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‘The Scars of Mercury’ explores the processes that threaten the destruction of a traditional and contemporary Indigenous hunting, fishing and gathering way of life, through residential schools, relocation, treaty violations, and clear-cutting, with a special focus on mercury poisoning.
A paper mill in Dryden, Ontario started discharging inorganic mercury into the English-Wabigoon river system in 1962. Methyl-mercury accumulated in the fish through the food web, a more toxic form of mercury. Fish is the staple and sacred diet of the Ansshinaabek people in that region, particularly walleye. By late 1969, the fish had levels of methyl-mercury 40 times higher than the safety guideline. Methyl-mercury causes serious damage to the central nervous system.
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