Alberta Indigenous communities share wildfire stories for new evacuation guide Nathan Martin | Jul 05, 2021

As wildfire season ramps up in Alberta, two researchers have drawn on the evacuation experiences of Indigenous communities to produce a guide designed to help others facing similar situations.

First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies is the culmination of years of research, over 200 interviews of those who were on the ground, and a study of how external agencies communicated with .

“Our aim was to learn about the communities’ wildfire evacuation experiences because at that time no one had really conducted research about this,” said co-author Tara McGee, professor in the department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta.

The other goal was to find ways to improve responses for communities facing wildfires in the future. Indigenous communities in forested areas are often imperilled by wildfires, and often serve as first responders in fighting them.

“Lots of the participants in the communities … it was really hard for them to talk about their experiences but they were willing because they thought it would make it better for other people,” said co-author Amy Cardinal Christianson, a Métis research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service.

The two authors and their team began the research in 2013, collaborating with First Nations communities as well as government and non-government agencies forming the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership.

From Alberta, the book includes the experiences of Dene Tha’ First Nation Taché and the Whitefish Lake First Nation 459. Scholars also sought expertise from , Mishkeegogamang Ojibway Nation and Sandy Lake First Nation in , along with the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Stanley Mission and Onion Lake Cree Nation from .

The book is formatted so that each chapter features a stage of evacuation and then breaks down when, where and how each of the Indigenous communities were evacuated with photos and maps. The chapters end with guiding questions.

Christianson said these were some of the stories they wanted to bring forward, showing that there is firefighting experience in these communities.

“In a lot of the communities, the leaders stayed behind. They were an important source of information and also making people feel comfortable to leave knowing people would be looking after the community,” said McGee.

One of the hardest things they discovered was how jurisdiction can become an issue in an emergency. Depending on factors such as location and type of community, the researchers heard how residents became confused on whether to seek help from the federal government or their provincial government.

The authors hope the book can help other Indigenous communities but also inform government and non-government agencies as to the experience for those on the ground.

You can buy the book at www.ubcpress.ca/[email protected].

Source: Edmonton Journal

URL: https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/alberta-indigenous-communities-share-wildfire-stories-for-new- evacuation-guide