Examining how drinking water security in Indigenous communities is covered by the media

New Publication!Congratulations to Steven Lam on his newly published review that examines the extent, range, and nature of newspaper coverage of drinking water security in Canadian Indigenous communities.  The article is available for free (open-access) here: http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-017-4164-4 

Abstract:

Background

Drinking water insecurity and related health outcomes often disproportionately impact Indigenous communities internationally. Understanding media coverage of these water-related issues can provide insight into the ways in which public perceptions are shaped, with potential implications for decision-making and action. This study aimed to examine the extent, range, and nature of newspaper coverage of drinking water security in Canadian Indigenous communities.

Methods

Using ProQuest database, we systematically searched for and screened newspaper articles published from 2000 to 2015 from Canadian newspapers: Windspeaker, Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, and National Post. We conducted descriptive quantitative analysis and thematic qualitative analysis on relevant articles to characterize framing and trends in coverage.

Results

A total of 1382 articles were returned in the search, of which 256 articles were identified as relevant. There was limited coverage of water challenges for Canadian Indigenous communities, especially for Métis (5%) and Inuit (3%) communities. Most stories focused on government responses to water-related issues, and less often covered preventative measures such as source water protection. Overall, Indigenous peoples were quoted the most often. Double-standards of water quality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, along with conflict and cooperation efforts between stakeholders were emphasized in many articles.

Conclusion

Limited media coverage could undermine public and stakeholder interest in addressing water-related issues faced by many Canadian Indigenous communities.

Reflecting on CPHA's Public Health 2016 Conference

In the lead up to the CPHA's 2017 Public Health Conference, here is a reflection from last year's conference.  The reflection is written by Manpreet Saini, who received the 2016 NCCPH Knowledge Translation Graduate Student Award at the conference. Written by Manpreet Saini, MSc Candidate

From June 13-16, 2016, I had the pleasure of attending and presenting a poster at the Public Health 2016 conference in Toronto, Ontario. It was an incredible conference that provided space to discuss social, cultural and historical impacts on public health and the health care system. Plenary sessions touched on crucial topics such as racism, health equity and violence as a public health issue. The conference brought together public health and community leaders, who facilitated and encouraged the necessary conversations to discuss the social determinants that are impacting health. I attended many oral sessions on First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, and they were inspiring learning opportunities that made me take a step back to think and reflect on both the information I was given and the work that I hoped to accomplish. Some sessions got emotional but the strength of the Indigenous leaders and research teams was uplifting. During the oral sessions I learned a great deal from Indigenous leaders and the projects going on across Canada to reclaim their health and the health of their communities. In the midst of all this incredible knowledge sharing and discussion, I was also honoured to be awarded one of three NCCPH Knowledge Translation Graduate Student Awards. This conference was truly a wonderful learning experience.

Second month in Davis, California!

Written by Anna Manore, MSc Candidate Things have been progressing well in Davis!

In February, I presented mine and People, Animals, Water, and Sustenance (PAWS) project's work at the Northern California Parasitologists’ Spring Meeting at San Francisco State University (SFSU). The meeting was attended by faculty and students, mainly from SFSU, and who seemed to mainly work on Lyme disease. Some of the presentations brought back memories of a PopMed Seminar at the University of Guelph, where some preserved ticks were passed around…

Because the meeting was on the Saturday before Presidents’ Day, I spent the rest of the long weekend (along with a housemate of mine) exploring the city. Riding a cable car, climbing Telegraph Hill, and seeing sea lions on Pier 39 were some highlights of the visit.

I was lucky enough to return to the city the following weekend with a friend from home, and got to explore even more! Biking across the Golden Gate Bridge and a trip to Point Reyes National Seashore were the main activities, and they were both excellent.

In the lab at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), I’ve been working closely with lab technicians Beatriz and Brittany to make sure everything is ready to start testing the Nunavut clam samples for Cryptosporidium and Giardia. In fact, we tested our first batch of clam samples just last week. Things are progressing well, and there’s still lots of work to be done!

Ugandan Team Meeting: Climate Change and Indigenous Food Systems, Food Security, and Food Safety Project

Written by Jacqueline Middleton, PhD StudentOn February 20^th, Ugandan team members of the larger “Climate Change and Indigenous Food Systems, Food Security, and Food Safety” project met at McGill University, in beautiful Montreal, Canada. Principal investigators (PIs), project managers, students, and research assistants (RAs) from the Ugandan research team united to discuss how best to understand and address Indigenous food security in the context of climate change in Uganda.

