Waste disposal in first-nations communities: the issues and steps toward the future.

The interests of First Nations communities in Canada have traditionally had little voice at the various points of authority that maintain the equilibrium or balance necessary to get environmental protection laws ratified, regulations distributed, and enforcement actions initiated on First Nations lands. (First Nations is the term commonly used in Canada to describe the various societies of indigenous peoples who are accorded status as "Indians" by the Indian Act of 1985 and who are not of Inuit or Métis descent.) Along with a lack of adequate funding to address human and environmental issues-as well as past industrial exploitation of First Nations lands-the safety and acceptability of many solid waste management practices in Canadian First Nations communities have become a serious concern for many members from both human and environmental health perspectives.