More than four decades after mercury was dumped upstream from Grassy Narrows First Nation, the physical and mental health of the people there is by many key measures “considerably worse” than that of other First Nations in Canada, according to a landmark new government-funded survey.The survey found there are fewer elders in Grassy Narrows, suggesting people there are dying prematurely. The residents are also reporting higher rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts compared to other First Nations. And adult residents who reported eating more fish as children had experienced lower levels of success in school and have higher rates of nervous system symptoms and disorders.“The results of the (survey) provide clear evidence that the physical and mental health of (Grassy Narrows community) members is poorer than that of other First Nation communities in Canada and Ontario,” says a report of the survey’s findings. The document also says that the health and well-being of the community “cannot be understood without taking into account their history of mercury poisoning and its consequences.”The survey, a lengthy questionnaire, was administered to more than 300 adults in Grassy Narrows ranging in age from 18 to 80 between December 2016 and March 2017. It was spearheaded by community leaders and by Dr. Donna Mergler, a mercury expert at Université du Québec à Montréal. It was funded by Health Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care.Mergler told the Star that the survey was significant because “it’s the first time that there has been a population-based study of the community that links fish consumption to health outcomes and that looks at the difference between Grassy Narrows and other First Nation communities.“Grassy Narrows of course has all the other issues of the other First Nations, such as residential schools, poverty, poor access to health care, poor access t ...
|