Over the 3 day workshop, goals and themes were shared, explained, then further carved out as Climate Change IFS₃ plans its next steps. Not only were students and RAs invited to these preliminary discussions, we were given the empowering opportunity to share our knowledge, perspectives, and expectations. We were asked what we would like to see come out of Climate Change IFS₃ over the next 5 years, not just as students and RAs, but importantly, as team members working with communities to realize meaningful research. On day 2, students and RAs broke off from the larger group to identify our priorities as a diverse network of researchers, and flesh out a presentation for the PIs the following morning. Over the day we discussed a broad range of needs and interests including, fostering cross site connections, equitable training and development opportunities for students and RAs involved in the project, and best practices to support our safety and wellbeing. We discussed how these ideas may be realized including: a mentorship program; skills training and workshops; fieldwork support (e.g. risk assessments, first aid training); and an intranet site to house a metadata repository, experiential blog posts, etc., in an aim to increase communication, transparency, and relationships across all universities and regions involved.

No trip to Montreal would be complete without indulging in its diverse cuisine. Following our day 2 discussions, the entire group reconvened at an authentic Haitian restaurant, Agrikol, whose beautiful décor, and spectacular food, served as a warm escape from the city. With food comas setting in, we headed to bed before our third, and final day together. Students and RAs opened the morning with a presentation, followed by uninterrupted discussion time with PIs and project managers. After tying up some loose ends, our official business was over, and we shared a final lunch, and afternoon activity together. It provided a valuable opportunity to cement the relationships developed over the workshop days with new supervisors, mentors and colleagues.

I am incredibly grateful to have set-off my PhD studies with the Climate Change IFS₃ meeting. The opportunity to connect with peers and colleagues is one of my greatest resources as a graduate student. I feel grounded and empowered as I see where my own project and interests fall within Climate Change IFS_3, as well as larger international goals for human health. Moreover, I am excited to be moving forward with such a brilliant team of individuals, as we strive for better research and reflexivity as a network.

People and Climate Change: Vulnerability, Adaptation, Social Justice

Sherilee Harper and Shuaib Lwasa were invited speakers at the People and Climate Change: Vulnerability, Adaptation, Social Justice Symposium, at Washington University in St Louis.  Here are some select photos courtesy of Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar6_qD4Y9qw#action=share

Clams, Cryptosporidium, and Giardia: First Month in Davis, California

Written by Anna Manore, MSc Candidate After an early flight on Friday the 13^th, I felt very lucky to arrive safe and sound in sunny Davis, California! I’m incredibly fortunate to be spending the next few months at UC Davis, working in Dr. Karen Shapiro’s lab to test clam samples from Nunavut for the enteric pathogens Cryptosporidium and Giardia.

My first weekend was spent running errands and settling in. One part of my routine that I could continue was a Saturday morning visit to the Farmer’s Market. Although the atmosphere at the Davis market is like the one in Guelph, the variety of produce is very different. The farmer’s market is right next door to the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame – which is well-placed in Davis. The whole city is very bike-friendly, and almost perfectly flat, making it easy to get around on two wheels. The only obstacle to biking is the rain. This winter in Davis has been very rainy, and it’s definitely taken some getting used to!

For the first few weeks in the lab, I’ve been learning a lot by shadowing Beatriz, the lab technician. She’s been so great and has been teach me the lab methods I’ll be using. I’ve also been working to compare different gel dyes so I can compare my results to ones that I get in Guelph. The work I’ve been doing is helping to lay the groundwork before I begin testing my clam samples, which will hopefully happen soon!

My first California adventure was a short weekend trip to Monterey and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Seeing otters and sea lions right from the beach was a highlight of my trip so far!

Examining Climate Change Adaptation in Nunatsiavut

Written by Nia King, BScH Candidate Starting at 330am, it was a good day -- it was mild outside with clear skies and a light snow. After a cat nap at the airport and then arriving to the cash register at Tim's, only to be told that the gentleman in front of me had paid for my tea, I was off to Montreal for a day of meetings regarding an Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and Ouranos contract for a report addressing climate change adaptation in Nunavik and Nunatsiavut. Upon arrival to Montreal, I quickly realized that Guelph campus is not exactly representative of most universities (ie. you can't just wander McGill campus waiting to stumble on the building for which you are looking). Nevertheless, it was a gorgeous cold winter day out, which I've been missing given that I'm from Ottawa and Guelph has been so mild, and after asking numerous students for directions, I made it to the meeting and we started with a productive group meeting working alongside Ouranos team members to establish the project deliverables and timelines. I had the pleasure of spending the day collaborating with one of James Ford's students, Cheenar, with whom I'll be working closely for the upcoming two months. After the initial group meeting, Cheenar and I spent the day finalizing our methodologies such that the Nunavik and Nunatsiavut report sections are easily comparable. While I was only in Montreal for 10 hours, I'm already excited for the project to come and to get to collaborate further with members from the Ford Lab and Ouranos!

