Between 1962 and 1970, a paper plant in Dryden, Ont., dumped 10 tonnes of mercury, a potent neurotoxin, in the Wabigoon River, upstream from Grassy Narrows. March 28, 2019; Posted By Jocelyn The below is a research paper I authored while attending engineering at the U of M. I am posting it for the general public to have access to information on Grassy Narrows all in one place. Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: Rainforest Action Network, Amnesty International, Council of Canadians, Greenpeace Canada, Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement Friends of Grassy Narrows solidarity group and Earth Justice Action: Supporting Indigenous Land Defense, MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization), Mobilization for reparations once impacts have been felt, Indigenous groups or traditional communities, Mercury poisoning, minimata disease: Common neurological symptoms include unsteadiness, tremors, and sensory impairment, birth defects. Generations of Activism: The Grassy Narrows First Nation’s Fight for Clean Water . The federal government has agreed to fund a $19.5-million mercury care home for Grassy Narrows First Nation, more than two years after Ottawa first promised the facility. ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any references for this publication. Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation (also known as Grassy Narrows First Nation or the Asabiinyashkosiwagong Nitam-Anishinaabeg in the Ojibwe language) is an Ojibwe First Nations band government who inhabit northern Kenora in Ontario, Canada.Their landbase is the 4,145 ha (10,240 acres) English River 21 Indian Reserve. To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors. It has a registered population of 1,595 as of October 2019, of … Grassy Narrows First Nation elder Brenda Kokokopenace, background, raises a finger as community members wait outside the band office while Indigenous Services Minister Seamus O'Regan and Chief Rudy Turtle discuss the terms of an agreement for a mercury health care facility May 29. Donate Now. The First Nations ceded all the lands between Ontario’s 1873 borders and the province of Manitoba. The paper mill closed in 1970. Grassy Narrows First Nations youth are renowned for their activism, art, and leadership in spite of mercury burden Today Grassy Narrows released a ground-breaking new report by renowned mercury expert Dr. Donna Mergler. In addition, large patrilineal clans divide… The mercury problem was identified in 1969, and in 1970 the government order Reed Paper to stop releasing mercury into the water system and closed the local fishery. In the early 1960s, 10 000 kg of mercury (Hg) was released into their aquatic ecosystem. Grassy Narrows First Nation, or the Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation, is a small First Nations community in northwestern Ontario. 1873: the government of Canada signed Treaty 3 with the Ojibway of northwest Ontario, including the Asubpeeschoseewagong (Grassy Narrows) First Nation. In the late 1960s, people in the Grassy Narrows and Whitedog First Nations populations started to suffer symptoms of mercury poisoning. ... Mercury Poisoning Among Grassy Narrows First Nation. For the two First Nations, the fish were the main food source and the commercial fishery and related tourism businesses were their main livelihood. This company dumped tonnes of mercury into the river between 1962 and 1970, some 50 years ago. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. For almost 50 years, the river system—a foundational element of the Grassy Narrows culture—-that the community relies on for food and water has been contaminated with mercury as a result of industrial pollution. "Our community members have suffered for so long," Grassy Narrows First Nation Chief Randy Fobister said in a recent … So have many in Wabaseemoong Independent Nations, also known as Whitedog First Nation, about 130 kilometres away. The fur trade economy transformed Ojibwe social organization and resource use. For political parties, it’s a federal election issue. It has a registered population of approximately 1500 … Some Grassy Narrows residents have suffered mercury poisoning since the Dryden Chemical Co. dumped 9,000 kilograms of it into the Wabigoon and … You can request the full-text of this article directly from the authors on ResearchGate. A compensation agreement was reached with the federal and Ontario governments in 1985, which had long been in denial about the effects of the dumped mercury on human health. The community continues to organize events, marches and maintain the blockade to bring attention to their environmental struggles and their efforts to protect their land, water and forests. Treaty 3 harvesting clause: Her Majesty further agrees with Her said Indians that they, the said Indians, shall have right to pursue their avocations of hunting and fishing throughout the tract surrendered as hereinbefore described, subject to such regulations as may from time to time be made by Her Government of Her Dominion of Canada, and saving and excepting such tracts as may, from time to time, be required or taken up for settlement, mining, lumbering or other purposes by Her said Government of the Dominion