THE OJIBWA HEALTH STUDY

Abstract

Great Lakes fish are known dietary sources of persistent organochlorine and heavy metal toxicants. The Ojibwa of the upper Great Lakes have a long history of relying upon the Great Lakes fishery for subsistence and commercial fishing. The ATSDR funded Ojibwa Health Study continues the epidemiologic and laboratory environmental health risk assessments initiated with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa (1990-1993). Six Ojibwa reservations (Grand Portage MN, Bad River WI, Lac du Flambeau WI, Keweenaw Bay MI, Bay Mills MI, and Grand Traverse MI) participated in the study from 1993 to present. The study primarily focused on adult epidemiology and parallel laboratory rodent studies, but in the continuation work for the next three years (1995-1998), the focus will switch to children and infants.