ID: 1909
Presenting Author: Roxane Campeau
Session: 654 - Culture's Role in Impact Assessment
Status: pending
This paper presents the vision of the Health Impact Assessment Service, part of Indigenous Services Canada, to support First Nations led contributions and initiatives in the area of HIA
Following the previous governmental efforts “to assist Indigenous communities in protecting their environment and becoming more engaged in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) /HIA process” (Kwiatkowski et al., 2009), the Health Impact Assessment Service (HIAS) is mandated to support First Nations-led HIA and to prevent or mitigate adverse effects on First Nations community health, towards the progressive transfer of HIA capacity.
Concretely, the HIAS responds to the course of actions recommended by the National Collaborating Center for Healthy Public Policy (2021) to adjust the HIA to the First Nations context, contributing to the preparation in advance for impact assessment by allocating (1) funding for baseline health and environmental community-based studies, (2) support HIA tools developed by and for First Nations, and (3) support HIA Indigenous-led initiatives. Engaging regularly with First Nations communities and organizations, HIAS amplifies self-identified key issues related to health services and planning, channeling First Nations institutional health priorities in HIA within the federal IA process.
The HIAS is facilitating the emergence of culturally appropriate HIA tools and educational materials, and the capacity building on mitigation measures related to health and well-being. This work highlights the importance of collaborating with First Nations health representatives to link HIA to health planning, and to expand the participation of the First Nations health leaders assessing the potential impacts at the community level
Roxane Campeau is a policy analyst in the HIA Service within the Health and Social Sector at Indigenous Services Canada. Her work is informed by her anthropological background
Coauthor 1: Jessyca Laurin
Coauthor 2: Étienne Frenette