New Publication! Climate Change and Acute Respiratory Illness in Indigenous Populations

Congratulations to Kate Bishop Williams for her new publication in the journal Systematic Reviews.  This article outlines the protocol that Kate will use to conduct a systematic review to investigate whether associations between acute respiratory illness and seasonal or meteorological parameters differ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups residing in the same geographical region.

Citation: Bishop-Williams KE, Sargeant JM, Berrang-Ford L, Edge VL, Cunsolo A, Harper SL. A protocol for a systematic literature review: comparing the impact of seasonal and meteorological parameters on acute respiratory infections in Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Systematic Reviews 2017; 6(1): 19. Click here for free open-acces to the article.

Abstract:

Background: Acute respiratory infections (ARI) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, and are often linked to seasonal and/or meteorological conditions. Globally, Indigenous peoples may experience a different burden of ARI compared to non-Indigenous peoples. This protocol outlines our process for conducting a systematic review to investigate whether associations between ARI and seasonal or meteorological parameters differ between Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups residing in the same geographical region.

Methodology: A search string will be used to search PubMed®, CAB Abstracts/CAB Direct©, and Science Citation Index®aggregator databases. Articles will be screened using inclusion/exclusion criteria applied first at the title and abstract level, and then at the full article level by two independent reviewers. Articles maintained after full article screening will undergo risk of bias assessment and data will be extracted. Heterogeneity tests, meta-analysis, and forest and funnel plots will be used to synthesize the results of eligible studies.

Discussion and registration: This protocol paper describes our systematic review methods to identify and analyze relevant ARI, season, and meteorological literature with robust reporting. The results are intended to improve our understanding of potential associations between seasonal and meteorological parameters and ARI and, if identified, whether this association varies by place, population, or other characteristics. The protocol is registered in the PROSPERO database (#38051).

New Publication! Seasonal variation of food security among Ugandan Indigenous Batwa

Congratulations to Kaitlin Patterson on her publication in Public Health Nutrition!  Her article examines the sensitivity of the food system of an Indigenous African population, the Batwa of Kanungu District, Uganda, to seasonal variation.  She used mixed qualitative and quantitative methods to characterize one of the highest food insecure populations in the published literature. Her results are being used by local Ugandan NGOs to prioritize development-related decision making in the region. Access the article here (free, open-access).

Congratulations Kate!

Abstract:

Climate change is projected to increase the burden of food insecurity (FI) globally, particularly among populations that depend on subsistence agriculture. The impacts of climate change will have disproportionate effects on populations with higher existing vulnerability. Indigenous people consistently experience higher levels of FI than their non-Indigenous counterparts and are more likely to be dependent upon land-based resources. The present study aimed to understand the sensitivity of the food system of an Indigenous African population, the Batwa of Kanungu District, Uganda, to seasonal variation. A concurrent, mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) design was used. Six cross-sectional retrospective surveys, conducted between January 2013 and April 2014, provided quantitative data to examine the seasonal variation of self-reported household FI. This was complemented by qualitative data from focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews collected between June and August 2014. Ten rural Indigenous communities in Kanungu District, Uganda. FI data were collected from 130 Indigenous Batwa Pygmy households. Qualitative methods involved Batwa community members, local key informants, health workers and governmental representatives. The dry season was associated with increased FI among the Batwa in the quantitative surveys and in the qualitative interviews. During the dry season, the majority of Batwa households reported greater difficulty in acquiring sufficient quantities and quality of food. However, the qualitative data indicated that the effect of seasonal variation on FI was modified by employment, wealth and community location. These findings highlight the role social factors play in mediating seasonal impacts on FI and support calls to treat climate associations with health outcomes as non-stationary and mediated by social sensitivity.

Keywords: Seasonal variation, Food security, Indigenous populations, Social determinants of health, Mixed methods

Undergraduate Summer Job Opportunities!

Want to work in an interdisciplinary, intersectoral team?  Want to learn about and research climate change and health impacts?

Apply now!

Click here to see the job posting.

Congratulations to Inez Shiwak for Winning the National Inuit Recognition Award!

Written by Sherilee Harper

The Inuit Recognition Award is a national prize that recognizes Inuit who are making strong efforts towards meaningful Inuit involvement in Arctic research. Each year, the award is given to one recipient who has shown excellence in research.  The award is facilitated by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, which is the national representational organization that protects and advances the rights and interests of Inuit in Canada.

