Proceedings Report of Contaminants and Environmental Health

Production of this document has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada, and support from the National Aboriginal Health Organization. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of Health Canada or the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO). Health Canada and NAHO are not responsible for the accuracy or adequacy of any information made available by or acquired from discussion group participants and third parties which may be reproduced in, or accessed through this final report.

Proceedings Report ofContaminants and Environmental Health:A Discussion Group forFirst Nations in Ontario

August 5

th

, 2008, Ottawa, Office of theNational Aboriginal Health Organization

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Tara Marsden Research Associate First Nations Environmental HealthInnovation Network (Gitanyow)Dr. Laurie Chan Network Champion First Nations Environmental HealthInnovation NetworkJulian Robbins Research Officer National Aboriginal HealthOrganization (Mi’kmaq)Miguel Sioui Student National Aboriginal HealthOrganization (Huron-Wendat)Suzanne Barnes Director of Lands andResourcesAttawapiskatLillian Trapper Lands and Resources Moose Cree First NationJennifer Simard Executive Director Mushkegowuk Environmental ResearchCentreRon Plain Program Manager Turtle Island Environmental Resources(Aamjiwnaang First Nation)Naomi C. Williams Environmental Technologist Walpole Island First NationSue Chiblow Environment Coordinator Chiefs of Ontario (Garden River FirstNation)Claudette Commanda Executive Director First Nations Confederacy of CulturalEducation Centres (Algonquin)Kevin Debassige Technical Services Coordinator United Chiefs and Councils ofManitoulinSasha Maracle Youth Representative Ontario First Nations Young People’sCouncil (Six Nations of the GrandRiver)Stuart Wuttke Acting Director, EnvironmentalStewardship DivisionAssembly of First Nations (Garden HillFirst Nation)Clynt King Environmental Manager Six NationsDaphne Armstrong Program Manager Kenora Chiefs Advisory(Wabaseemoong)Anthony Henry Band Manager Wabaseemoong

Participants

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In early 2008, the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) and the First NationsEnvironmental Health Innovation Network (FNEHIN) discussed co-hosting a regional workshop onFirst Nations environmental health issues in Ontario. The First Nations Centre (FNC) at NAHO isone of nine founding partners of FNEHIN, and offered to host the workshop at their office inOttawa. NAHO summer student Miguel Sioui coordinated the event with direction from both JulianRobbins (NAHO) and Tara Marsden (FNEHIN). NAHO approached Sue Chiblow at the Chiefs ofOntario (COO) to assist with identifying potential participants from their member First Nations.

FNEHIN

FNEHIN is a national virtual network that seeks to connect First Nations with environmental healthresearchers to help build capacity within communities to participate in environmental healthresearch and to make informed decisions regarding environmental health issues and concern.FNEHIN is a partnership-based organization funded by the First Nations and Inuit Health Branchof Health Canada. While the concept for this network has been in development since 2005, this isthe first year of operation for FNEHIN. FNEHIN is housed at the University of Northern BC, andthe secretariat is managed by the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health.For more information go to:www.fnehin.ca

FNC of NAHO

The mission of the FNC of NAHO is to advance First Nations health knowledge. The FNC respectsFirst Nations aspirations for self-determination, distinctiveness and diversity. Working with FirstNations, the FNC creates, promotes and shares health information and research. The FNCdevelops tools and processes that assist in building capacity and transferring knowledge. TheFNC was formed within NAHO to address the unique health and wellness priorities of FirstNations. The FNC has been a vital part of NAHO since 2001.For more information go to:http://www.naho.ca/firstnations/index.php

COO

The Chiefs of Ontario is a coordinating body for 133 First Nation communities located within theboundaries of the Province of Ontario. The purpose of the Chiefs of Ontario office is to enablethe political leadership to discuss regional, provincial and national priorities affecting First Nationpeople in Ontario and to provide a unified voice on these issues. In March of 1975, at the FirstAll Ontario Chiefs Conference, a joint First Nations Association Coordinating Committee wasformed. The purpose of the committee was to provide a single Ontario representative to theAssembly of First Nations. From this committee emerged the Chiefs of Ontario office.For more information go to:http://www.chiefs-of-ontario.org/

Background