Canadian wildfires threaten indigenous communities

The ongoing wildfires in Canada have had a devastating impact on Indigenous communities across the country, displacing thousands of people and threatening their land and culture, AP News reported on July 19.

The worst wildfire season in Canadian history has seen more than 42,000 square miles (110,000 square kilometres) scorched by almost 900 fires, most of them out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. These fires are not uncommon on Indigenous lands, but the scale and intensity of the current season are unprecedented, impacting more people simultaneously, even those who had not experienced wildfires before.

Indigenous communities have been particularly hard hit, with over 42% of wildfire evacuations involving communities that are more than half Indigenous. The East Prairie Métis Settlement in Alberta lost over 85% of its land to a single fast-moving wildfire, resulting in the destruction of 14 houses and 60 other structures. Important cultural activities like hunting, fishing, and gathering native plants have been severely affected, with concerns about the future of traditions in the face of a hotter and drier climate.

Evacuations from wildfires are becoming more frequent for Indigenous communities, with some reserves being evacuated five or more times from 1980 to 2021. The impact of these fires will be felt for generations, as the intense heat is damaging the soil and hindering the regeneration of trees and plants. Indigenous communities are facing additional vulnerabilities due to exclusion from forest management and fire response decision-making and financial limitations that hinder their ability to hire emergency managers.

Indigenous communities are advocating for a return to preventive burning practices that were historically suppressed by the government, as they seek to take a leading role in managing fires in their territories. Climate change is being widely recognized as a significant factor contributing to the increase in wildfires, impacting traditional ways of life and cultural practices. Chief Casey Ratt of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake in Quebec believes that climate change is largely to blame for the intensification of wildfires in their region.

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