Inez Shiwak was awarded the prize this year, recognizing her outstanding research leadership and accomplishments in Arctic research.

Ashlee Cunsolo and I had the immense pleasure and privilege to present Inez Shiwak with the Inuit Recognition Award at the ArcticNet #ASM2016. Below is a copy of our speech.

Inuit Recognition Award Speech, 2016

Ashlee: Thank you for the introductions, Rodd, and good evening everyone. I’m Ashlee Cunsolo, the Director of the Labrador Institute of Memorial University.

Sheri: And I’m Sherilee Harper, an Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph.

Ashlee: It gives us great pleasure to be announcing the recipient tonight for this award. We have worked with this individual for 7 years, and can say, without a doubt that she had changed the ways in which we approach and conduct research, and the ways in which we understand the transformative potential that research has to make positive social change, if led by Inuit and responsive to Inuit needs and priorities.

On Tuesday morning, ITK President Natan Obed spoke about the ways in which Inuit bring important diversity and richness to Arctic science and no one better exemplifies this than the recipient of this award.

Sheri: A quick listing of the recipient’s research experience will illustrate this diversity and richness. She has conducted research in food security, water quality, cultural continuity and preservation, knowledge sharing and translation, climate change and health, mental health, and youth engagement. She has conducted research through interviews, focus groups, and surveys, has taken water and hair samples and conducted scientific testing, and has pioneered the use of participatory digital media in the North.

From this research, she has given over 50 oral presentations, participated in over 30 poster presentations, is an author on 15 peer-reviewed publications and 2 book chapters in various roles, with several forthcoming or under review. She has worked on the creation of over 40 digital stories, was a lead on 1 documentary film, and is currently working on another.

Ashlee: While this list of research accomplishments is nothing short of amazing, what is truly impressive is the ways in which others wrote about her in the nomination package. We would like to share some of these quotations today:

"From a member of the federal government: “Overall, I know [her] to be an incredibly talented researcher and exceptional person. What she has done, and is currently doing, for Inuit-led research in the North not only benefits research and government, it has powerful impacts for Inuit themselves. [She] provides a model, and a standard, for how community-based research should be conducted, and has demonstrated time and time again the benefits that can come from research that is designed and driven by Inuit, for Inuit.”

Sheri: From a Rigolet resident: “With [her] at the helm… we can be assured that the benefits stemming from her efforts transcend boundaries beyond academia and into the real-life environment and health issues we are currently facing in our community, and that the benefits are sustained into the future. …I am honoured to be able to work so closely with [her]. She embodies the spirit and strength of our community, and she plays an influential role in inspiring this spirit and strength in our youth so that it is perpetuated and sustained for years to come.”

Ashlee: From a government partner: “Research priorities and concerns in the North must be put forward by Inuit communities themselves, and these communities must have control over the development and direction of all decisions and actions. Not only is [she] a talented researcher and respected leader in her community, she is an advocate for collaboration between governments and Inuit stakeholders to develop and evaluate culturally-acceptable and effective research and knowledge translation. … [Her] efforts at the forefront of such research create a shared sense of political and cultural resiliency and self-determination among Inuit in Canada. Her work is a testament to the importance of Inuit autonomy and control over their own research and for sharing information with others in the hopes of creating further awareness and policy change.”

Sheri: And finally, from one of the many graduate students with whom the recipient has supported and mentored: “As researchers, we are unbelievably fortunate for the openness, kindness, thoughtfulness, and knowledge that she shares with us. It is people like [her] that are changing research for the better, one reflection, decision, project, and grad student at a time. … She is open, kind, and supportive of students doing work with the community, and she never ceases to amaze me with her dedication to being involved in Arctic research. It is truly inspiring to see this happening in my journey as a young researcher, and I know that these experiences have positively impacted by own development, and will carry forward as I continue in my career.”

We are incredibly privileged to work with this individual, and are so thrilled that her wonderful work and contributions, which are done with great humour and much humbleness, are recognized with this award.

Ashlee & Sheri: It gives us great pleasure to announce that the 2016 recipient of the Inuit Recognition Award is Inez Shiwak, from Rigolet, Nunatsiavut!

EcoHealth Posters at ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting

Written by Sherilee Harper The poster session is one of my favourite aspects of the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meetings, and this year was no exception.  Of all the conferences that I have participated in, the ArcticNet poster session is among the best attended and most engaging poster sessions.