of Canada, or by any of the subjects thereof duly authorized therefor by the said Government. By clicking "Accept cookies" you consent to place cookies when visiting the website. The matched-pair approach revealed that Hg exposure, measured as hair Hg, was almost 5 μg/g higher for those who died before the age of 60 years, compared with those who lived beyond this age. However, the three-decade-old agreement had no provision to adjust the payments for inflation and the Harada report found that for Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong combined, only one quarter 'of those whom we diagnosed or deemed suspicious of Minamata Disease were officially approved' for compensation. Between 1962 and 1970, the Dryden Chemical Paper Mill dumped ten tonnes of waste mercury into the Wabigoon-English River, approximately 320km upstream from the Asubpeeschoseewagong Nitam-Anishinaabeg (Grassy Narrows First Nation) community. In 2010 a team from Japan examined 160 adults from Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong, as White Dog is now named. Access scientific knowledge from anywhere. (Harada Report) Symptoms observed in at least one third of the people in the target group include: sensory disturbances on the limbs, difficulty walking a straight line, difficulty seeing, visual disturbances, hearing impairment, headaches, insomnia, exhaustion, fatigue and numbness in the limbs. Al pulsar "Accept cookies" consiente dichas cookies. They also want to see the river cleaned. Since then, people have received mixed messages about whether the fish is safe to eat, but many still do. A First Nation of about 650 people near Ontario’s border with Manitoba, Grassy Narrows’ water was contaminated by tonnes of mercury dumped into its water system by an upstream paper mill. The … Fifty years on, the First Nation is still feeling the effects, and awaiting appropriate government action. Leaders of the Grassy Narrows First Nations are demanding that the Ontario government acknowledge mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows and apologize. The mercury originated in the 1960s from a chemical and pulp mill in Dryden, Ont., owned by Reed Paper Co. From there it got into the English-Wabigoon River System and then into the fish. The Ongoing Impact of Mercury Poisoning in the Community. Do you consider this an environmental justice success? They found that '33.7 per cent [54 people] of the target group would be diagnosed as Minamata Disease patients' and that 'a total of 58.7 per cent [94 people] was affected by mercury.' Although Hg concentration in fish, their dietary staple, decreased over time, it … Patterns of activity-induced pathology in a Canadian Inuit population. They migrated northward and westward during the late 17th and early 18th centuries in search of animals to supply the fur trade. © 2008-2020 ResearchGate GmbH. Conclusions of the Grassy Narrows Community HealthAssessment(2018) • Grassy Narrows First Nation has poorer physical and mental health, and more socio-economic difficulties compared to other First Nation communities in Ontario and in Canada. In Canada, the board designates payments from $250 to $800 per month. So have many in Wabaseemoong Independent Nations, also known as Whitedog First Nation, about 130 kilometres away. In Grassy Narrows, Judy Da Silva, a member of the First Nation, recalled how in the 1960s residents first noticed dead fish floating to the surface. The community has been dealing with mercury poisoning for over 50 years after Dryden Chemicals Ltd., a pulp and paper mill, polluted the English-Wabigoon river system with untreated neurotoxic mercury between 1962 and 1970. Traditionally, Ojibwe hunted large game for subsistence. Mercury-tainted soil found upstream from Grassy Narrows First Nation ... Mercury poisoning 50 years ago in the rivers around Grassy Narrows First Nation still affects youth - … In the 1960s, a chemical company used large amounts of mercury in a process that bleached paper. By Charles F. Merbs. The mercury poisoning of Grassy Narrows—also known as Asubpeeschoseewagong First Nation—dates back to the 1960s, when the pulp and paper mill in Dryden, Ontario, owned by the Dryden Chemical Company dumped 9,000 kg of mercury into the Wabigoon and English River systems. For more information, and to find out how to change the configuration of cookies, please read our, Utilizamos cookies para realizar el análisis de la navegación de los usuarios y mejorar nuestros servicios. In the First Nation community of Grassy Narrows, individuals who died prematurely before reaching 60 years old, had significantly higher Hg exposure between 1970 and 1997 than those who lived longer. Introduction One of the keys authors of the report explained that the mercury poisoning victims in Japan received $800,000 US as compensation in 1973 and continue to receive $2,000 to $8,000 per month, also based on the severity of symptoms. Was environmental justice served? Residents of Grassy Narrows First Nation, about 100 kilometres northeast of Kenora, Ont., have grappled with long-standing mental and physical health issues due to toxic mercury levels in the nearby English-Wabigoon River. They also want to see the river cleaned. 