Addressing Tribal Risk Concerns: Application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge

1. Addressing Tribal Risk Concerns: Application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge Brenda Brandon TOSNAC Coordinator Technical Outreach Services for Native American Communities

2. TOSNAC Program • Hazardous Substance Research Centers • Outreach www.hsrc.org • Haskell Indian Nations University • Haskell Environmental Research Studies Center • Kansas State University • Center for Hazardous Substance Research • http://www.engg.k-state.edu/CHSR/ • Kansas University • Center of Indigenous Nations Studies • http://www.ku.edu/~insp/

3. Methods of Implementing Technical Support • Educational Format - Presentations and Written Materials - Public Meetings & Focused Work Groups • Facilitating Stakeholder Coordination • Scientific Opinions -Document Review and Comments

4. Outline • Traditional Ecological Knowledge • Cultural Risk Concerns at Tribal Mine Sites • Evaluation of Western Scientific Processes- addressing risk concerns • Integration of Science and TEK –long-term risk management within Tribal communities

5. Traditional Ecological Knowledge • Collective knowledge acquired by a Tribe as a result of the people’s interaction with the environment and occupation of a region over many generations • Applied to resource management decision-making structures • Fisheries, wildlife, fire and water resource • Agriculture and mining projects • Environmental impact statements, health studies

6. One track thinking Focus on physical concerns Values based on scientific measures Man is treated separate from environment Ethics- separate component Use of quantitative interpretation to analyze and communicate risk Holistic thinking Priorities encompass all levels of reality Values based on survival of Culture Man is a component of the environment Ethics are incorporated into tradition Communication of concerns typically have qualitative focus Western Science TEK

7. Study of Contaminants in Environmental Systems- Impact of Contaminants in Specific Media Effect of X in Air Effect of X in Water Effect of X in Soils Effect of X in Biota

8. Study of Contaminants for Cleanup at Superfund Mine Sites Air Ore Surface Water Soils Groundwater Sediment Biota Aquatic Terrestrial

9. Integrating Science and TEK Effect of X in Air Effect of X in Water Effect of X in Soils Understanding Impact of Contaminants Effect of X in Biota

10. Quality of Life and Understanding Cultural Risk Communication • Walking In Balance Teaching, Learning, Knowing, Living in Harmony with the Circle of Life • Physical • Mental • Psychological / Emotional • Spiritual

11. Environmental Impact and Cultural Risk Considerations Environmental Justice Sustainability Natural/Cultural Resources Health & Environment Social Enhancement Economic Opportunity

12. Natural Resource Preservation Central to Tribal Culture • Water quality/quantity • Land protection and management • Biota– plants, animals, ecosystems • Other cultural resources – archeological, historical, ceremonial, recreational, fishing, hunting and gathering sites

13. Conventional Risk Assessment Process • Tool used to make decisions- to protect human health • Involves collecting data - type of hazard - toxicity of contaminant - exposure to contaminant • Involves calculating potential risk to exposure (risk characterization)

14. Art and Science of Risk Characterization Hazard Identification - probability - severity Fate and Transport - contamination of media, - contamination of resources Ecological Exposure Human Exposure Cultural Exposure Cultural toxicity Ecological toxicity Human toxicity Risk Characterization

15. Holistic Concept of Risk Characterization Hazard Identification - probability - severity Ecological Exposure Cultural Exposure Human Exposure Risk Characterization Fate and Transport - contamination of media, - contamination of resources Ecological toxicity Cultural toxicity Human toxicity

16. Indigenous Concept of Risk Characterization Hazard Identification - probability - severity Ecological Exposure Cultural Exposure Human Exposure Risk Characterization Fate and Transport - contamination of media, - contamination of resources Ecological toxicity Cultural toxicity Human toxicity

17. TEK Teaches us about Risk Considerations • Aspects of Contaminants • Contaminant transport • Exposure- contact, eating, breathing • Affect of contaminant- health, environment and culture • Sensitive populations- infants, children, pregnant women, elderly, and subsistence hunters, fishermen and gatherers

18. Expression of CultureTribal SpecificUnique to Tribal Identity Reflects close relationship with natural environment

19. Tribal Specific Risk Considerations • Subsistence living intake level considerations • Culturally significant sites, plants and animals • Traditional ceremonial & medicinal practices • Ecosystem Balance • Ecological constitution of environment, including human and spiritual aspects

20. Examples of Exposure Factors Exposure FactorUrban Subsistence Drinking Water2 liters per day 4+ liters per day Fish Ingestion 20 pounds/yr 120 + pounds/yr Game, plants gardening 570 + pounds/yr Duration of exposure 30 years 70 years (+ generations) Frequencyof exposure180 days/year 365 days/year Cultural Activities NO YES Subsistence lifestyles result in 10 to 100 times more exposure than urban lifestyles (Harper, 2001).