Our research group had a number of posters presented at this conference, showcasing work that ranged from climate change impacts on mental health and wellbeing, to community-based climate-health monitoring, to place-attachment and maternal health, to caribou documentaries, to one-health projects.

Members from our research group were awarded 1st and 2nd place in the Graduate Student Poster Competition!  Congratulations David and Alexandra for your 1st and 2nd place win (respectively)!

Students Share Their EcoHealth Research at the OVC Graduate Research Symposium

Written by Anna Manore, MSc Candidate

On November 16th, students from the Harper Lab showcased their work at the OVC Graduate Student Research Symposium through posters and oral presentations. Students Danielle Julien and Anna Manore took home the 1st place prizes in the PhD and MSc poster competitions, respectively.

The day closed with the Schofield Memorial Lecture, which was delivered by Dr. Jonna Mazet, a professor of Epidemiology and OneHealth at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Mazet gave an excellent talk on "One Health Success: Moving toward a world free of pandemics", which discussed her work with PREDICT - a project of the United States Agency for International Development for the surveillance of wildlife zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential.

See student posters here!

 

Poster Image Credit: Stephanie Masina

Contest Winner Image Credit: OVC Communications

Canadian Network for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Conference: Adolescents identified as a priority population

Written by Kaitlin Patterson, PhD Candidate This week I attended the Canadian Network for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Conference in Montreal. The focus of the panels and discussions was the 3 Ps: Partnerships, Policy, and Progress. Discussions ranged from how and which policies can support the achievement of the sustainable development goals (in particular those related to maternal and child health, and gender equality), successes and lessons learned in programming and partnerships, and pathways for the future. I was also delighted to run into an IHACC and CCIFS3 collaborator Dr. Cesar Carcamo from the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. It was really great to connect with him and take a token IHACC pic!

Two key themes stood out/impacted me most. The first was the neglect to identify adolescents as a priority population in many of the global health priorities and targets. Maternal mortality is the highest cause of death among adolescent girls. They have the least amount of education, money, health services or access to contraception, further exacerbated by the continuation and propagation of child marriage, and the highest rates of HIV acquisition in Africa. The second theme closely linked with the first was the need to ensure sexual reproductive rights including access to safe abortions and post abortion care, contraception/family planning, feminine hygiene products, and putting an end to child marriage.

A refreshing aspect of this conference was that it was not self congratulatory. The speakers and panelists were not self-deprecating, but they were critically reflexive. They openly discussed how as a global community we are failing women. We have not decided that women’s lives are worth saving. We need to be better. It was an impassioned call and a resolve to meet these global challenges.

Nyaradazayi Gumbonzvanda (Goodwill Ambassador of the African Union Campaign to End Child Marriage & World YWCA General Secretary) ended the conference with a poignant reminder for anyone doing research or working with communities, “[y]ou are not going to the field. You are going to someone’s home, the totality of their world”.

Congratulations Kaitlin Patterson!

Congratulations to Kate Patterson for successfully completing her PhD Comprehensive Exams!  Kate is now, officially, a PhD Candidate in Epidemiology & International Development.  Kate's PhD research will use EcoHealth approaches to studying maternal health of the Indigenous Batwa in Uganda.  Her PhD Comprehensive Exams included an exam in International Development (research proposal and defense), as well as an exam in Epidemiology (covering four topics: General Epidemiology, Analytic Epidemiology, Survey Design, and Statistics for Small Populations).  

Congratulations Kate!

New Publication! Reconciling the debate between climatic and social determinants of health

New publication explores the debate about how to examine climatic and social determinants of health. Citation: Berrang-Ford, L., Harper, S.L., Eckhardt, R. (2016). Vector-borne diseases: Reconciling the debate between climatic and social determinants. Canada Communicable Disease Report. 42:211-2. Click here for free access to the article (open-access).

Open Letter Re Muskrat Falls

PDF Copy of Letter Re: Open Letter on Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Decision on Muskrat Falls

As professors and health researchers who have had the great privilege and pleasure of working in the Nunatsiavut region of Labrador for almost a decade, we are writing this open letter to express our perspectives on the recent decisions to not act on scientific evidence to remove organic materials (topsoil, vegetation, and trees) from the Muskrat Falls reservoir and surrounding area.

