Meet the Indigenous fire teams fighting to end the blazes in B.C. and beyond
Share
TORONTO -
Over this past week, Indigenous fire response teams in British Columbia have been critical in stopping flames, protecting property and guiding firefighters through difficult terrain.
But Indigenous crews across the country say governments have let too much of their intergenerational knowledge fall by the wayside.
Following a record-breaking heat wave, more than 200 wildfires have caused untold levels of destruction across British Columbia. Working alongside the BC Wildfire Service in stopping flames are volunteer fire teams made up of dozens of Skeetchestn Indian Band members whose sense of responsibility is “immense.”
“Everybody here is doing their absolute most. But most of us feel we're not doing enough,” said Joanne Hammond, who’s the director of Skeetchestn Natural Resources -- a group which normally looks after archeology, forestry and cultural heritage sites.
But during a crisis like this, they’ve been coordinating all emergency response in the area.
Volunteer Skeetchestn Fire Watchers track the path of fires and direct spots for firefighters to target.
Others have set up physical barriers otherwise called fireguards, which successfully steered the fires away from their reserve and the residences of nearby ranchers.
Using Indigenous expertise to tackle wildfire is THE WAY FORWARD. Props to @BCGovFireInfo crews on the ground for working stride for stride with Skeetchestn on the #SparksLake fire. https://t.co/tEEd077q88
— Joanne Hammond/SKEETCHESTN NR (@KamloopsArchaeo) July 7, 2021
And, early on, Indigenous fire teams evacuated the band’s reserve just northwest of Kamloops, as the Sparks Lake wildfires spread across nearly 400 square kilometers.
“They leave everything in our trust, in our care,” Hammond told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. “They're trusting us to look after the entire community so they’ll have something to come back to.”
The Sparks Lake wildfire is seen from the air on June 28, 2021. (B.C. Wildfire Service)
The Sparks Lake wildfire is seen from the air on June 28, 2021. (B.C. Wildfire Service)
Kukpi7 Chief Darrel Draney told CTVNews.ca around 75 Skeetchestn members, staff, and local non-Indigenous people are “leading an unprecedented fire response,” which also includes ensuring water trucks are filled and protecting critical infrastructure serving the local area.
Members of his reserve are guiding and working with government front-line crews in installing rooftop sprinklers and clearing out potential ignition sources, such as dry vegetation.
“The combination of traditional knowledge and Western practices has been key to fighting this fire and will remain at the heart of our response,” Draney said in a press release.
“We believe this First Nations-led, locally informed fire response based in mutual care and cooperation must be a model for successful emergency management in the future.”
First Nations crews do not get the credit they deserve in fire management in Canada. Look at this hotspot map. They've literally stopped the fire at the #Skeetchestn reserve boundary. pic.twitter.com/qUHZW1zDWt
— Amy Christianson (@ChristiansonAmy) July 5, 2021
INDIGENOUS FIRE TEAMS 'DO NOT GET CREDIT'
Amy Christianson, an Alberta-based Métis fire research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, agreed but felt “First Nations crews do not get the credit they deserve in fire management in Canada.”
Last week, she tweeted that sentence alongside a map of British Columbia, which showed how forest fires hotspots stopped just outside of the Skeetchestn reserve boundary. Christianson said Indigenous fire teams in rural, isolated areas are some of the most overlooked in terms of their impact.
Despite Skeetchestn Indian Band only having 350 people, a fifth of them stayed behind to help stop the fires.
“They really get organized very quickly because they have that kind of underlying knowledge and skills,” Christianson told CTVNews.ca, adding that this intergenerational knowledge is crucial in guiding firefighters to reservoirs and knowing which paths to avoid.
Some of the members of the Skeetchestn Natural Resources crew, some of whose expertise of the land has been critical in preventing the fires from spreading in the region.
“For me, and the communities I work with, there’s a real sense of pride,” she said, and even noted First Nations communities -- unaffected by wildfires -- such as the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nations, have stepped up by hosting wildfire evacuees on their land.
