Expanding Environmental Health Literacy—A Focus on Water Quality and Tribal Lands.

Abstract

Environmental health literacy (EHL), an evolving concept, has potential for significant public health impact. However, complex skills are needed to access and use information, to study and document hazards, to link findings to health outcomes, and to understand the complexities of regulations and laws needed to take efficacious action. Because water issues are creating headlines worldwide , we draw from several water-related cases on American Indian Tribal lands to examine some of the complexities associated with building needed skills, obtaining accessible information, and navigating the layers of laws and regulations that enable or inhibit efficacious action. Each case highlights the importance of partnerships, skill building, and collaborative action to redress environmental assaults. For our analysis, we draw from and expand upon Nutbeam's typology of health literacy which includes functional, interactive, and critical stages to derive lessons from each of the EHL cases. Community partnerships engaging in EHL efforts still face many challenges, including enhancing skills for community members as well as professionals, clarifying scientific processes and findings, articulating and respecting cultural practices and needs, and translating policies and laws for community accessibility and collaborative action.

A Call for More Rigor in Science and Health Communication

“…As is noted above, environmental health communication and most science communication can be challenging. For example, in order to access information about clean water, community residents often have to navigate scientific terms, measures presented in unusual format (parts per), complex charts, as well as the sometimes arcane legal vocabulary found in legislative regulations [25]. A rigorous approach to information design, message development, testing, and revision could help mitigate problems for the lay public and make needed information more accessible.…”

Our Relationship to Water and Experience of Water Insecurity among Apsáalooke (Crow Indian) People, Montana

“…Another seemingly insurmountable barrier is the mixed jurisdiction issue [ 39 , 59 ]. The tribe has no control over sources of water contamination from non-tribal agricultural operations, such as fertilizer, pesticides, and manure.…”

Change Rippling through Our Waters and Culture

“…For instance, one of our co‐authors recently earned his Master's degree in environmental science with a geospatial emphasis; another is currently working on her doctorate in soil and water sciences. Most of us collaborate with the local Guardians of the Living Waters program to engage Crow youth in understanding and protecting our waters from a multidisciplinary perspective, including Crow history and traditional values and practices (Milakovich et al 2018; Simonds et al 2019a, 2019b). Some of us work on community economic development with another Tribal grassroots organization, Plenty Doors Community Development Corporation (see references).…”