Under the current development scenario, not only will there be dramatic environmental alterations in an area that is historically and culturally significant to the Indigenous Peoples of Labrador, but research indicates that people in the region will be exposed to methylmercury well above regulatory guidelines from Health Canada and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The science is clear: without removing organic material from the site to be flooded, methylmercury levels in the Lake Melville ecosystem are anticipated to significantly increase, leading to contamination of important country food sources in the region, and leading to increased methylmercury exposure for Indigenous peoples in the region reliant on these food sources. Methylmercury exposure can have harmful health impacts: scientific literature and medical studies show that long-term dietary exposure to methylmercury is linked to brain development problems in children and can damage the nervous system in adults; and children who are exposed while they are in the womb can have deficits in cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, fine motor skills, and visual spatial skills.

It is a cultural right of Inuit and Indigenous peoples in the region to continue to rely on the land for sustenance, livelihoods, and food security, as their ancestors have for thousands of years. To disrupt important keystone food sources such as fish and seal, and render them inedible and harmful to human health, causes serious impacts to food sovereignty in the region and impacts cultural continuity, history, and heritage. Furthermore, this is a human rights issue – the right of Indigenous peoples in the region to continue to enjoy harvesting from the land for food security, culture, and wellbeing. As such, there is a human responsibility to respond based on the best available scientific evidence and Indigenous science and oral history. Economic compensation will never fully compensate for the loss of food security and cultural wellbeing that comes from actively engaging in land-based activities – activities that have sustained Indigenous people in Labrador for thousands of years. There will also be continued health and social disruptions, leading to increased healthcare costs for physical and mental health issues, and further needless financial burden on individuals, communities, and the government.

Mitigation is possible. The future of how this development continues can still be altered. There is still the opportunity to #MakeMuskratRight. There is still the opportunity to value human and environmental life and health above pressures of a large crown corporation, funded by tax payers, and follow the precautionary principle to ensure the continued survival – and thriving – of the First Peoples of Labrador who will experience the downstream effects.

As scientists and scholars, we stand in solidarity with the Nunatsiavut Government and their recommendations for the removal of trees, vegetation, and soil before flooding and for more environment-health monitoring and management with Inuit partnership. We also stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples of Labrador, with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and with all the concerned citizens and organizations who have expressed concern and condemnation for this development, and call for immediate evidence-based action to support human and environmental health, and for stronger, more respectful, and more authentic Nation-to-Nation relationships.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ashlee Cunsolo Director Labrador Institute of Memorial University College of the North Atlantic Building PO Box 490, Station B Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL, A0P 1E0 E: ashlee.cunsolo@mun.ca | P: 709-896-4702 W: ashleecunsolowillox.ca T: @AshleeCunsolo

Dr. Sherilee Harper Assistant Professor in EcoHealth Department of Population Medicine Ontario Veterinary College University of Guelph Guelph, Ontario, Canada, N1G 2W1 E: harpers@uoguelph.ca | P: 519-824-4120 ext. 58392 W: www.sherileeharper.com T: @Sherilee_H

Emily Meets With The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell

Written by Emily Nunez, Undergraduate Thesis Student In mid-September, I received an e-mail from Janet Doner, Manager of Community Engagement and Global Citizenship at the University of Guelph, inviting me to be part of a small group of students to have a conversation with the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Elizabeth Dowdeswell. Her Honour had specifically requested to meet with a group of students who are engaged in a variety of initiatives on and off-campus, and I was fortunate enough to have been recommended by staff and faculty members.

On Tuesday September 27^th, I entered the Aboriginal Resource Centre to find the group of students sitting on the couch, along with Janet Doner and Charlotte Yates, the Provost and Vice President (Academic). Janet had arranged for the group of students to meet for a few minutes before Her Honour’s arrival. I was surprised to recognize two of the students in the room; a teaching assistant from a first year seminar course I had taken on politics and the environment, and a student from the last cohort of the Certificate in Civic Engagement and Global Citizenship that I am also taking.

We began by going around the circle introducing ourselves by name, program and primary organization that we are currently involved with. When it was my turn, I still hadn’t fully decided which of my engagement opportunities would be considered my primary organization: the College of Biological Science Student Council, Certificate in Civic Engagement and Global Citizenship, UofMosaic Fellowship, the Cross-Cultural Tolerance pilot course, The Harper Lab? I chose an organization, and also voiced how challenging it was to choose a single association to speak on behalf of. The other students in the room agreed, and Janet noted that perhaps we should list all of our current organizations, as we were after all selected due to our multiple engagements on-campus and in the community.

A few minutes after later, there was a flurry of movement in the hallway by the main entrance of the centre. From the doorway emerged three people in business attire carrying clipboards and a camera, a military Aide de Camp, and finally, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.

