Background: Indigenous communities in Canada and the US are disproportionately exposed to contaminated sites, often arising from industrial and waste disposal activities. For instance, ~34% of US EPA Superfund sites are of Native American interest, and ~29% of Canadian federal contaminated sites are on Indigenous reserve land. Contaminated sites pose unique challenges to many Indigenous peoples who consider the land as an integral part of food systems, culture, and the economy. Federal management of contaminated sites is challenged by epistemological differences, regulatory barriers, and minimal scientific research. Objectives: This scoping review aimed to identify and map information on contaminated sites and Indigenous peoples in Canada and the US, namely: 1) the relationship between contaminated sites and Indigenous people, and their land and food systems; 2) strategies, challenges, and successes for contaminated sites assessment and management on Indigenous land; and 3) Indigenous leadership and inclusion in contaminated site assessment and management. Methods: Three streams of data were retrieved from January to March 2022: a systematic literature search (key word groups: Indigenous people and contaminated sites); a grey literature search; and an analysis of federal contaminated site data (Canadian Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory and US EPA Superfund Database). Results: Our search yielded 49 peer-reviewed articles, 20 pieces of grey literature, and 8114 federal site records (1236 Superfund, 6878 FCSI), evidencing the contamination of the lands of 815 distinct Indigenous tribes and nations and the presence of 440 different contaminants or contaminant groups. Minimal information is available on the potential health and ecological effects, assessment and management of risks, and collaboration on contaminated site processes relative to the number of sites on or adjacent to Indigenous lands. Discussion: By integrating three diverse data streams we discovered a multi-disciplinary yet disparate body of information. The results point to a need to prioritize holism, efficiency, and Indigenous leadership in contaminated site assessment, management, and research. This should include a focus on community-specific approaches to site assessment and management; a re-conceptualization of risks related to sites that privileges Indigenous epistemologies; greater collaboration between networks such as the scientific community, Indigenous communities, and federal governments; and a re-evaluation of current management frameworks with Indigenous leadership at the forefront.

The authors have declared no competing interest.

We acknowledge funding support to KC from McGill University Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Sustainable Agriculture Fellowship and Graduate Excellence Award) and the PURE CREATE program funded by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). NBs contribution was supported by the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) Program.

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