Christianson, who researches communities’ responses to fires, noted there was a similar lack of mainstream acknowledgement of how Indigenous fire crews Whitefish Lake First Nation 459 in Alberta fought to end wildfires there in 2011.
For Indigenous fire teams from across Canada, this lack of recognition is most disheartening on the government level. So some are in the midst of creating new status quos to better highlight their millennia-old knowledge.
'STEWARDS OF THE LAND'
Chad Thomas is the CEO of Yukon First Nations Wildfire -- a rotating group of around 80 Indigenous firefighters who are trained and spend six to four months at a time on the front lines tackling blazes.
“They're drawn to it because it's something that First Nations have been doing on their traditional territories for thousands of years,” Thomas, a member of the Tahltan First Nation in northern B.C. and southern Yukon, told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.
He said many on his crew grew up “being taught how to be stewards of the land” after listening to stories of their grandparents, aunts or uncles who also fought fires.
Part of the reason Thomas started his organization, which hasn’t been asked to help in B.C., was because in rural Northern Canada, he feels prospective Indigenous firefighters can have more of a place to shine and hone their craft.
Member of the Yukon First Nations Wildfire. (Yukon First Nations Wildfire)
He said far too often, Indigenous fire crews like his aren’t listened to or face far too much resistance from government agencies.
For example, for decades, governments failed to listen to Indigenous knowledge keepers when it came to the need for prescribed burnings, which Natural Resources Canada acknowledges reduces the number of wildfires. Although, it’s a part of provincial and territorial policies now, Thomas said the fires are still too intense -- something Indigenous fire experts have been saying for years.
“When we don't control our forest, Mother Nature's going to let you know that it's upset,” Thomas said, explaining how his crew see their work as more of a legacy.
That’s why a huge part of Yukon First Nations Wildfire’s work involves codifying their intergenerational learnings so, “we will retain this knowledge as an organization and pass it on.”
STATUS QUO 'WON'T DO ANYMORE'
Brady Highway is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan who has fought more than 200 fires in his career. He said there’s a huge gap when it comes to governments directly partnering with Indigenous knowledge keepers and firefighters.
“It doesn’t really make sense for our Indigenous fire crews to get overlooked,” Highway told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.
He explained that in his province of Saskatchewan, for example, rules put more value on certain types of formal firefighting experience over others. So what ends up happening is people who are the most knowledgeable of the land are only called in for clean-up or tertiary roles, Highway said.
So to help change this, Highway, a project manager for the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, is helping to grow and train a national network of Indigenous Guardians who can help in decision making for tracking and tackling fires, as well as issues involving land use, forest management or conservation.
“We depend on these landscapes to be healthy so it’s really important that we have a way of helping,” Highway said.
Hammond who’s coordinating Indigenous fire teams in B.C. agreed. She added that the status quo -- where Indigenous fire crews aren’t treated as true collaborators -- “won’t do anymore.”
She called for full-time First Nations liaisons within provincial bodies like BC Wildfire Service, so “that when the emergency happens, they are there.”
“You can’t just call on someone every three years and expect that to work,” Hammond said.
“First Nations communities are the experts at their land and how to look after it. And they need to be involved in a fairly formal and aggressive way in the fire response structure that provincial governments run.”
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
Mauro Quattrochi is facing a decision shared by many in Toronto: commit to a “wallet-bursting life in the city, or a car-bound, almost-as-expensive life outside it?”
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.
A Ukrainian court on Friday ordered the detention of the country's farm minister in the latest high-profile corruption investigation, while Kyiv security officials assessed how they can recover lost battlefield momentum in the war against Russia.
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Egypt sent a high-level delegation to Israel on Friday with the hope of brokering a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza, two officials said. At the same time, it warned that a possible Israeli offensive focused on Gaza's city of Rafah -- on the border with Egypt -- could have catastrophic consequences for regional stability.
A court in Romania’s capital on Friday ruled that a trial can start in the case of influencer Andrew Tate, who is charged with human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
TikTok is in the crosshairs of authorities in the U.S., where a new law threatens a nationwide ban unless its China-based parent ByteDance divests. Here are the places that have partial or total bans on TikTok.
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning new image of the glowing gas ejected from a dying star, which in this case happens to resemble a 'cosmic dumbbell.'
After years of delays and a dizzying array of setbacks during test flights, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is finally set to make its inaugural crewed launch.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
A lawyer representing the estate of Tupac Shakur has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Drake after he used an AI-generated likeness of the late rapper's voice in a diss track.
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Canada's Kadriana and Colton Lott were ousted from the world mixed doubles curling championship after suffering a 6-5 loss to Estonia in a playoff qualification game on Friday.
After dropping Game 2 at home on Tuesday, the Vancouver Canucks are now in Nashville for Games 3 and 4 of their first-round matchup against the Predators. And fans there are gearing up for a unique playoff tradition that gives new meaning to Bridgestone Arena’s nickname: Smashville.
Ford’s electric vehicle unit reported that losses soared in the first quarter to US $1.3 billion, or US$132,000 for each of the 10,000 vehicles it sold in the first three months of the year.
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
Mauro Quattrochi is facing a decision shared by many in Toronto: commit to a “wallet-bursting life in the city, or a car-bound, almost-as-expensive life outside it?”
Former Calgary mayor and current NDP leadership candidate Naheed Nenshi says the Alberta government is operating out of spite with new legislation that would grant it sweeping powers over municipalities, including the right to fire councillors, overturn bylaws and postpone elections.
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
A pair of Montreal designers' work has now been viewed over 41 million times. Taylor Swift dons a Victorian throwback black gown in her latest music video, 'Fortnight', designed by UNTTLD due Simon Belanger and Jose Manuel Saint-Jacques.
A girl and a boy, both 14 years old, made their first appearance today in a Halifax courtroom, where they each face a second-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old high school student.
Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers arrested two Nova Scotia residents at the New Brunswick border after they seized multiple prohibited firearms.
Aimed to provide students with more support for their mental health and well being, the “Mental Health Capacity Building” (MHCB) program provides more counselling staff in schools that hope to identify and intervene mental health issues students may be facing soon than later.
A family of farmers say their operations would be significantly impacted if the Region of Waterloo goes ahead with a land assembly project in the Wilmot Township area.
A private Christian school at the centre of a civil lawsuit and several criminal cases might soon be taken over by an affiliated group, according to a letter obtained by CTV News.
A month after an accidental fire forced more than 100 people out of their apartments at the Empire Complex in Timmins, residents are now dealing with being victims of theft.
A years-long fraud investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police’s anti-rackets branch has resulted in fraud and other charges for the former head of BioNorth Technology Group, Frank Benincasa
An unknown number of people have been taken to hospital following a crash in Oxford County. OPP are on scene of the two-vehicle crash at 37th Line and Road 74 in Zorra.
One person is in custody after police in London responded to a call for a robbery in the area of Highbury Avenue and Hamilton Road. Around 10:45 p.m., police said a man entered a store and once inside, covered his face with a ski mask, showed a knife and demanded money and cigarettes.
A fatal crash in Thames Centre closed down a portion of Highway 401 westbound. Around 2:15 a.m., first responders were called to westbound lanes of the highway between Culloden and Putnam Roads for a two-vehicle crash.
Canada's auto industry is experiencing a renaissance as it transitions from building gas-powered vehicles to ones that run on batteries, but some are raising the alarm over the protection of local jobs.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Major crime detectives in British Columbia are investigating a suspected homicide after a body was found in a remote area southeast Kelowna over the weekend.
The Ontario Provincial Police, in partnership with the Treaty Three Police Service, have charged a suspect with murder following a homicide in a remote northwestern Ontario community.
Newfoundlander Christian Sparkes has shot several films around his home province, but with his new psychological thriller 'The King Tide' he saw an opportunity to wander into one unique town that had eluded him over the years.