Effect on Indigenous Peoples

Because of their close relationship to the land for cultural, traditional, and/or subsistence activities, indigenous people are considered among the most vulnerable to environmental contamination.

A poor diet, poor water quality, and poor housing conditions may also contribute to their vulnerability.

Children and youth may be exposed to more environmental contaminants than adults, since they play on the floor with more dust, and absorb more pollutants from air, water, and food.

A child’s developing body and brain also makes them more vulnerable to contaminants. As a result, children and youth from Indigenous cultures are therefore especially vulnerable to contaminants that may be present in their environment.

“The water that comes out of the tap is contaminated and not safe for consumption. This significantly impacts the health of the Indigenous Peoples.”

Indigenous people have a strong spiritual and personal connection to the water and since this relationship has been damaged by contaminated water, these are the implications that have been seen:

• They are not able to drink the water, cook with it, bathe, etc. without boiling it
• Significant health concerns including diseases and cancers, hormone discrepancies… etc.
• Severe skin irritations
• They must import bottled water, which is expensive
• Overall inconvenience to daily life

“Water is a basic human right and nobody should not have access to clean drinking water,”

Autumn Peltier 

Read about some of the hazardous materials Indigenous People are exposed to and how it affects their health -including PFAS:

Loading…

Taking too long?

Reload document

| Open in new tab

Download

A research group, led by toxicologist Brain Laird found results showing that generally speaking; men had higher concentrations of PFAS compared to women, and PFAS concentrations tended to increase more with age. However, PFAS levels of northern communities seemed to have similar levels of PFAS as the general population and had twice of as high PFNA (a type of PFAS) levels.

This is consistent with another study estimating that pregnant Inuit women had higher levels of PFNA than the general Canadian population. Due to this higher than normal concentration of PFAS found in the water, as well as other contaminants found in Indigenous people’s water, this is a very concerning issue. These communities are at risk for dangerous health implications.