FIRST NATIONS FOOD, NUTRITION & ENVIRONMENT STUDY Results from the Atlantic Region 2014 University of Ottawa | Université de Montréal | Assembly of First Nations 2017 “Healthy Environment and Healthy Foods for Healthy First Nations” Funding for this study was provided by Health Canada. The information and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors/researchers and do not necessarily reflect the official views of Health Canada. Results from theResults Atlantic 2014 First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study (FNFNES): Results from the Atlantic 2014 by University of Ottawa Université de Montréal and Assembly of First Nations is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. This report can be cited as: Laurie Chan, Olivier Receveur, Malek Batal, William David, Harold Schwartz, Amy Ing, Karen Fediuk and Constantine Tikhonov. First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study (FNFNES): Results from the Atlantic. Ottawa: University of Ottawa, 2017. Print. i FOREWORD FROM THE NATIONAL CHIEF Greetings, The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is committed to being an effective advocate for First Nations rights and human rights. We hold sacred rights to our traditional territories; rights given to us by the Creator, along with the responsibility of caring for the traditional territories that have sustained us for generations. The First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study (FNFNES) highlights the importance of the environment as it connects to our individual and collective health. The FNFNES is a ten year project, mandated by the Chiefs-in-Assembly and developed in partnership between First Nations and academia. The study seeks to quantify the health of our traditional food sources, the quality and amount of food sources First Nations consume on a daily basis, and the quality of water in our territories. As stewards of the land, it is our inherent responsibility to care for and protect the land and waters. As this report shows, traditional food is a powerful factor for better, healthier lifestyles. However, many barriers exist for First Nations in accessing traditional foods. The FNFNES is an important tool in our understanding of how we can overcome those barriers and why it’s important to our citizens and nations. First Nations are aware of current environmental challenges, both locally and globally. Studies like the FNFNES provide First Nations with both a local and regional picture of the environment. By understanding nutrition and food security outcomes, we will improve the ability of First Nations to measure current conditions and make informed decisions. I want to take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in the FNFNES. This includes the Community Research Assistants and all levels of coordinators, principal investigators, Health Canada and those First Nations and First Nations community members who made this regional report possible. I look forward to the upcoming final report as the FNFNES project nears completion. May this information help to restore First Nations environmental and nutritional well-being and create a better, healthier future. Kinanâskomitin, Perry Bellegarde National Chief Assembly of First Nations ii Results from theResults Atlantic 2014 Foreword from AFN Regional Chief for Foreword from AFN Regional Chief for New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia and Newfoundland Greetings, Greetings, It is my pleasure to introduce the First Nations Food, I am proud to present this years’ report for the First Nutrition and Environment Study (FNFNES) for the Atlantic Nations Food, Nutrition and Environmental Study Region. As the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National (FNFNES) for the Maritimes. Healthy communities are Fisheries Committee (NFC) Chair, and in my previous roles built on a healthy environment, access to traditional food in First Nations leadership, I take personal interest in the sources, and robust cultural practices. Research on access health our First Nations peoples and the environmental to traditional foods will be essential in planning for the integrity of our land and water resources, particular as it future. relates to access to traditional food sources. This report underscores the importance of creating Having research projects, such as FNFNES, can provide benchmarks to track environmental changes to better important information on the health of our immediate environment, as well as the understand our current surroundings as the climate changes worldwide. Having levels of access to traditional foods that our First Nations communities have. research backed numbers on the levels of food security on-reserve will also be an important feature for First Nations planners to build stronger communities in the The health and food security of