue of risk perception and its meaning to local community members. These local metrics of risk perception including smell, taste, safety, health fears and level of concern were then used to explore patterns in other data on drinking water consumption patterns and bottled water use. The results are consistent with previous research related to water insecurity and indicate that both communities consume more bottled water than the average Canadian. Results also varied by jurisdiction; those in Alberta indicated much higher levels of concern and a greater degree of bottled water consumption.

scholarly journals Inorganic contaminants in Canadian First Nation community water systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 728-740
Author(s):  
Kaycie Lane ◽  
Benjamin F. Trueman ◽  
Javier Locsin ◽  
Graham A. Gagnon
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Sampling Frequency ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Inorganic Contaminants ◽  
Community Water Systems ◽  
Community Water ◽  
Regulatory Guidelines ◽  
Sampling Procedures

Abstract While previous Canadian studies have examined microbiological water quality in First Nations, there is little published information on inorganic contaminants. In Atlantic Canada, the lead, manganese, and arsenic content of First Nations’ drinking water has been measured for more than a decade, but the data have not been analyzed comprehensively. These contaminants are linked with health problems, and high levels in drinking water are a cause for concern. We examined 12 years of data from 47 First Nation community water systems to identify systems experiencing difficulties meeting sampling frequency or regulatory guidelines. While most contaminant concentrations were below guideline values, we identified elevated concentrations and issues with sampling frequency. No system met both sampling frequency requirements – a minimum of one sample per year per analyte – and regulatory guidelines. Exceedance rates for lead, manganese, and arsenic were high in some systems. Moreover, current sampling procedures for lead specify that taps be flushed prior to sampling, which is known to underestimate lead exposure. We find that a switch to random daytime sampling would at least sometimes yield higher estimates of lead at the tap. Our analysis demonstrates the need for increased monitoring and updated sampling procedures to better characterize inorganic contaminant occurrence in First Nations.

scholarly journals Why Do Some First Nations Communities Have Safe Water and Others Not? Socioeconomic Determinants of Drinking Water Risk

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Brown ◽  
Renata Wachowiak-Smolíková ◽  
Nicholas D. Spence ◽  
Mark P. Wachowiak ◽  
Dan F. Walters
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Regression Model ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Policy Issue ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Socioeconomic Indicators ◽  
Safe Water

<p>Securing safe and adequate drinking water is an ongoing issue for many Canadian First Nations communities despite nearly 15 years of reports, studies, policy changes, financial commitments, and regulations. The federal drinking water evaluation scheme is narrowly scoped, ignoring community level social factors, which may play a role in access to safe water in First Nations. This research used the 2006 Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada First Nations Drinking Water System Risk Survey data and the Community Well-Being Index, including labour force, education, housing, and income, from the 2006 Census. Bivariate analysis was conducted using the Spearman’s correlation, Kendall’s tau correlation, and Pearson’s correlation. Multivariable analysis was conducted using an ordinal (proportional or cumulative odds) regression model. Results showed that the regression model was significant. Community socioeconomic indicators had no relationship with drinking water risk characterization in both the bivariate and multivariable models, with the sole exception of labour force, which had a significantly positive effect on drinking water risk rankings. Socioeconomic factors were not important in explaining access to safe drinking water in First Nations communities. Improvements in the quality of safe water data as well as an examination of other community processes are required to address this pressing policy issue.</p>

scholarly journals Transferrable Principles to Revolutionize Drinking Water Governance in First Nation Communities in Canada

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3091
Author(s):  
Alison Irvine ◽  
Corinne Schuster-Wallace ◽  
Sarah Dickson-Anderson ◽  
Lalita Bharadwaj
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Holistic Health ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Community Capacity Building ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
Management Recommendations

There are analogous challenges when it comes to the management and provision of health services and drinking water in First Nations reserves in Canada; both represent human rights and both involve complex and multijurisdictional management. The purpose of this study is to translate the tenets of Jordan’s Principle, a child-first principle regarding health service provision, within the broader context of First Nation drinking water governance in order to identify avenues for positive change. This project involved secondary analysis of data from 53 semi-structured, key informant (KI) interviews across eight First Nation communities in western Canada. Data were coded according to the three principles of: provision of culturally inclusive management, safeguarding health, and substantive equity. Failure to incorporate Traditional Knowledge, water worldviews, and holistic health as well as challenges to technical management were identified as areas currently restricting successful drinking water management. Recommendations include improved infrastructure, increased resources (both financial and non-financial), in-community capacity building, and relationship building. To redress the inequities currently experienced by First Nations when it comes to management of and access to safe drinking water, equitable governance structures developed from the ground up and embedded in genuine relationships between First Nations and Canadian federal government agencies are required.

scholarly journals Inequities in Diabetes Outcomes among Urban First Nation and Métis Communities: Can Addressing Diversities in Preventive Services Make a Difference?

