Despite the many conveniences of plastic products, we’re only beginning to understand the way that tiny microplastics and invisible nanoplastics contaminate land, water, wildlife and our bodies.
On May 12, the Canadian government announced it will spend nearly $2.4 million over two years to support research into the impacts of plastic pollution on Indigenous communities.
Environment minister Julie Dabrusin said the initiative prioritizes “the leadership of Indigenous peoples to help conserve ecosystems, protect Indigenous cultures, and develop sustainable economies for future generations.”
With microplastics found in many traditional foods, there’s an urgency for research and action.
“We want to test for microplastics in fish and maybe other harvested species but the lab testing is very expensive,” said Angela Coxon, the director of wildlife management for the Eeyou Marine Region Wildlife Board.
Researchers hope to better understand First Nations’ exposure to plastics and practical methods to monitor and mitigate it. Plastic impacts Indigenous peoples across its entire life cycle, beginning with the extraction of fossil fuels used to create it. These initiatives will help identify knowledge gaps needing further study and develop a research hub to support Indigenous-led research.
Lynn Konwaia’tanón:we’s Jacobs is a McGill University PhD candidate who has worked for more than two decades on land and water stewardship initiatives. Working with university partners and the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office, one of her research focuses is the tire-particle pollution from the thousands of vehicles passing daily through her Kahnawà:ke community over the bridge to Montreal.
“These new grants will allow us to build on that national conversation around plastic pollution and policy,” Jacobs said. “I’m also looking at how Indigenous peoples are engaged in governance around plastic pollution, mainly at the international level. It’s such a huge global problem and one of the greatest colonial experiments.”
While plastic use became widespread only 75 years ago, production never stopped growing. The non-biodegradable material breaks down into ever-smaller toxic particles that invade our brains, lungs and reproductive organs. One study found that quantities in brains were 50% higher in 2024 than 2016.
With consumers and communities having little control over plastic ubiquity, Jacobs has been working with Indigenous peoples around the world to participate in the creation of a Global Plastics Treaty and helping to found the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Plastics. Developing a legally binding instrument to curb plastic production has met with intense resistance from the petrol industry.
“It’s very challenging to bring issues from our communities into these spaces with almost no resources,” said Jacobs. “So far there has been minimal progress in actually addressing the problem. Looking at plastic pollution using Indigenous science and practices will help us move towards transformative change.”
Jacobs believes connecting plastic research from across Turtle Island will encourage a more coordinated response – something she will discuss during a panel at an Assembly of First Nations climate change gathering this October in Hamilton.
Federally funded projects on plastic pollution in collaboration with the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation in the Yukon, BC’s Tsilhqot’in Nation and various First Nations in Manitoba will create models that can be used by other Indigenous communities.
Another project brings together Indigenous artists, researchers and community members for knowledge exchange workshops and to create a series of science-based artworks. While visuals of plastic pollution often spotlight ruined beaches and tropical sea turtles, the goal is to expand awareness in remote Subarctic and Arctic regions.
“By harnessing the power of art to investigate plastics pollution – while also informing communities and the broader public of its harms – As It Melts will help people imagine cleaner, safer and more sustainable futures for our lands and waters,” said project lead Heather Igloliorte.
Art-based activities are part of the work that the Aqqiumavvik wellness group in Arviat, Nunavut, does to engage youth in plastics research and solutions. The community will map where plastic pollution is found on their territory and how it impacts ecosystems, food systems and people’s health to guide an Inuit-led plan that other Arctic communities can benefit from.
“The idea is to have a community walk, picking up different plastic waste in the community safely and getting young people involved in creating a sculpture as a central piece to talk about this,” explained researcher Nicolas Brunet from the University of Guelph. “We want to create accessible spaces for conversations around where they see plastics and then bring in the experts who understand the toxicological elements.”
Supporting Aqqiumavvik’s efforts led by Shirley Tagalik and her daughter Kukik Baker analyzing the safety of country food, Brunet said the community is questioning where plastics are found, where they’re coming from, their health and environmental impacts, and what can be done.
Arviat will host the primary campus for Inuit Nunangat University, scheduled to open in 2030. This project will help establish community-led protocols for long-term plastic research. A PhD student has been hired to explore international jurisdictional issues related to plastic governance.
“In the Arctic, the harvest of wildlife, plants and eggs for food is so incredibly important,” said Brunet. “These plastics are often getting into humans through wild foods, through water. That human health dimension is a key driver.”