First Nations is inexorably linked to the health of long-term. the environment. We must act in a manner that is respectful for the protection of our natural resources, such as traditional foods and water. Projects such as the FNFNES give us a better understanding of on-the-ground nutritional outcomes of First Nations peoples. Here in the Atlantic, we pride Wela’lioq ourselves on our traditions of hunting and gathering as a connection to our Roger Augustine ancestry and culture. So much of First Nations daily life is built on our connection New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island Regional Chief to the environment – ensuring generations of healthy interaction with it is a high Assembly of First Nations priority. It is no great secret that many First Nations houses suffer from poor water quality; testing the in-house tap water for contamination is a practical step included in the FNFNES. Useful, community driven data collection is vital to a new way of doing things in accordance with the principles of indigenous research standards, such as OCAP®. First Nations data ownership, a key component of FNFNES, should serve as a model for all future projects that involve First Nations and will be an important step on the road to reconciliation. Please join me and the AFN Executive in our support for strong communities, a health environment, and thoughtful research initiatives that provide actionable information to First Nations communities, leadership, and technicians. Thanks, Morley Googoo Regional Chief for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland Assembly of First Nations iii PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS CO-INVESTIGATORS Laurie Chan, Ph.D. Harold Schwartz, Ph.D. Professor and Canada Research Chair in Toxicology and Environmental Health Manager, Chemical Safety of Traditional Foods Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Genomics Environmental Public Health Division University of Ottawa Office of Population and Public Health Population Health and Primary Care Directorate Olivier Receveur, Ph.D., M.P.H., Dt. P. First Nations and Inuit Health Branch Professor, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine Health Canada Université de Montréal Malek Batal, Ph.D. Constantine Tikhonov MD, MHA Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Medicine Manager, Indicator Analysis, Planning, Université de Montréal Reporting and Climate Change Adaptation Environmental Public Health Division William David, SB, LLB Population Health and Primary Care Directorate Senior Advisor First Nations and Inuit Health Branch Assembly of First Nations Health Canada St Mary’s First Nation. Photo by Linda Kerry. Miawpukek First Nation. Photo by Kelvin Latham. iv Results from theResults Atlantic 2014 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors of this report would like to thank the Chief and Council of the following First Nations partners in the Atlantic whose support made this work possible: Woodstock First Nation Elsipogtog First Nation Eskasoni First Nation Saint Mary’s First Nation Pictou Landing First Nation Membertou First Nation Eel Ground First Nation We’koqma’q First Nation Miawpukek First Nation Esgenoopetitj First Nations Potlotek First Nation We would also like to recognize the hard work of the following community members who worked as community coordinators, research assistants, or helped with the traditional food or water sampling: Robert Asssinewe Edward Doucette Gail Hanifan Tanya McGraw Tobi Russo Jacqueline Basque Emerson Francis Valerie J. Polchies April Nicholas Brian Simon Lorraine Bear Lisha Francis Elaine Jeddore Elizabeth Nicholas Candi Simon Holly Benoit Amber Francis Lori Jennifer Ward Ella Nicholas Kerri Sylliboy Jeffrey Bernard Margaret Francis Clara Joan Clement Hubert Paul Carol Sylvester Kara Boyles Audrey Francis Mary Joe-Francis John Paul Verge Toney Cornelia Cabot Shanna Francis Jasmine Johnson Jenilee Paul Lorena Tracey Valerie Chisholm Sheila Ginnish–Paul Anne Leclair Brenda Paul Laura Underhill Craig Christmas Delores Ginnish-Vautour Mellena MacDonald Shannon Paul Esther Ward Jared Cole Paul-Fontaine Natalie Googoo Tonia Marshall Linda Paul Ernie Ward Renelda Dedam Claudine Googoo Karen Marshall Ashlee Polchies Noreen Dedam Jessica Hamilton Terry May Simon Brian Polchies v We are grateful to the following Environmental Health Officers for their assistance with the surface water sampling: Karen Boyles Danika Gaudet Kelvin Latham Jason Catoul Linda Kerry Craig Wakelin We extend our gratitude to the elders for their kind words of wisdom. Finally, we would like to thank all the community members whose participation made this study possible. W oliw on Wela liog W e’lalin Oelalin Welaliek The technical and funding support of Health Canada and the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch Laboratory