ATH 101- Final Project Part B Milestone One

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Southern New Hampshire University *

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101

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Anthropology

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Apr 3, 2024

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docx

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Name ATH 101: Introduction to Anthropology Southern New Hampshire University July 17, 2022 ATH 101: Final Project Part B Milestone One Pure Michigan, as it is often referred to, is surrounded by 4 of the 5 Great Lakes and boasts the nation’s largest freshwater coastline. It’s hard to imagine Michigan’s 9 th largest city in a water crisis, but that would be the tragic situation beginning in 2014. People in Flint began getting sick in June of 2014 with what was thought to be pneumonia but was discovered to be an outbreak of legionnaire’s disease. The illnesses were linked to a fateful decision by state appointed city managers who decided to switch the city’s water supply from the Detroit Department of Water to the Flint River in an effort to save the city money. The water was to be treated in an old nearby water treatment facility. It was later discovered that the water was never tested. There were concerns raised to state officials that were ignored and even attempts to cover up their incompetence and negligence according to state prosecutors. Although county officials contacted the CDC regarding the high rate of legionnaire’s disease, the state refused help offered by the CDC insisting that there was not a problem and refusing to investigate. It was only when high levels of lead were found in children that officials and media started paying attention. Researchers and epidemiologists were finally allowed to investigate over a year after the first known cases turned up, but their efforts were severely restrained by state officials. According to then Flint mayor, Dayne Walling “I never imagined that there would be a failure at every level of government, with something as basic

as the safety of drinking water” (Carah & Childress, 2019). Needlessly and tragically people suffered and died as a result of this crisis. I chose this topic because I am from Michigan. I also chose this topic because I have questions about it. I believe it was completely avoidable, so I’m interested in learning how this could have occurred. I believe an anthropological perspective would have been beneficial in examining this crisis situation in that the situation needed a scientifically human approach. There needed to be objective, anthropological boots on the ground doing ethnographic research, to track the cases of illness, find patterns, trace the timeline, follow the biology, test the water, talk to people, notify necessary officials, and get help. The research skills and knowledge of anthropologists could have saved lives in this scenario.

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