Reducing Risks to the Anishinaabe from Methylmercury EPA STAR Grant Adam DeWeese, Environmental Biologist, GLIFWC Neil Kmiecik, Biological Services Director, GLIWFC Jeffery Foran, Ph.D., EHSI LLC

Treaty Ceded Territories of the GLIFWC Member Tribes

GLIFWC Mission  Assist member bands in the implementation of off-reservation harvest seasons  Protect treaty rights and natural resources  GLIFWC provides  natural resource management expertise  conservation enforcement  legal and policy analysis  public information services

Tribal Walleye Harvesting SpearingNetting

EPA-STAR Grant: Reducing Risks to the Anishinaabe from Methylmercury Purpose: To develop, implement, evaluate, and document a comprehensive, systematic, and culturally- sensitive intervention program to reduce risks associated with subsistence based consumption of methylmercury contaminated fish.

Objective 1 Re-configure GIS-based fish advisory methodology to comply with EPA fish consumption guidance for MeHg, maximize the safe level of consumption, and distribute to GLIFWC member tribes in Wisconsin.

Updated GIS-Based Advisory Maps Current EPA RfD – Sensitive Population Current EPA RfD – Sensitive Population Women of childbearing age Women of childbearing age Children <15 years old Children <15 years old 1985 EPA RfD – General Population 1985 EPA RfD – General Population Women beyond childbearing age Women beyond childbearing age Men 15+ Men 15+ Maximized Safe Level of Consumption Maximized Safe Level of Consumption Lake-specific advice Lake-specific advice Five meal frequency categories Five meal frequency categories

Updated GIS-Based Advisory Maps (Continued) Regression Methods Regression Methods

Updated GIS-Based Advisory Maps (Continued) Tribal Input in Evaluating and Updating Maps Tribal Input in Evaluating and Updating Maps Focus Groups Focus Groups Review of draft maps Review of draft maps Expert Review/Guidance Expert Review/Guidance Barbara A. Knuth, Cornell University Barbara A. Knuth, Cornell University

Fish Advisory Maps

Advice for Sensitive and General Populations

Color Coded Meal Frequency Advice

Sorting and Labeling Advice

Lake List

Using This Chart

Risks and Benefits

Objective 2 Develop and implement a systematic intervention program to train targeted end-users (i.e., health care professionals, mothers, children, elders, educators, and tribal harvesters) in the use of GLIFWC’s GIS maps.

Intervention Program Tribal Leaders Tribal Leaders Voigt Intertribal Task Force Meetings Voigt Intertribal Task Force Meetings Board of Commissioners Meeting Board of Commissioners Meeting GLIFWC Wardens GLIFWC Wardens Staff Meeting Staff Meeting Fish Harvesters Fish Harvesters Spearer’s Meetings Spearer’s Meetings Registration stations Registration stations

Intervention Program Women’s Health Service Providers Women’s Health Service Providers Honoring Our Children Honoring Our Children Maternal Child Health Nurses Maternal Child Health Nurses Women Infants and Children Women Infants and Children Family Nutrition Family Nutrition Birth to 3 Birth to 3 Elders Elders Foster Grandparents/Senior Companions Foster Grandparents/Senior Companions Great Lakes Native American Elders Association Great Lakes Native American Elders Association Children Children Boys and Girls Clubs Boys and Girls Clubs

Broad Dissemination of Wall Maps on Reservations Health Clinics Health Clinics Tribal Administrative Offices Tribal Administrative Offices Environmental Offices Environmental Offices Community Centers Community Centers Registration Stations Registration Stations Grocery Stores Grocery Stores Schools Schools Libraries Libraries Elders Buildings Elders Buildings

Objective 3 Evaluate efficacy of the intervention program using survey tools applied to targeted end-users.

Surveys (Tribal Fish Harvesters) WI Baseline Survey (February, 2005) N=275 Baseline Survey (February, 2005) N=275 Post-Intervention Survey (July, 2005) N=187 Post-Intervention Survey (July, 2005) N=187 Second Post-Intervention Survey (July, 2006) N=166 Second Post-Intervention Survey (July, 2006) N=166 MN & MI Baseline Survey (February, 2006) N=139 Baseline Survey (February, 2006) N=139 Post-Intervention Survey (July, 2006) N=104 Post-Intervention Survey (July, 2006) N=104

Surveys (Women of Childbearing Age) Baseline Survey (June-September, 2005) N=156 Done through Tribal Health Program Staff Done through Tribal Health Program Staff Women Infants and Children (WIC) program Women Infants and Children (WIC) program Honoring Our Children (HOC) program Honoring Our Children (HOC) program Family Nutrition program Family Nutrition program Birth to 3 program Birth to 3 program Post Intervention Survey (August-September, 2006) N=66

Concern about Mercury in Walleye

Objective 4 Refine the intervention program and produce and disseminate GIS-based maps to Minnesota and Michigan tribes.

Expanded Advisory to Michigan & Minnesota Ceded Territories 12 Lakes in MN Sampled (April, 2004) 12 Lakes in MN Sampled (April, 2004) 10 Lakes in MI Sampled (April, 2005) 10 Lakes in MI Sampled (April, 2005) Maps created for tribes in MI & MN and disseminated (April, 2006) Maps created for tribes in MI & MN and disseminated (April, 2006)

Objective 5 Prepare program for information transfer to other tribes/regions in the United States.

Presentations Native American Fish & Wildlife Society Annual Meeting. Reno, NV. May 23, Native American Fish & Wildlife Society Annual Meeting. Reno, NV. May 23, Native American Fish & Wildlife Society: Great Lakes Region. Lac du Flambeau, WI, September 12, Native American Fish & Wildlife Society: Great Lakes Region. Lac du Flambeau, WI, September 12, Voigt Intertribal Task Force. Mole Lake, WI, October 4, Voigt Intertribal Task Force. Mole Lake, WI, October 4, 2007.

Madsen, ER; DeWeese, AD; Kmiecik, N; Foran, JA; Chiriboga, ED. Methods to Develop Consumption Advice for Mercury-Contaminated Walleye Harvested by Ojibwe Tribes in the 1837 and 1842 Ceded Territories of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. (In press) DeWeese, AD; Kmiecik, N; Madsen, ER; Chiriboga, ED; Foran, JA. Efficacy of risk based, culturally sensitive Ogaa (walleye) consumption advice for Anishinaabe tribal members in the Great Lakes region. (In prep) Articles

Investigators Neil Kmiecik (Co-P.I.), Biological Services Director Neil Kmiecik (Co-P.I.), Biological Services Director Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission Jeffery Foran, Ph.D. (Co-P.I.), President Jeffery Foran, Ph.D. (Co-P.I.), President EHSI, LLC Adam DeWeese, Environmental Biologist Adam DeWeese, Environmental Biologist Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission Peter Maier, Ph.D., Associate Director Peter Maier, Ph.D., Associate Director Center for Urban Initiatives and Research UW-Milwaukee Esteban Chiriboga, GIS Mapping Specialist Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission Esteban Chiriboga, GIS Mapping Specialist Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission Rick Madsen, Data Analyst Rick Madsen, Data Analyst Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission