Change can happen in many ways, whether it is a passion to achieve or a need to leave. In this post, I will explore the latter. Recently, this occurrence erupted in my career. I needed to take a breath; some time for reflection. But how do we change or redirect our lives in another direction? One that is more suitable for us and the time we are living in. I recently sat down with another changemaker to discuss this very topic.
Life changes are a new path we plan. Copyrighted image 2024 By Kathy Harms
Overnight Changes?
Kathy Harms, a photographer and writer, dramatically shifted her career. She went from being an emergency responder or paramedic to teaching others about it. From there, she became a full-time artist and writer. When we were discussing her shift, she pointed out that it was a gradual process. It didn’t just happen overnight. I think this is often the misconception the public gets when they see career shifts or people following their passion projects. We will discuss her process in more detail in the upcoming SEECHANGEMAKER November episode.
Career Shifts
For now, let’s explore some aspects to consider when considering a change. One point that motivated me was my ability to reflect on what aspects of my life resonate with me. I made a list of things and actions that I flourish in. This has helped me enormously. However, it needs to be more, so I read the succinct article “How To Change Career When You’ve No Idea What To Do Next” by Richard Alderson, founder of Careershifters.
In the article, he tells the reader first, “what you need to know”. He outlines simple conversational-based pieces of real-world considerations. For example, he discusses “the fear of change” because of the status a person has achieved up to a certain point in their career. Also, scouring job sites and talking to recruitment consultants may not be the best plan of action. Alderson says, “I wanted to do something radically different” and these avenues approach the job market from a traditional mindset. Since the trajectory is working from a complete overhaul, this method is not set up for career changemakers.
Feeling Lost?
In this “what you need to do” section, I appreciated the concept of surrounding myself with others. Under the heading, he says “Look for people, not for jobs”. People that you will resonate with. People that you can share information with regarding future ideals and goals. This is why we will explore Kathy Harm’s story about her career change. So, stay tuned for the upcoming episode.
Last night my daughter and I had an opportunity to take in the premiere showing of PRISM thanks to Lisa Mennell of The Cultch. It exceeded both our expectations. Walking into the Historic Theatre on time for the show to start at 7:30pm, we found our seats and the lights dimmed. Suddenly, the spotlight opened on a cluster of five performers huddled together in the middle of a mirrored triangle positioned centrally on stage. The stage set, lighting, and clothing designs were simple, yet, highly effective. The five vertical mirrors acted as echoes of the performer’s bodies creating a Picasso effect for the viewers. Various angles of the troupe would be displayed in each choreographed movement. The clothing choices of monochromatic primary and secondary palate colours created a brilliant visual display as the performers weaved their bodies back and forth; in and out together.
The Performance
My daughter commented at one point, “This reminds me of the contact dance, I do every week, mom!”. For what little I know about this new form of dance movement amongst Millennials, I had to agree. We were hypnotized by the exquisitely refined intertwining of movements as the lights shone down on the red, yellow, blue, green, and orange bodies. The one-hour performance, no intermission, ended with a standing ovation. The dancers successfully manipulated the mirrors and their bodies to finalize the show with the audience reflected in the final dance montage. It was brilliant!
Tentacle Tribe PRISM_Photo-by-Do-Phan-Hoi
The Experience
After the show, Samantha and I went back to the Cultch’s lounge. Shortly afterward, the performers and choreographers entered the space for conversation and feedback. Talking with Elon Hogland, (choreographer/dancer) Emmanuelle Le Phan (choreographer), and Valmont Harnois (dancer), I heard about their many years of hip hop, butoh, martial arts, and performance art. All of these have culminated in this current tour. It truly was a Kaleidoscope, for the audiences’ senses as well as the performer’s experiences. Ultimately, the small amount of time and money I spent would resonate with me long after the show ended.
Final Words
Speaking of time, this will be the shows’ second-to-last stop before they travel back home to Quebec. Make sure to capture this brilliant spectacle of performance art at the Cultch Historic Theatre in Vancouver, BC, which features them to October 27th. They will finalize their tour in Kelowna, BC on October 30th at the Mary Irwin Theatre.
In early 2025, See Change Makers will talk to Elon and Emmanuelle of the Tenacle Tribe in detail about PRISM and other endeavors, so stay tuned.
On September 25th, 2024, the sky was grey and periodically threatened rain. My good friend made his way to my rental condo in the 19th arrondissement of Paris. He wanted to be there to say “goodbye.” I was flying back to Canada, somewhat reluctantly. My reluctance was due wholly to the variety of friends I made, mixed with my love for the language and the multitudes of cultures surrounding me daily.
Duringmy previous trip in April, I decided that the next time I came back, I would explore living in Paris instead of just visiting it. So, I booked a one-way ticket for August 25th, 2024. Interestingly, I hadn’t realized that I would be present for the Paralympic Games. What timing!!
An Unlikely Event
The parade and opening ceremony were set to take place a few days after I landed. I decided to make my way down to central Paris for a chance to witness some of the revelry. To my surprise, they were allowing all visitors and citizens free access to the parade along the boulevard from the Champ Elysees to the Place de la Concorde, where the opening ceremony entertainment would take place. Of course, free access would only be available on big screens. Meanwhile paying customers had seats in the stands for direct access.
The day was perfect; sunny and warm, unlike the previous Opening Olympic ceremonies on July 26th, 2024. Drizzle, sprinkles then full-on, nonstop rain drenched those ceremonies. However, this didn’t dampen the celebratory mood of all the participants. I recall watching this ceremony on TV and thinking how exceptionally creative and original it was.
Making a Difference
Many aspects of this Paralympic ceremony struck me as unique much like the previous Olympic Ceremony in July. These ceremonies involved unique choreography and music from various artists.
For instance, one of my favorite performances was L’émouvante by Lucky Love. The dance troupe consisted of diverse physically challenged individuals such as people in wheelchairs, amputees, etc. The main singer, Luc Bruyère stage name “Lucky Love”, a former cabaret singer, dancer, drag artist, and musician, is also an amputee. The performance lasted almost 5 minutes, and it was another exquisite production like the performances witnessed in the previous month.
L’émouvante by Lucky Love Publisher France TV September 2024
For me, the ceremonies truly echoed the atmosphere I fell in love with on my first trip to Paris. One which supports the day-to-day practice of inclusivity, diversity, tolerance, and respect for all. By the end of the evening, I felt warm and fulfilled for having been part of the experience.
Image by Theresa K. Howell
Final Words
The Paris Olympic and Paralympic opening ceremonies showed a world of possibilities in how we can perceive sport, art, culture, diversity, inclusivity, respect, and a love of life. This is why they are in the category of “Changemaker” for us in 2024.
In the next installment, we will feature another artist, Richard Poher. He is a French Jazz musician who uses two diverse and distinct instruments: the piano and the digeridoo. With his upcoming debut album, we will talk about his career and instrumental choices. You will discover why he is a changemaker in his field.
Richard Poher performing Zalem YouTube Published in October 2023
Get ready for France’s upcoming international activities! No, I’m not talking about the Olympics. However, the Paris, France 2024 Olympics is monumental. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the last time they held the Olympics. This event and their proactive stance on climate action could explain the recent national and transnational transportation infrastructure investments.
France National Assembly Building displaying Olympic figures
Eye-Opening Moments
During this year’s Earth Week, I want to discuss revelations from my recent Spring trip to Paris, France. This revelation involvesFrance’s focus on transportation. This was my first trip to France, and I naively brought my North American lens of transportation with me. With this, I booked a car for a planned road trip during my vacation. This experience was eye-opening. I soon learned that the electric car I booked was probably not the best choice. The FIAT 500e can travel 240km before needing to be charged. New to this country, the rental agent recommended the same Fiat 500 in the hybrid model. I complied. Well, this wasn’t the first lesson about driving in France.
My first experience, regarding traffic, was when I took an Uber which was cheap and handy from Malakoff to Paris 3 days after my arrival. I got a quick education on Paris traffic that day from the backseat of the Uber. My driver weaved through various streets at noon to avoid huge traffic backups. I observed his mastery at avoiding cars and motorcycles weaving close beside us to gain their respective spot in traffic.
I asked him how he manages his sanity driving in this chaos as a retired citizen. He responded, “I do meditation, every day.” I said, “I can understand how that would help with this type of traffic.” The traffic is “by no means” synchronized with only lion-hearted individuals taking on this challenge.
Transportation in Paris
I am painting this picture to establish the foundation of why Paris’s public transit system is not only essential but well used. I was already using the Metro from Malakoff, a district outside of Paris Central. However, I never realized how essential the metro is to Paris and the outlying districts until a quarterway through my trip. “It is the second busiest metro system in Europe, also it’s the tenth busiest in the world. It carried 1.498 billion passengers in 2019, roughly 4.1 million passengers a day. This makes it the most used public transport system in Paris.” It also transports at least 63% of Parisians daily in opposition to the 11% using vehicles for their commute.
Metro public transportation station entrance in Paris
Transportation around France
Now, let me get back to my road trip. Fortunately, I booked my car from the airport allowing me to avoid that city traffic I mentioned. Once on the road, I paid various tolls that are on most routes. The tolls can cost upwards of twenty euros. This was even different from my experiences in American where tolls are often a few dollars at most.
I soon realized, that if I decided to take the fastest and most direct route, it would require more time than using the trains running regularly between cities and townships around France. For example, my first stop was to Metz, France on my journey. So, I mapped it using Google. By car, the trip took me 3 hours and 20 minutes. By train, the trip would only have taken me 1 hour and 30 minutes. So, in the end, I could have passively sat and enjoyed a scenic countryside view instead I drove a mundane thoroughfare to my first destination that day.
Roadtrip back from Colmar riding the transportation freeway
It is important to mention that one reason for driving was to give me the freedom to explore the countryside. Another educational moment was driving these freeways, I realized there were very few cars, and most users were semi trucks hauling goods. “The transport (national and international) of goods in France is dominated by road transport, with more than two billion goods transported each year. Road transport of goods is above all practical.” Unlike North America, they use their rail to move people not goods.
Environmental Advantages
I also noticed how clean and lush the environment was around me. This climate and landscape are like my home province of British Columbia, but it seemed fresher somehow. I saw fields upon fields of vegetation from the yellow rapeseed, used in biofuels, and cereal crops plus varieties of deciduous trees. In contrast, BC conifers intertwine themselves with sprinklings of deciduous trees. BC’s conifer stands are seasonally under attack from climate change forces such as hotter seasons, pests, and wildfires.
Lush varieties of vegetation along the drive back to Paris
So, France is sustaining itself even amidst our changing climates. I suspect their approach to community transportation gives them an advantage as well. As observed, few people drive from city to city instead they use commuter trains and public transit in the major centres. Currently, Europe is discouraging short-range air travel with policies and extra fees to incentivize rail travel instead.
Investment in community and cross-country transportis a priority for France and Europe. Currently, there is a multibillion-dollar project for a transnational commuter train from France to Italy. Additionally, there are steep investments into broadening existing routes nationally and Germany. These extensions are bringing more commuter trains, both rapid and slow, across the country plus using subsidized costs to get people to board trains.
From my trip around France which included Paris, Malakoff, Metz, and Colmar, I learned so much about how a small country is doing huge things about moving people around conveniently and cheaply. France is another shining example of how to approach transportation in a cleaner climate-friendly manner.
By Theresa K. Howell
2024 is my first post since the last updates in SPRING 2022 PART I & PART II. This is my monumental moment. 🙂
Ocean Wise’s Youth Programs Image courtesy of Ocean Wise
To acknowledge our time in this virtual space, SeeChangeMakers pulled together various updates on previous interviews of people and organizations from the last 2 years. To acknowledge the importance of EARTH DAY, these interview updates will be spread over the week from the 18th to the 23rd.
Ocean Wise has been a hallmark here on the West Coast of Canada for decades. As SeeChangeMakers 2021 article pointed out, the Vancouver Aquarium was Ocean Wise’s birthplace. Through the pandemic, a variety of changes occurred. Currently, the organization has flowed with the current change by streamlining its rebranding. One of their recent directives is called Waves of Change and it shares a philosophy that “bringing together and empowering youth turns the tide on climate change where many ripples make a wave.”
RECAP
In April 2021, I interviewed Michelle Bienkowski, Facilitator & Program Leader for the Ocean Wise’s Youth to Sea Leadership Program. This was a real eyeopener on how Ocean Wise is creating feasible avenues to engage the public. Taken from last year’s post, I mentioned that “Youth is the central tennet for their key initiatives. This has been one of the reasons for the rapid growth of the Youth to Sea Leadership Program since its inception in 2019.” While many projects have been led by these 15–18-year-olds, no task is too small. Bienkowski said the main criterion for all projects is that they are initiated and led by the youth. Program Leaders are facilitators only. Hearing about the variety of creative projects and ideas establishes how reliable Ocean Wise’s current mandate is.
