Boy-Girl Ratio Among the Aamjiwnaang People

The Aamjiwnaang First Nation near Sarnia, Ontario is experiencing an increasingly

skewed ratio of female to male births, according to a July 31 article in the

Globe and Mail. Until recently, the community tracked normally, but in 1994, the ratio suddenly shifted and has been heavily skewed toward females ever since. In 2003, the tribe welcomed 19 new girls, but only 9 boys—a nearly two-to-one ratio. Aamjiwnaang women have also been experiencing elevated rates of miscarriage, and more and more children show signs of developmental problems. Although the cause is uncertain, many suspect the oil refineries and chemical plants that ring the reservation. A number of chemicals, including PCBs and hexachlorobenzene, have been linked to high female births rates; these and other chemicals have been found at elevated levels in a creek running through the community. Sarnia’s so-called “chemical valley” is home to 20% of Canada’s refineries and produces about 40% of its petrochemicals, according to the article.