Climate change and Indigenous peoples’ health in Canada

This presentation will highlight the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health’s (NCCIH) collaboration on the 2022 national assessment titled the Health of Canadians in a changing climate: Advancing our knowledge for action, produced by Health Canada’s Climate Change and Health Innovation Bureau. This comprehensive study of current and projected risks from climate change to the health of Canadians included a chapter dedicated to climate change and Indigenous Peoples’ health in Canada. Contributing author, Donna Atkinson will provide an overview of the key findings of this chapter; a summary of specific climate change risks to First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples’ health; the role of Indigenous knowledges and rights in climate change adaptation, research and policy; and knowledge gaps for future research.

Donna Atkinson, MA, National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health

Donna Atkinson is the Manager of the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health. She graduated with a Master of Arts degree in History in 2005 from the University of Northern British Columbia focused on the Indigenous rights movement and oil and gas development in Northwest Siberia in the Soviet and post-Soviet era.

Leah Quinlan, BSocSci, National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health  

Leah Quinlan is a student in the Master of Public Health in Indigenous Health program at the University of Toronto, and is completing a practicum placement as a Student Researcher with the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health. She is on education leave from her position as an Environmental Specialist/Coordinator with Indigenous Services Canada. Leah has worked in the Indigenous environmental health field for the past six years focusing on Indigenous health equity and supporting culturally-safe climate health adaptation measures.