Impacts of Youth Service
Recently, Lasse Gustavsson, CEO of Ocean Wise, has been getting the word out to high school students directly. He recently addressed the North Vancouver SD44 Climate Action and Sustainability Week from April 11-14, 2022. Gustavsson reminded his audience that there are “1.8 billion children in the world today and they will lead the way” in helping to make our oceans greener and cleaner. The application deadline is fast approaching. The 2022’s intake for the Youth to Sea Leadership Program ends on April 24th.
Video courtesy of Ocean Wise
Placements for Young Adults
Other youth-based directives are the Youth Bridge Programs offered to 18–30-year-olds. The Ocean Bridge Direct Action program offers a 3-month full-time immersive engagement. It offers young students and professionals an opportunity to gather firsthand experience in oceanic and aquatic conservation with marine specialists. This program runs from April-October.
The second program is the Ocean Bridge Classic. The classic program is a similar platform but in an expanded 6-month part-time program. They are currently recruiting from the East Coast region of Canada for a May – October 2022 enrollment.
Each program requires an initial Expression of Interest which can be in any media format that resonates with the applicant. These could be anything from an essay to an art portfolio. The intention is for learners to establish how the program will foster their passion for oceans and freshwaters. Learn more about Ocean Wise’s Youth Programs or other Climate Action initiatives at Ocean.org
To begin with, FAUN Studios, the design company conceptualized in 2018 by Marisa P. Clark was our FALL 2020 interview. Clark is a young business graduate and fashion expert from Calgary, Alberta. She decided to make an impact on the fashion scene by recognizing the need for more sustainable choices. Conscientious manufacturing decisions such as “where and how the fashion line would be made” were part of her initial mandate. FAST FASHION was NOT a model, she wanted to replicate. She explained in our interview that manufacturing in her mother’s home country of Vietnam was important. Also, maintaining a classic fashion line was integral for long-lasting globally conscious fashion. Here is a link to the original webpage and interview which took place shortly after Vancouver Fashion Week in October 2020.
FASHION in 2022
Recently, Faun Studios brought their current Fall/Winter 2022/2023 line to Vancouver Fashion week this April 7-10th, 2022. Vancouver Fashion Week is the second largest fashion week in North America. Faun’s Fall/Winter Collection featured beautifully abstracted pastel landscapes on full legged knit pants and tops. Also, another new feature this year was her introduction of eco-dyed wool and recycled deadstock material used in the recent designs. With these cute little knit vests and skirts, this year’s line up really shows how Clark is expanding on her sustainable creations. The last post I read on her Instagram and Facebook pages, stated she is off to Europe. I’m sure this is part of the international expansion of the FAUN Studios fashion line. CHECK OUT her latest creations here:
YouTube Video thanks to Marisa P. Clark
Make sure to stay tuned to many more beautiful artful and climate-conscious designs from FAUN STUDIOS.
Alanna Mitchell explains the numbers in her one-woman show, Sea Sick. Photo by Alejandro Santiago
Last Wednesday evening, I made my way to The Cultch’s Historic Theatre to witness Alanna Mitchell’s “Sea Sick”, a production of Theatre Centre (Toronto). The show runs from February 9th-19th as part of the Femme Festival. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect outside of realizing the play was based on Mitchell’s bestselling book, “Sea Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis” (2009).
The Formative Years
Descending from Norwegian seafarers, I’ve always felt my blood was a mixture of both saltwater and plasma. Thus, anything referencing the ocean had my attention. As the house lights slowly faded into stage lights with a 10-minute introduction, Alanna brought us into her life of wonderment and curiosity. Everyone soon learned she was the daughter of a University of Regina professor, George Mitchell. Therefore, Alanna Mitchell was both genetically predisposed and nurtured to chase scientific truths.
Her honest and vulnerable narrative led the audience around the globe on a truth-seeking adventure. These trips were initially derived to revisit Darwin’s life path. Charles Darwin was the highlight of many dinner conversations during Mitchell’s formative years. We also learned that through her investigative journalistic travels, she started to uncover some hard truths about our planet’s existence.