She smiled warmly and approached our circle. She made her way around to each of us, and we introduced ourselves to her and shook her hand. After she sat down, everyone in the circle summarized their main campus and community engagement experiences since we began at the University of Guelph. It was fascinating to hear about the diversity of leadership experiences my fellow peers have had throughout their time on this campus—they ranged from leading voter engagement campaigns to mentoring first year varsity athletes to being actively involved in the Muslim Students’ Association.

Her Honour then commented on how involved University of Guelph students appear to be in comparison to the average university-aged student. She then asked us whether we believed that volunteer-oriented students were attracted to the University of Guelph, or whether the University of Guelph fostered an environment that encouraged community engagement and volunteerism. The answers were mixed, and very much drew from personal experiences. As I spoke from my own personal experience, I explained how I was drawn to the University of Guelph’s sustainability and community-oriented programs, initiatives and research. A large part of the reason I chose Guelph was the multitude of opportunities to get involved on-campus and in the community, and the resources available to support students in doing so.

During the last part of the meeting, we asked Her Honour if she could briefly share the path that she took to become the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. She laughed and warned us that her story was anything but linear and predictable.

Ms. Dowdeswell was born in Northern Ireland and immigrated to rural Saskatchewan with her parents in 1947. Her academic background is in home economics, teaching and behavioural sciences. She began her professional career as a teacher and university lecturer. Ms. Dowdeswell served as the Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth for the Government of Saskatchewan, after which time she held increasingly senior positions in the Canadian public surface. This included being the first female head of the Atmospheric Environment Service in the world, and the first non-meteorologist in the world to hold the position.

Ms. Dowdeswell then served as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, during which time she chaired the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit. She also served as Under-Secretary General of the United Nations in Nairobi, Kenya. Upon returning to Canada, she established and became the founding President and CEO of the international Nuclear Waste Management Organization. She was also CEO of the Council of Canadian Academies, and has served on numerous boards of corporate and non-profit organizations.

Today as the 29^th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, she holds 11 honorary degrees and has received a number of high honours, including the Officer of the Order of Canada and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

When Janet asked if Her Honour had any advice for us young adults, she smiled, and told us to not be afraid to take on unfamiliar positions. She went on to say that whenever the opportunity for a new position or endeavor arose, she would ask herself how much she knew about the subject. If the answer was “not much”, she would be much more apt to take the position than if she had significant experience in the area. She went on to say that, although there is a great need for experts in specific areas, there is also a need for people who have general knowledge and experience in a number of different areas.

Although the meeting was brief, only about 40 minutes in length, I walked out of the Aboriginal Resource Centre feeling inspired and rejuvenated. As I am nearing the end of my undergraduate degree, I also found this experience to be a valuable opportunity for me to reflect back on how my extra-curricular experiences have impacted my values, interests and perspective on the world. I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet such a successful, hardworking and inspiring woman, and to have connected with some incredibly involved students on our campus.

[embed hide_thread=true]https://twitter.com/LGLizDowdeswell/status/781146104847032320/photo/1[/embed]

Carlee Attends "Water Innovations for Health Arctic Homes"

Written by Carlee Wright, MSc Candidate Anchorage, Alaska | Sept 18-21, 2016

September has been a non-stop month full of school-related travel, and I am very fortunate to have recently returned from the Water Innovations for Healthy Arctic Homes (WIHAH) conference in Anchorage, Alaska (http://wihah2016.com) The Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group has endorsed a project titled “Improving Health through Safe and Affordable Access to Household Running Water and Sewer in Arctic and Sub-Arctic communities”, with the WIHAH conference comprising one of its objectives.

This conference was a vital opportunity for community members, professionals, and researchers from the United States, Canada, and Greenland to come together and discuss all aspects of drinking water in northern communities. Despite being developed nations with high overall service rates for household water and sewerage, many people living in rural and remote areas experience lower service rates, and face issues with accessing clean water in adequate quantities. Over 3000 homes in rural Alaska do not have any piped water, and instead rely on honey buckets and hauling drinking water home from central watering points in the community. Collection and storage of drinking water in containers also occurs in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut (The community with which I have worked), and so I was very interested in attending presentations and sharing my own research with such a diverse audience.

Over the 4-day program I was able to meet Alaska natives, economists, microbiologists, engineers, health researchers, and many others who were passionate about improving access to safe water in northern communities. Hearing about the realities of living without running water in some communities, and the immense resources required to provide water and sanitation services was overwhelming at times; however, it was also inspiring to hear success stories and learn about innovations and progress being made. For example, the Alaska water and sewage challenge (http://watersewerchallenge.alaska.gov) is a competition to develop affordable and sustainable water and waste systems that can be implemented in rural Alaskan villages (and hopefully other communities in the future). The challenge is down to three finalists, who unveiled their prototypes at the conference; I was even able to see a functioning prototype at the University of Alaska Anchorage campus!

