Community Empowerment inCommunity Empowerment inHealth Impact AssessmentHealth Impact Assessment

ByBy

Roy E. KwiatkowskiRoy E. KwiatkowskiIAIA’07IAIA’07

Aboriginal Observations Aboriginal Observations Regarding EIA/HIARegarding EIA/HIA

Does not shed light on the forces that drive Does not shed light on the forces that drive health determinantshealth determinants

Has a top-down emphasis on expert knowledgeHas a top-down emphasis on expert knowledge Does not meet the immediate health and social Does not meet the immediate health and social

information needs of indigenous peoplesinformation needs of indigenous peoples

What’s Needed – Inclusive EIA What’s Needed – Inclusive EIA notnot Exclusive Exclusive EIAEIA

Aboriginal Observations Aboriginal Observations Regarding Regarding EIA/HIAEIA/HIA

Indigenous people continue to rely heavily on Indigenous people continue to rely heavily on the environment for their subsistence, including the environment for their subsistence, including their soical, cultural, spiritual, economic and their soical, cultural, spiritual, economic and physical survivalphysical survival

EIA is often performed without understanding EIA is often performed without understanding indigenous needs and interestsindigenous needs and interests

Indigenous people want to take on a more Indigenous people want to take on a more active role in addressing their own active role in addressing their own environmental concerns – issues of resources environmental concerns – issues of resources and capacity hinder their effortsand capacity hinder their efforts

Health Canada’s Response to Resource Health Canada’s Response to Resource and Capacity Challengeand Capacity Challenge

1. Canadian Handbook on HIA1. Canadian Handbook on HIAwww.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/eval.index_e.htmlwww.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/pubs/eval.index_e.html

2. Web-Based Training courses2. Web-Based Training coursesManagers Intro to HIAManagers Intro to HIA

HIA for the Mining Sector (Fall 2007)HIA for the Mining Sector (Fall 2007) www.machaon.fmed.ulaval.ca/medicne/hia/home.aspwww.machaon.fmed.ulaval.ca/medicne/hia/home.asp

Resource and Capacity Challenge Cont.Resource and Capacity Challenge Cont.

3. First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program 3. First Nations Environmental Contaminants Program

Jointly administered with First Nations University of Canada Jointly administered with First Nations University of Canada and Assembly of First Nationsand Assembly of First Nations

4. Regional First Nations Environmental Contaminants 4. Regional First Nations Environmental Contaminants ProgramProgram

Jointly administered with Regional staff and First Nations Jointly administered with Regional staff and First Nations CommunitiesCommunities

5. Northern Contaminants Program5. Northern Contaminants Program

Jointly administered with territorial government, federal Jointly administered with territorial government, federal departments and aboriginal organizationsdepartments and aboriginal organizations

Aboriginal RA Model StructureAboriginal RA Model Structure

Community Knowledge & PerspectivesCommunity Knowledge & Perspectives

• Research that utilizes cognitive mapping as Research that utilizes cognitive mapping as a methodology for incorporating First a methodology for incorporating First Nations perspectives and local community Nations perspectives and local community knowledge into environmental assessment knowledge into environmental assessment and managementand management..

• Provides graphical representations of the Provides graphical representations of the relationships between elements of an issue relationships between elements of an issue as perceived by “experts” and First Nations as perceived by “experts” and First Nations people. people.

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Fuzzy Cognitive MappingFuzzy Cognitive Mapping

CommunityCommunity Knowledge & Knowledge & PerspectivesPerspectives

• Goal of our work is to determine:• (a) if the conventional science-based view

incorporated any or all of the First Nations view; and,

• (b) if the inclusion of the First Nations perspective would suggest different management actions or policies.

HC’s HIA Research Priniciples HC’s HIA Research Priniciples

1. A commitment to multi-disciplinary 1. A commitment to multi-disciplinary research and actionresearch and action

2. The necessity of community 2. The necessity of community participation, from research design, participation, from research design, to decision-making and policy to decision-making and policy change, to practical application and change, to practical application and evaluation evaluation

3. Equity, which includes gender 3. Equity, which includes gender equity, and social, political and equity, and social, political and economic fairness.economic fairness.