The Journey Begins
A 10-minute excerpt from Alanna Mitchell’s one-woman show, Sea Sick, performed at The Theatre Centre in Toronto, Canada in October 2014.
For Mitchell, this became the inception of the book. As she tagged alongside notable marine scientists such as Sylvia Earle, Nancy Knowlton, Stu Ludsin, Joanie Kleypas, Carol Turley, Tim Flannery, and Amy Wright, Mitchell recounts the path that brought her to this date and time.
Like any truth seeker, the more information that was unearthed the harder it was to turn away. The scientific facts were so surreal that at one point, Mitchell struggled. This was when the play brings us to Mitchell’s existential crossroads.
Where to Now?
In a last heroic gasp, as she struggles with so much newfound information, an email arrives. Amy Wright invites Mitchell to join her deep-sea exploration which originally eluded the journalist. Wright’s communication became a wake-up call.
Going into some of the deepest depths of the ocean, a kilometre deep in a submersible, was a first for any journalist. How could she decline? Suddenly, some lightness at the end of a dark tale. It was the comedic interlude that brought everyone back. Mitchell brings us into this twinned bathtub capsule as she submerges into the ocean with three other scientists.
Reconciling the Truth
Meanwhile, in the 3-hour journey downwards, she reconciles her dilemma and draws the conclusion, that “hope is quintessentially human”. In the end, she points out that there are two things we can do to tackle this existential threat to our existence. Number one is to “forgive yourself” since, individually, we can do little to change the status quo. Mitchell recognized that forgiveness is the first step towards inner healing which is necessary for change. As this act can truly reshape our existence on this earth.
Early in the 2021 spring/summer season, my daughter started talking about “Fairy Creek”. My daughter, a new-age naturalist and movement therapist, often has a unique diaspora in relation to her field. I thought it was one of those instances. Then, I started getting posts from other Vancouver Island friends and acquaintances.
To my surprise, the area they were discussing is part of an old-growth forest reserve on Unceded Indigenous land. A portion of the area had been licensed out to a predominant logging company named Teal Jones. Over the last year and a bit, there have been serious land defender interventions due to the possible felling of 1000-year-old trees by the company. What really started to bring this conflict to light was the use of aggressive American-style police tactics by RCMP on protesters. The repeated use of pepper spray, physical as well as verbal intimidation, and the banning of media literally brought the issue to the forefront of the news. Suddenly, the world was listening.
I told my daughter; I needed to be there to witness what was happening firsthand. As an educator and journalist, it would be my act of solidarity for the Indigenous people, land defenders, and the trees. My schedule finally opened. The first October weekend after The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I had arranged with a friend, weeks back, to come across and we would go up there together. He had connections with the Rainforest Flying Squad.
As an Onlooker
As the weekend drew closer, news hit that the courts struck down any further protest injunctions put forward by Teal Jones. This happened on September 26th, the day the previous injunction would expire. Mass jubilation hit the social media feeds. Following the announcement, a celebration and honouring ceremony was planned for Saturday, October 2nd at 12:00 pm. The same weekend, I was heading across. I was so excited to be able to witness so much in one visit.
During that week’s lead-up to the trip, I read and updated myself with all the Rainforest Flying Squad news. One post mentioned a forest installation in honour of the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women (MMIW). I knew I needed to see and document this during my trip.
MMIW Environmental Installation at Red Dress Camp MMIW Environmental Installation Detail
Leaving on a 6:30 am ferry on Saturday, we had enough time to get to Port Renfrew area with time to spare. We made a quick stop at a viewing area right before hitting “the Port” township. Here we saw a small sample of one old-growth forest before arriving at our destination. While we were taking in the majesty of one of the trees, a young woman dressed in a brilliantly coloured outfit which included a crinoline Tutu crossed our path. She said “they were part of a support crew for the land defenders. We don’t do the tough work that they do. Instead, we go and support them in any way we can.” They were riding in a large blue bus called the Action Bus. Her demeanor was light and airy, reminiscent of her fairylike costume. Such warmth on an otherwise cool and damp day was a welcome feeling. We wished her and her crew well and motored on.