2018, No. Four decades later, the effects of that mercury – an estimated 9,000 kg – are still present. Residents of Grassy Narrows First Nation, about 100 kilometres northeast of Kenora, Ont., have grappled with long-standing mental and physical health issues due to toxic mercury levels in the nearby English-Wabigoon River. 1 : Grassy Narrows is still mobilizing for proper compensation and clean-up and other environmental issues such as deforestation continue to devastate their livelihoods, Related laws and legislations - Juridical texts related to the conflict, Links to general newspaper articles, blogs or other websites, We use cookies for statistical purposes and to improve our services. Mercury Poisoning in the Grassy Narrows First Nation. Grassy Narrows emblematic of water injustice in Canada[click to view], How Grassy Narrows’ lawsuit could change aboriginal-government relations across Canada[click to view], Mercury still damaging health of Grassy Narrows residents: report[click to view], Grassy Narrows and Whitedog First Nations Mercury Poisoning, Ont., Canada, Biomass and Land Conflicts (Forests, Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Management), Ontario Government, Federal Government, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. (The airborne release of mercury by the mill continued until 1975.) Strangely, though, 90 per cent of the people of Grassy Narrows still suffer from mercury poisoning, at the highest levels in Ontario. Two forest-product companies are on the hook for looking after a mercury-contaminated site near Ontario’s Grassy Narrows First Nation, the Supreme Court of … Today, a recently translated report by Japanese mercury expert, Dr. Harada reveals that the Grassy Narrows people are worse off than they were 40 years ago when he first visited the community to study the impacts of mercury poisoning.When Dr. Harada returned in 2004, he found that 43% of his original Grassy Narrows patients were now dead. Shelby Gilson. Several Japanese doctors who had been involved in studying Minamata disease in Japan travelled to Canada to investigate the mercury poisoning in these people. ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication. Grassy Narrows and Whitedog First Nations. The mill used mercury cells in sodium chloride electrolysis to make caustic soda and chlorine for bleaching paper, dumping 10 tonnes of mercury into the English-Wabigoon River between 1962 and 1970. Ancestors of the northern Ojibwe are thought to have originally inhabited the north shore of the upper Great Lakes. Grassy Narrows continues to fight deforestation on their land that threatens their remaining food source - their hunting habitat. The compensation is based on a point system for the severity of symptoms. First Nations people from Grassy Narrows, Ont., continue to suffer the effects of mercury poisoning more than 40 years after commercial fishing was closed, a new report shows. Puede obtener más información, o bien conocer cómo cambiar la configuración, pulsando en. Leaders of the Grassy Narrows First Nations are demanding that the Ontario government acknowledge mercury poisoning in Grassy Narrows and apologize. The Legacy of Mercury Exposure in Grassy Narrows First Nation | Environmental Health Perspectives | Vol. All rights reserved. Dr. Harada found that of the 160 Grassy Narrows and White Dog residents he examined, 59 per cent were showing signs of ongoing mercury poisoning. • Fish consumption, particularly during childhood, As well, they want a permanent Grassy Narrows-run environmental health monitoring centre. The fur trade shifted this practice toward trapping smaller animals and trading their furs. Although lower, the mercury levels in fish continue to be above safe levels and people downstream from Dryden continue to have the symptoms of Minamata disease — even people born long after the mercury dumping had ended. Grassy Narrows First Nation is an Ojibwa First Nation located 80 kilometres north of Kenora, Ontario, in Canada. The article published in CMAJ by Mosa and Duffin outlines the history of mercury poisoning of the Grassy Narrows First Nation along the English–Wabigoon River.1 The Grassy Narrows First Nation is located about 100 km downstream from the Dryden Chemical Company. For Grassy Narrows families, mercury is an intergenerational trauma. The Grassy Narrows First Nation community have lived with the consequences of one of the worst environmental disasters in Canadian history. In the 1960s, though, a paper company’s processes accidentally poisoned the English-Wabigoon river system on which the Grassy Narrows First Nation relied. Grassy Narrows is an Ojibwe First Nation located 55 kilometres northeast of Kenora, Ont. Symptoms ranged from … It provided for a Mercury Disability Board to dispense payments from a fund to which the governments, as well as Reed Paper and Great Lakes Forest Products Ltd., which took over the mill from Reed, made a one-time only contribution. OTTAWA — New money for a treatment centre for those living with the effects of chronic mercury poisoning comes as a ray of hope for a northern Ontario First Nation that has spent the past six decades in the shadow of a decades-old water contamination scandal. 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