"ahbahjipdooneh woolibahmowsoowahkn": reclaiming indigenous health through water and food sovereignty

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The project describes a community based participatory research (CBPR) approach to engaging the Maine tribes in managing risks associated with environmental contamination. Each community has expressed concerns about the health of their waters and quality of their subsistence foods with particular concerns around Food Sovereignty, defined as “the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.” Our central hypothesize is that integrating CBPR and participatory science can be used to equip tribal communities with the tools to manage and balance their risks associated with contamination of water and subsistence foods. We aim to, 1. Build capacity for participatory science amongst tribal youth by providing them the tools for sample collection and basic contaminant monitoring, with more advanced analyses conducted in the University labs; 2. Through collaborations between the Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness (WPHW), Tribal Elders and other Indigenous Knowledge Keepers; traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) around subsistence food consumption patterns and use of waterways for fishing and other activities will be documented through recordings and other media; 3. TEK will be incorporated into health risk assessments in order to support culturally appropriate risk communication and risk management strategies for affected communities. WPHW will serve as a central repository for this information, in order to ensure that it is readily accessible to all of Maine’s Tribes. The ultimate goal of this project is to provide the capacity and training within tribal communities to make informed decisions on the health of their traditional foods and waterways. This in turn will provide the foundations for a larger program that will serve the environmental health needs of Maine’s Tribal communities, while at the same time respecting and supporting food sovereignty that can be sustainable over the longer term and in the face of a rapidly changing environment.