Water, A Resource for Health: Understanding Impacts of Water Contamination in a Native American Community

Introduction. To the Apsaalooke (Crow) people, water is sacred and it is life. Beyond meeting physical needs, water provides a form of spiritual cleansing and healing. Tribal members concerned about the health and cultural impacts of water pollution initiated collaboration with Little Big Horn College, the local Tribal College, and Montana State University Bozeman to determine contaminants and assess risks. Data from this community-based risk assessment show significant contamination of both rivers and home well water. We realized the impacts of contamination of domestic, cultural and recreational water sources were broader than quantitative methods could describe and added qualitative methods. Methods. Messengers for Health joined the partnership, bringing extensive experience in qualitative research. Four bilingual community research partners identified and interviewed 32 knowledgeable Tribal members, so they could share their concerns about how poor water quality has affected their lives, including cultural practices. Their input is essential in designing solutions to mitigate risks without having to give up more of our traditions. The Crow-speaking interviewers are analyzing the interviews, following the emic approach in anthropology, which fits our culture's holistic worldview. These results will be compared with an etic analysis being done by community and academic partners, utilizing ATLAS-ti. Results/Conclusion. Water contamination not only directly affects our community's health through consumption, but also has social, economic, political and cultural impacts which have health consequences. Contamination threatens to separate us from our Mother Earth as it disrupts traditional practices. Inexpensive, hi-tech home water filters are being piloted as one potential solution.