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasu Ghosh ◽  
Denise Spitzer
Keyword(s):  
Health Service ◽  
Health Services ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Preventive Services ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Aboriginal Peoples ◽  
Review Of Literature

This article primarily aims to demonstrate how diversity is reflected among urban Aboriginal peoples in Canada. Secondly, it uncovers if and how preventive health services in the province of Ontario, Canada are responsive to this diversity. Data for this study were gathered from a review of literature on culturally appropriate health service delivery to Aboriginal peoples in Canada and a qualitative exploratory study conducted with urban First Nation and Métis people, and health service providers and policy makers. The findings from review of literature and the exploratory study indicated that the nature of Aboriginal diversity and its trends are complex. From the document review, we can comprehend that socio-economic disparities among First Nations and Métis, compared to non-Aboriginal people, are reducing slowly; however, evidence from the exploratory study suggested otherwise and indicated that there is also a strong need for First Nation and Métis families to overcome barriers in order to improve their quality of live in urban Ontario, Canada. It is evident that health services for urban First Nation and Métis people cannot address existing health inequities by simplistic application of pan-Aboriginal strategies in preventive services. Initiatives for urban First Nation and Métis people require strategies that are targeted at the unique and distinct needs of First Nation and Métis residents regardless of their legal status, cultural pluralities, socio-economic backgrounds, and place of residence in cities.

scholarly journals Multi-Barrier Protection of Drinking Water Systems in Ontario: A Comparison of First Nation and Non-First Nation Communities

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Walters ◽  
Nicholas Spence ◽  
Kayli Kuikman ◽  
Budhendra Singh
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Risk Evaluation ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Design System ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Regulatory Regime ◽  
Service Standards ◽  
Drinking Water Systems

In some way or another, all levels of government in Canada and First Nations share responsibility to implement multi-barrier protection of drinking water. The goal is to protect water from source to tap to minimize risk so that people have access to adequate and safe drinking water. The federal government has committed to assist First Nations achieve comparable levels of service standards available to non-First Nation communities. However, several recent reports on the status of drinking water services standards in First Nations indicate that people in these communities often experience greater health risks than those living off reserves. Using the federal drinking water risk evaluation guidelines, the capacities of First Nations and non-First Nations in Ontario to implement multi-barrier protection of their drinking water systems are compared. The Risk Level Evaluation Guidelines for Water and Wastewater Treatment in First Nation Communities rank drinking water systems as low, medium, or high risk based on information about source water, system design, system operation, reporting, and operator expertise. The risk evaluation scores for First Nations drinking water systems were obtained from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. A survey based on the federal Risk Level Evaluation Guidelines was sent to non-First Nation communities throughout Ontario with 54 communities responding. The capacity among First Nations was variable throughout the province, whereas all of the municipalities were in the low risk category, even small and northern non-First Nation community water systems. It is clear that the financial and technological capacity issues should be addressed regardless of the legislative and regulatory regime that is established. The current governance and management structure does not appear to be significantly reducing the gap in service standards despite financial investment. Exploring social or other underlying determinants of risk may provide alternative solutions to the ongoing water crisis in many First Nations.

