Frost Centre for Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies, Traill College, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada; Health, Environment, and Indigenous Communities Research Group, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada.
Health, Environment, and Indigenous Communities Research Group, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada; Department of Indigenous Studies, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Dr., Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada.
Soc Sci Med. 2015 Jul;136-137:17-26. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.04.026. Epub 2015 Apr 28.
This paper contributes to the literature on Indigenous health, human dimensions of climate change, and place-based dimensions of health by examining the role of environment for Inuit health in the context of a changing climate. We investigated the relationship between one key element of the environment - sea ice - and diverse aspects of health in an Inuit community in northern Canada, drawing on population health and health geography approaches. We used a case study design and participatory and collaborative approach with the community of Nain in northern Labrador, Canada. Focus groups (n = 2), interviews (n = 22), and participant observation were conducted in 2010-11. We found that an appreciation of place was critical for understanding the full range of health influences of sea ice use for Inuit. Negative physical health impacts were reported on less frequently than positive health benefits of sea ice use, which were predominantly related to mental/emotional, spiritual, social, and cultural health. We found that sea ice means freedom for sea ice users, which we suggest influences individual and collective health through relationships between sea ice use, culture, knowledge, and autonomy. While sea ice users reported increases in negative physical health impacts such as injuries and stress related to changing environmental conditions, we suggest that less tangible climate change impacts related to losses of health benefits and disruptions to place meanings and place attachment may be even more significant. Our findings indicate that climate change is resulting in and compounding existing environmental dispossession for Inuit. They also demonstrate the necessity of considering place meanings, culture, and socio-historical context to assess the complexity of climate change impacts on Indigenous environmental health.
本文为探讨气候变化的人文维度和基于地点的健康维度对因纽特人健康的影响，为原住民健康、气候变化的人文维度和基于地点的健康维度的文献做出了贡献。我们调查了加拿大北部努纳武特因纽特社区的环境关键要素之一——海冰，以及其与各种健康方面之间的关系，研究采用了人群健康和健康地理学方法。我们使用案例研究设计，并与加拿大拉布拉多北部的奈恩社区进行了合作和参与式的方法。2010 年至 2011 年，我们进行了焦点小组（n=2）、访谈（n=22）和参与式观察。我们发现，要了解海冰使用对因纽特人健康的全面影响，对地点的了解至关重要。与海冰使用相关的身心健康影响主要是积极的，而非身体上的负面影响报告得较少，主要涉及精神/情绪、精神、社会和文化健康。我们发现，海冰对海冰使用者来说意味着自由，这通过海冰使用、文化、知识和自主权之间的关系，影响着个人和集体的健康。尽管海冰使用者报告了更多与环境变化相关的负面身体健康影响，例如受伤和压力，但我们认为，与健康益处丧失和对地点意义和地点依恋的破坏相关的、较难量化的气候变化影响可能更为显著。我们的研究结果表明，气候变化正在导致因纽特人面临并加剧现有的环境剥夺。它们还表明，必须考虑地点意义、文化和社会历史背景，以评估气候变化对原住民环境健康的复杂性影响。
