With changes in the environment through weather events and increasingly warmer weather, there has been a steady increase in the number of ticks in southern and middle Ontario (Canada). Ticks can carry diseases, like Lyme or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, that are detrimental to human, pet, and other animals health. The changes in Ontario have seen a rise in the number of people diagnosed with Lyme Disease over the past few years. As many First Nations Peoples live on and with the land, there is an increased risk of being bite by an infected tick leading to the possibility for Lyme Disease. Over the past two years, Dr. Mashford-Pringle has developed relationships with Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) and some of the local First Nations’ health staff as well as urban Indigenous organizations. Building these relationships was important to determine what First Nations communities and Indigenous communities were interested in following up on. Vector-borne management strategies are part of public health surveillance, as is climate health. Lyme disease is identified as a potential health risk impacting physical, mental, emotional and spiritual components of health and wellbeing for First Nations Peoples and communities. Currently there are no Indigenous-specific surveillance captured with regards to ticks or Lyme disease. There is a lack of literature or websites discussing First Nations’ experiences, perceptions and knowledge regarding risk, preventative strategies or treatments related to ticks or Lyme disease. We have begun to build relationships with Beausoleil, Rama, Moose Deer Point, and Wahta Mohawks First Nations, Barrie Native Friendship Centre, Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle, and briefly connected to the Indigenous Health Circle. We continue to enhance and build these relationships now that the original project has ended, however, there were some First Nations communities interested in continuing to work in this area. The AMP Lab team, led by Dr. Mashford-Pringle, are working on developing a framework for a future gathering of Elders, Knowledge Keepers and community members to discuss traditional and contemporary ways of knowing, being and doing regarding ticks, Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This will include strategies for Indigenous Peoples who hunt, fish, and gather foods while being in areas that may have ticks. We anticipate this event to occur in Spring/Summer 2025. The event is intended to share information among those in attendance and provide knowledge that can assist with natural methods of dealing with ticks to reduce the possibility of tick bites with culturally appropriate measures. In addition to Lyme Disease, Dr. Mashford-Pringle is interested and building relationships with some First Nations to determine how and what climate change, weather events, and capitalist uses of land are affecting Indigenous Peoples and their communities and nations.

 

If you are interested in being a part of discussions about how to examine this, please contact Dr. Mashford-Pringle at nrcs.dlsph@utoronto.ca.