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Arquette, M. (2002). Holistic risk-based environmental decision making: A Native perspective. Environmental Health Perspectives, 110 (2), 259-264. www.ecosensing.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Case-1-Arquette-HolisticRisk-Based-Environmental-Decision-Making.pdf This comprehensive study discusses the benefits of a holistic environmental risk assessment model that is based on Indigenous cultural knowledge when assessing environmental degradation on reserves. With the Akwesasne nation as a case study, this paper examines why current environmental risk-assessment models are inappropriate when applied to Indigenous communities. According to this study, risk assessment methods used by outside investigators remain inadequate. Such methods fail to account for or include a holistic approach to assessing the social, cultural, and spiritual values, beliefs, and practices that link the Akwesasne Mohawks to their environment. Additionally, many community members in Akwesasne believe that concepts of health should include and reflect traditional values, attitudes, beliefs, and practices. As with many Indigenous communities, traditional views of health are integrated making it impossible to consider physical, mental, spiritual, and social well-being in isolation. The study concludes by stating that the integration of traditional attitudes, beliefs, and practices into environmental health definitions, research, and planning is central to achieving healthy individuals, communities, and ecosystems. This approach is consistent with environmental justice. Barre, D. E., Fournie, M., Green, M. E., Hanley, A. J., Harris, S. B., Hayward, M. N., … Zwarenstein, M. (2018). National Survey of Indigenous primary healthcare capacity and delivery models in Canada: the TransFORmation of IndiGEnous PrimAry HEAlthcare delivery (FORGE AHEAD) community profile survey. BMC Health Services Research. Diabetes affects every community, that is not something new. But despite it, this chronic illness is more prominent in Indigenous communities than any other in Canada, 2-5 times higher to be exact. This article focuses on the research team FORGE AHEAD as well Community Profile Surveys (CPS). The research they do is very quantitative in hopes of getting more Indigenous information on this subject out there. They believe that healthcare regarding Indigenous people needs a reform. This includes addressing the root causes of health inequities for Indigenous communities, recognizing Canadas history of colonization, support of self governance, improving patient experience by being culturally sensitive and improving medical transitions. They were inspired by the First Nations Regional Health Survey of 1997 that was created also due to lack of research in the field on Indigenous healthcare. It had 3 phases all the way from 2002-2015. It focused on demographics, community, wellness, early childhood, education, employment/income, nutrition/food security and substance addiction. For the research of FORGE & CPS, the teams collaborated with 6 First Nations communities to create an easy, 8-page long survey to send out to 440 Indigenous communities in Canada. 84 of these communities completed this survey. It was specified in diabetes research and how to improve it. It was a 5-year long program based in the provinces as the territories have different healthcare systems. Research concluded that across the provinces, in Indigenous communities, 83.3% have health centers, 3.6% have a community hospital, 4.8% have no healthcare facility, 40.5% have a diabetes registry, 92.9% have computer access and 94% have internet access. Only 57.1% have on site diabetes services. They did multiple forms of survey testing to get these numbers. This article may only focus on numbers but that is the starting point into showing how steep the problems are. Battle, K. (2007). Child poverty: The evolution and impact of child benefits. In Covell, K., & Howe, R. B. (Eds), A question of commitment: Children’s rights in Canada (pp. 21-44). Wilfrid Laurier University Press. Ken Battle draws on his research as an extensively-published policy analyst, and a close study of some government documents, to explain child benefits in Canada. He outlines some fundamental assumptions supporting the belief that all society members should contribute to the upbringing of children. Drawing on data from Canadas annual Survey of Consumer Finances, the author considers whether each family had one or two parents, the age of single parents, and the number of children in each household. He analyzes child poverty rates in light of these demographic factors. Battles comparison of Canadian child poverty rates to those in other countries provides a useful wake-up to anyone assuming Canadian society is doing a good job of protecting children from want. He attempts to ascertain whether it is currently possible for an individual to live on a minimum wage in America. Taking jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and a Walmart sales employee, the author summarizes and reflects on his work, relationships with fellow workers, and financial struggles in each situation. The author pays particular attention to the National Child Benefit (NCB), arguing that it did not deserve the criticism it received from politicians and journalists. He outlines the NCBs development, costs, and benefits, including its dollar contribution to a typical recipients income. He laments that the Conservative government scaled back the program in favour of the Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), and clearly explains why it is inferior. However, Battle relies too heavily on his own work; he is the sole or primary author of almost half the sources in his bibliography. He could make this work stronger by drawing from the perspectives of others’ analyses. However, Battle does offer a valuable source for this essay, because the chapter provides a concise overview of government-funded assistance currently available to parents. This offers context for analyzing the scope and financial reality of child poverty in Canada. Lamott, A. (1995). Bird by bird: Some instructions on writing and life. Anchor Books. Lamott’s book offers honest advice on the nature of a writing life, complete with its insecurities and failures. Taking a humorous approach to the realities of being a writer, the chapters in Lamott’s book are wry and anecdotal and offer advice on everything from plot development to jealousy, from perfectionism to struggling with one’s own internal critic. In the process, Lamott includes writing exercises designed to be both productive and fun. Lamott offers sane advice for those struggling with the anxieties of writing, but her main project seems to be offering the reader a reality check regarding writing, publishing, and struggling with one’s own imperfect humanity in the process. Rather than a practical handbook to producing and/or publishing, this text is indispensable because of its honest perspective, its down-to-earth humor, and its encouraging approach. Chapters in this text could easily be included in the curriculum for a writing class. Several of the chapters in Part 1 address the writing process and would serve to generate discussion on students’ own drafting and revising processes. Some of the writing exercises would also be appropriate for generating classroom writing exercises. Students should find Lamott’s style both engaging and enjoyable.