Transgressing Time, Place, Gender, and the Material: The Political Strategies of Louise Erdrich, Tomson Highway, and Daniel David Moses

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Schaefli
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Louise Erdrich ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Aboriginal Peoples ◽  
European Ancestry ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Strategies ◽  
Material Reality ◽  
Tomson Highway ◽  
Gender Transgression

The colonization of Aboriginal peoples in North America involved systematic efforts to control and eradicate Indigenous knowledges and cultures. However, Aboriginal peoples have resisted colonization through creative expression; creating space for the exploration and critique of the myriad identities informed by this relationship. This study focuses on work by prominent American and Canadian authors Louise Erdrich, Tomson Highway, and Daniel David Moses. Erdrich, who self‐identifies as Chippewa with mixed European ancestry, is best known for the interconnections of short narratives between and within her novels. Tomson Highway, a Cree novelist and playwright, is most famous for his cycles of“rez” playsdetailing life on a fictional Ontario reserve. Daniel David Moses, member of the Delaware First Nation in Brantford, Ontario and acclaimed Canadian playwright, is best known for his parody of non‐Aboriginal constructions of the “authentic Indian” in his work. These authors use political destruction of normative categories, particularly gender transgression, but also past and present, here and there, material reality and the spirit realm to create space for the playful exploration of Indigenous identities. I explore the ways in which gender transgression is nested in larger themes of playful category destruction and creative reconstruction to open up issues of political importance to these authors. By exploring these themes in conjunction with author biographies and interviews, I identify the political motives and implications of category transgression.

scholarly journals Aboriginal population of Canada: growth dynamics under conditions of encounter of civilisations

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatole Romaniuc
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Aboriginal Peoples ◽  
Policy Issues ◽  
Aboriginal Population ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Future ◽  
Demographic Evolution

This paper endeavours to capture the broad configuration of demographic evolution of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada from the early contacts with Europeans to the present. The main stages thereof are identified and the underlying factors explored, against the historical background of Aboriginal and European civilisations' encounter. While taking stock of the past, the paper takes a glimpse into the future. It concludes with a review of demographically-driven policy issues that the First Nations are likely to confront as they step into the 21s Century.

scholarly journals Policy Forum: Implementing the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation Property Tax System—Opportunities, Challenges, and Lessons Learned

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 857-872
Author(s):  
Kate McCue ◽  
Bill McCue
Keyword(s):  
First Nations ◽  
Property Tax ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Property Taxes ◽  
Tax System ◽  
Fiscal Management ◽  
Local Services ◽  
Policy Forum ◽  
Do So

In 2018, the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation (GIFN) implemented a First Nation property tax system under the First Nations Fiscal Management Act (FMA)—one of the earliest First Nations in Ontario to do so. Implementation of a property tax system gave GIFN an opportunity to improve funding for and expand local services, and provide a more equitable sharing of local service costs between cottagers leasing First Nation land and the First Nation. Key challenges encountered when implementing the property tax system were building consensus around the need for a tax system, building an appropriate administrative infrastructure, carrying out property assessments, and professionals lacking knowledge of First Nation property tax. These challenges, however, presented opportunities to create a knowledge base around property taxation within GIFN, among cottage leaseholders, and in the wider community. Key lessons learned were (1) start as soon as possible; (2) First Nations Tax Commission support and standards are important; (3) staff training is important; (4) communicate early and often; (5) hold open houses; (6) local services are more than garbage collection; (7) property taxes do not harm lease rates or cottage sales; (8) educate lawyers, real estate agents, and other professionals; (9) startup costs were significant; (10) coordinate laws and standards with provincial variations; (11) modernize systems; and (12) utilize other parts of the FMA.

scholarly journals Cardiovascular risk according to plasma apolipoprotein and lipid profiles in a Canadian First Nation

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
ND Riediger ◽  
SG Bruce ◽  
TK Young
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
First Nations ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Cardiovascular Disease Risk ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Lipid Profiles ◽  
Apolipoprotein A1 ◽  
First Nation ◽  
Future Research

Introduction Despite high diabetes rates among Canadian First Nations people, little is known about their cardiovascular disease risk. Our aim was to describe the apolipoprotein profile with respect to cardiovascular risk in a Canadian First Nation community. Methods In 2003, a representative sample of adult members of a Manitoba First Nation (N = 483) participated in a screening study for diabetes and diabetes complications. We assessed their cardiovascular risk factors. Results Sixty percent of women were at increased cardiovascular risk because of low apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) levels, compared with 35% of men. The proportion of women with low apoA1 levels decreased with age, but the proportion with low high-density lipoprotein levels remained stable across age groups. Both apoB and apoA1 were significantly associated with obesity when age, sex, diastolic blood pressure, homocysteine, diabetes, and insulin resistance were controlled for. Conclusion Apolipoprotein and lipid profiles in this First Nation population suggest high cardiovascular risk. Future research should characterize the lipoprotein particle size in this population.

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