The numbers are shocking. Aboriginal groups are three to five times more likely than other Canadians to develop diabetes; five to eight times more likely to commit suicide, and at least 25 times more likely to give birth to babies with fetal alcohol syndrome. These disturbing statistics arise from genetic, social and/or environmental factors that are outside the normal purview of Canada’s health care system. The solutions require novel approaches. That’s why the Leading Edge Endowment Fund set up the Dr. Donald B. Rix BC Leadership Chair in Aboriginal Environmental Health at the University of Northern British Columbia. It’s also why Dr. Laurie Chan is the Chair-holder. Dr. Chan believes the solutions for Aboriginal health problems lie in merging traditional knowledge with sound modern science.

“There’s a disturbing south to north trend in Canada,” he says. “Diseases such as diabetes occur earlier and more often in southern, urbanized communities, then become less common as you move north.”

The culprit seems to be the fact that, in less than 100 years, more southern Aboriginal communities have gone from being active hunter-gatherers living on wild plants and animals, to being modern sedentary fast-food-eaters like the rest of us. So far, the northern groups have remained healthier because they’ve continued to live off the land. But even these groups - - the Inuit, for example - - are seeing some disease conditions. Whatever the location, diet is at the root of the problem.
 
First Nations groups are experiencing increased deterioration of their natural environment due to logging, mining, hydro projects, oil and gas, and other development. Consequently wild food sources are disappearing, while those that remain available may contain toxins and other foreign substances. “The more remote communities can’t afford to have quality foods shipped in,” explains Dr. Chan. “It’s too expensive. So like their urban counterparts, they will ultimately come to rely on processed and junk foods.”

The traditional First Nations cultures were deeply spiritual and closely involved with Nature. “We can learn much from their holistic view of the environment,” insists Dr. Chan. “There’s a scientific concept called ‘eco-health,’ in which human health and environmental health are in equilibrium. Each affects the other. So if we want to improve the health of First Nations communities, we need to look at both components.”

Right now his priority is gathering information from First Nations people themselves about their traditional view of the environment and their aspirations. By integrating information on traditional knowledge, environmental contaminants, food composition, food availability, environmental changes, cultural factors and socio-economic issues, he hopes he and his colleagues can help communities find solutions they can endorse and promote among themselves. This includes having them develop more productive partnerships with industry with respect to resources exploitation.  

Laurie Chan has a Masters degree in eco-toxicology from the University of Hong Kong, and a PhD in toxicology from the University of London. He did post-doctoral work in pathology at the University of Western Ontario. “That’s when I began switching from environmental issues to human-health issues in toxicology.” His work with the First Nations and Inuit began when he became an assistant professor at McGill University. “For 12 years I worked with some 100 communities, studying the risks and benefits of eating traditional foods, as well as the impacts of environmental changes on food security.” Among other things, he has published over 80 papers in peer-reviewed journals, written 18 book chapters and technical reports, and supervised 40 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. He also holds an NSERC Northern Research Chair.

You can learn more about Dr. Laurie Chan and his research by visiting http://web.unbc.ca/chan/