21. Defining Tribal Environmental Justice Concerns Environmental Laws Tribal EJ Lens Natural Resources Sustainability Env’t & Health Social & Economic Relative to Preservation of Cultural Lifestyles and Maintenance of TEK (practices, activities)

22. Communication Dynamics: Addressing Tribal Cultural Risk Concerns • Human health is critical • Tribes consider a much broader range of environmental effects and risks • Added levels of Tribal cultural, social, and historical relations to land • Calls for effective communication between agencies and Tribes • Government to Government • Community Involvement

23. Risk Considerations • Environmental Justice considerations- multiple sources of contaminants • Multiple contaminants and complex environmental and biological systems • Bioaccumulation • Subsistence Lifestyle considerations • Cumulative Risk- including interactions amongst and interferences between heavy metals

24. Bioaccumulation • Many Metals are known to accumulate up the food chain • Soil/water • Microorganisms • Insects • Small Fish • Predatory fish/birds/mammals • Senior food chain animals - Man

25. Bioaccumulation- Specific to each Ecosystem and Relationship to it

26. Mammals Chronic Effects Hair Loss Hoof Damage Poor Reproductive Function Copper Deficiency Acute Effects Lung damage Heart damage Birds Chronic effects Poor Egg Hatchability Poor growth Poor feather growth Fish Bioaccumulation of high concentrations in liver, muscle, and eggs Primary effects are poor reproduction Secondary concern would be additional bioaccumulation further up the food chain Selenium – Impact to BiotaOne metal, one set of impacts

27. Breathing • Degree to which metal occur in the air is dependent on its form • Some forms of metals vaporize more easily • Small particle size allows particulates to be dispersed more easily (dusts) • Burning metal contaminated materials • Inhaling contaminated smoke • Trees and other plants grown on contaminated sites may accumulate metals • Boiling contaminated waters • Inhaling contaminated steam • Aluminum, Beryllium, Cobalt, Manganese*

28. Unique Respiratory Exposure Potential • Anything that could result in increased breathing of metal vapor or contaminated dusts • Heavy exercise in areas of high contamination • Smoking metal contaminated materials • Burning metal contaminated materials in enclosed areas

29. Ingestion - water • Surface Water • Groundwater • Metal concentrations dependent upon • Contamination rate • pH • Water flow rates • Concentrations of other minerals

30. Methyl Mercury Cycle

31. Ingestion - plants • Plants can accumulate a variety of metals • Dependent upon soil availability/solubility • pH • Metal form • Exchange capacity • Organic matter • Roots typically higher levels than leaves or fruits • Arsenic, Cadmium, Manganese, Nickel, Uranium

32. Ingestion Risks • In contaminated areas • Hand to mouth exposure • Field work • Hunting – gathering • Plants and root crops • Surface soil contamination

33. Exposure Through Cultural Activities and Practices • Traditional Practices • Recreation- fishing, boating, swimming • Gathering material • Preparing harvest • Crafts and material manipulation • Ceremonial Practices • Medicinal Practices

34. Ingestion - meats • All meat tissues have metal concentrations • Meats from contamination areas may be higher than non-contaminated sites • Contaminated Animal tissues • Highest metal content usually in the kidney/liver • Muscle and fat are also high for some metals • Arsenic, Selenium, Thallium, Uranium, vanadium, and zinc

35. Unique Ingestion Exposure • Ingestion of highly contaminated animal tissues • Contaminated medicinal or ceremonial plants

36. Exposure Summary • There are numerous toxins and ways to be exposed • Most exposure routes are common • Some routes are unique to a specific custom, tradition and/or place • TEK provides foundation for understanding, communicating and managing cultural risk concerns

37. Elements of Tribal Risk Management Model • Background research-oral and written history, cultural and ecological resource applicability, archeology, scientific records • Examination - current state environment • Explicit communication of scientific information, incorporates traditional cultural and ecological knowledge into decisions

38. Tribal Community Involvement in Risk Communication • Tribal Council • Tribal Environmental & Natural Resources • Departmental staff -health, water, housing • Locally impacted community members • Cultural Committee Members, Elders and Youth

39. Traditional Ecological Knowledge Provides foundation for development of sound community-based risk management practices within Tribal community for use over many generations

40. Value of Employing Risk Assessment and Risk Management • Assess impact of proposed environmental action, including cleanup • Assess impact of environmental hazard and consider cumulative risks • Develop risk reduction strategies • Contribute to development of Tribal Comprehensive Environmental Plan • Community involvement in environmental decision-making processes

41. www.tosnac.org Technical Outreach Services for Native American Communities (TOSNAC) BrendaBrandon@msn.com Toll Free 1(866)880-2296