The Crow Reservation community is exposed to high concentrations of environmental contaminants through a number of factors. These include: 1) widespread leasing of agricultural lands, which may reduce the incentive for operator environmental stewardship;2) the lack of regulations on reservation lands to mitigate environmental effects of agriculture;3) subsistence hunting and gathering and other traditional practices that increase exposure risk to environmental contaminants;4) inadequate/outdated or non-existent water and wastewater treatment systems;and 5) the unequal distribution of mine and other toxic waste sites on Reservation lands. This proposal describes a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) collaboration between Environmental Health faculty from Montana State University;the Crow Tribe's environmental, health, natural resources and agriculture directors;health and civil engineering professionals from the Indian Health Service Hospital in Crow Agency;science faculty from Little Big Horn College (LBHC) on the Crow Reservation;Big Horn County Commissioners and additional organizations and community members from the Crow Tribe. The major objective of this research is to build on an existing partnership between the University and the Crow community, including LBHC, to address environmental health hazards on the Crow Reservation, particularly in relation to the high rates of cancer in the Crow tribe and the anecdotal evidence from community members of cancer clusters that are believed to be related to poor quality water and other environmental exposures. The community will participate in every phase of the work which will involve, 1) Establishing a sampling and analysis program to adequately assess contaminant loadings to drinking waters and subsistence foods;2) Evaluating exposure pathways and subsistence and other cultural practices that contribute to exposure risk;3) Communicating risks to community residents and developing and providing recommendations for exposure mitigation and future monitoring.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
Type
Exploratory Grants (P20)
Project #
5P20MD002317-05
Application #
8301488
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Project Start
2011-07-13
Project End
2013-06-30
Budget Start
2011-07-01
Budget End
2013-06-30
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$921,964
Indirect Cost
Name
Montana State University - Bozeman
Department
Type
DUNS #
625447982
City
Bozeman
State
MT
Country
United States
Zip Code
59717
Doyle, John T; Kindness, Larry; Realbird, James et al. (2018) Challenges and Opportunities for Tribal Waters: Addressing Disparities in Safe Public Drinking Water on the Crow Reservation in Montana, USA. Int J Environ Res Public Health 15:
Eggers, Margaret J; Doyle, John T; Lefthand, Myra J et al. (2018) Community Engaged Cumulative Risk Assessment of Exposure to Inorganic Well Water Contaminants, Crow Reservation, Montana. Int J Environ Res Public Health 15:
Richards, Crystal L; Broadaway, Susan C; Eggers, Margaret J et al. (2018) Detection of Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic Bacteria in Drinking Water and Associated Biofilms on the Crow Reservation, Montana, USA. Microb Ecol 76:52-63
Colclough, Yoshiko Yamashita; Brown, Gary M (2014) Complete manuscript title: American Indians' Experiences of Life-Threatening Illness and End of Life. J Hosp Palliat Nurs 16:404-413
Colclough, Yoshiko Yamashita; Brown, Gary M (2014) End-of-life treatment decision making: American Indians' perspective. Am J Hosp Palliat Care 31:503-12
Doyle, John T; Redsteer, Margaret Hiza; Eggers, Margaret J (2013) ""Exploring Effects of Climate Change on Northern Plains American Indian Health"" Clim Change 120:
Bends, Ada; Burns, Charlene; Yellowman-Caye, Pearl et al. (2013) Community-university Research Liaisons: Translating the Languages of Research and Culture. Pimatisiwin 11:345-357
Christopher, Suzanne; Saha, Robin; Lachapelle, Paul et al. (2011) Applying indigenous community-based participatory research principles to partnership development in health disparities research. Fam Community Health 34:246-55
Richards, Crystal L; Buchholz, Brittany J; Ford, Timothy E et al. (2011) Optimizing the growth of stressed Helicobacter pylori. J Microbiol Methods 84:174-82
Cummins, Crescentia; Doyle, John; Kindness, Larry et al. (2010) Community-based participatory research in Indian country: improving health through water quality research and awareness. Fam Community Health 33:166-74

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