Finally, a trip to Alaska cannot be complete without some outdoor fun, and so my trip concluded with a day cruise through Prince William Sound. It was a misty day (which happened to make everything look even more astonishing under the low-lying clouds), and although I have yet to see a moose on my two trips to Alaska, I was lucky enough to see bald eagles, belugas, otters, and orcas while out on the water. Getting so close to glaciers and appreciating their size and natural beauty is also something that I am not likely to forget any time soon!

This conference was an amazing opportunity to reconnect, make new acquaintances, learn, and think critically about water management and the future of water and sanitation in northern communities. For this I am incredibly grateful, and in the future I hope that I can continue to take part in more collaborative and transdisciplinary events such as WIHAH.

More resources:

https://www.newsdeeply.com/arctic/articles/2016/09/22/expert-view-safe-water-and-sanitation-in-arctic-communities

Hennessy TW, Bressler JM. Improving health in the Arctic region through safe and affordable access to household running water and sewer services: an Arctic Council initiative. Int J Circumpolar Health. 2016;1:1-6.

When in Rome, learn about epi!

Written by Julia Bryson At the tail end of the summer I had the exciting opportunity to attend the annual congress of the International Society on Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) in Rome, Italy. The title of the conference, “Old and new risks: challenges for environmental epidemiology,” set the tone for what was to be a productive meeting of researchers, experts, policy-makers, public health professionals, and students coming together to discuss the identification and mitigation of environmental hazards to health, from past to future.

Upon arriving, I was quick to notice that the proportion of students amongst the attendees was quite low. Needless to say, as an undergraduate student in a crowd of seasoned experts and renowned researchers, I felt decidedly ‘out of my league’. However, I came to realize that everyone was there to learn, and while I had more of that to do than others, my participation and abilities were not to be discounted by my relative lack of experience. With this in mind, I tackled the three packed days ahead.

Over the weekend, I was happy to discover that the conference featured several parallel sessions and posters on the impacts of climate change on human health; these provided me with valuable information and perspective as I pursue my systematic review investigating the influences of climate change on the neglected tropical diseases in East Africa. Many of these researchers have faced the same barriers that I am dealing with, including the dearth of research in populations of low socioeconomic status and the sometimes lacking quality of data collected in unstable, resource-poor populations where conditions are hard to control. It was encouraging to see others working through these obstacles and forming important conclusions that may help to shape policy for future.

It came as a surprise to me, but the discussions around policy and ethics in environmental epidemiology were perhaps most engaging and valuable to me as a new student in the field. These talks ranged in topic from the role of the epidemiologist in the justice system, to the ethics of data sharing and communication with the public. Provocative questions were posed that I had never considered, such as ‘How do we reconcile the definition of “significant” in the field of research (often set at a level of 5% or 1% probability that results are due to chance), with that of the legal system, where a 51%-49% split or ‘more probable than not’ is the accepted standard?’ and, ‘How do we balance the demands of policy-makers and the public for results now with the reality that epidemiological studies often take years to complete?’ These questions forced me to think critically about the issues at hand and they exposed me to new philosophies and challenges within epidemiology. It was also reassuring that for these questions everyone in the room was having trouble coming to a solution! Some fascinating debates resulted.

Without doubt, I came away from ISEE will many ‘big ideas’ about this field of research. I learned that in epidemiology, there is always the need for more research as populations and exposures change. I learned the importance of understanding how to convey risks transparently and with context when your ultimate audience is the public. I learned how significant community health policy partnerships are to ensuring that research is able to facilitate positive change, which often happens outside of the lab through the courts or government. My attendance also helped to highlight areas for growth, particularly my understanding of different epidemiological methodologies and analytical models. A stronger foundation in these areas will help me to improve my comprehension and appreciation of others’ work, and better understand how I can strengthen my own research.

In the end, it sometimes seems like I left this conference with more questions than I arrived with. But in many ways, that was one of my aspirations! I attended ISEE 2016 to expose myself to different areas in epidemiology, to challenge myself with new concepts, and to be inspired as I move forward with my research. I am happy to say that my attendance accomplished these goals and more. I have no doubt that what I have learned as a result of this experience, and what it has encouraged me to learn about in the future, will be of great value. And with that – Ciao, Roma, e grazie mille per tutti!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpAt0IjyNXI

Photos by Moreno Maggi (http://www.morenomaggi.com/en/) and Julia Bryson.