The Blue Action Bus that a Support Crew arrived in
On the Outside Looking In
Finally, we arrived at the entrance area of the protest site. Many people were milling around while a small number were busy filling a trench that was dug by Teal Jones excavators a couple of days earlier. The logging company decided to make it more difficult for vehicles to make their way up to the land defenders’ main camp which was 7 km up the road. However, today became an exception and vehicles were being allowed through the company’s main barrier gate. The primary reason for the RCMP’s latitude that day was based, in part, on who was visiting the site. A variety of Indigenous leaders would be arriving to pay respects to the Pacheedaht, Chief Bill Jones, and the indigenous and non-indigenous land defenders. They have been sacrificing their livelihoods and comfortable lives to defend the land and forests for well over a year.
Paying respect to Quatsino First Nation Hereditary Chief Sonny Wallas
The preceding ceremony held all aspects of Indigenous ceremonial traditions such as offerings to the chief, beautiful regalia, dances, and inspirational words from many leaders. After the ceremony, there was sharing of food and tea. Much of what I have witnessed during other first nation ceremonies such as potlatches. It was a truly magical day.
One More Lesson to Learn
In the end, I realized that this is one more area where non-indigenous people could take some lessons from Indigenous peoples. One lesson would be “how to look towards relationship building”. Many of the speeches discussed honouring nature as a relation like an aunt, uncle, or in most cases a mother. Showing respect towards these relations is tantamount in Indigenous culture. Protecting and respecting, not using and abusing, is the main mantra. For us all to witness a livable future, companies, governments, and other non-indigenous settlers need to recognize every living thing deserves and has the right to be respected; plants, animals, as well as humans, full stop.
Thank you to Paul Chiyokten Wagner of the W̱SÁNEĆ people within the Coast Salish Territory
Theresa K. Howell
Myself at Avatar Grove
Much gratitude and respect to the Pacheedaht and Didadaht people for allowing me onto their territory to witness this special event.
In this current series, I have moved away from WATER and decided to look at FIRE. In The New Normal PART I, I discussed personal reasons for this redirection. It is important that this website stays relevant to current viewpoints and situations. In part 2, we explore possible options and introduce a couple of Changemakers creating sustainable environments as it relates to FIRE management.
Perspectives on Fire and Land Management
Diversity and inclusivity are tantamount in dealing with most economies in Western culture nowadays. However, these concepts have been an ongoing philosophy of indigenous peoples for time immemorial. Before colonization, trade and land management involved these fundamental aspects to create harmonious exchanges interweaved with environmental stewardship. This was not of primary concern to the colonizing cultures. Trade would be based on extraction only without reference to environmental management.
Certain settlers (alias Colonizers) started recognizing the errors of this ethnocentric mindset back in the late 20th Century when social scientists started to enter new territories with humility. Instead of imposing their will and ideas on the local population, they learned to ask for guidance and instruction. There was recognition and respect of indigenous knowledge for the environment and its management.
However, business and politics would take time to grapple with this humility. These are not natural pillars of practice for either of these branches in western settler culture. Fortunately, in recent years, circumstances have forced an immediate reassessment of these ideologies due to the global pressure from climate change. Living in harmony with the environment is a necessity for survival.
Listening to the CBC August 5th podcast of “What on Earth”, Laura Lynch was interviewing and discussing concepts of regenerative farming practices. These methods help remedy the extreme heat and warming temperatures known to affect crop production seen in current traditional farm practices. Regenerative practices and strategies look at site-specific ecosystems through time to determine how the interaction of all factors interplay to maintain and sustain thriving environments. As stated in “Thriving Beyond Sustainability”, proponents of these practices understand that a local environment requires an interconnected web of relationships such as the ecological, social and economic.
Regenerative practices have been at the center of indigenous teachings from the beginning of time. This interplay of relationships is part of the cultural knowledge and teachings handed down generation after generation. That is why it is imperative that indigenous knowledge keepers be part of the conversations and policy construction involved in land and fire stewardship.
It was a routine indigenous practice to do mindfully navigated burns in spring to stave off runaway wildfires during the summer months. At the same time, these prescribed spring burns regenerated soil fertility and early growth. However, after colonization, a European lens of centralized land management which outlawed localized indigenous practices was imposed. Fire suppression was about increasing timber values for global trade.
From that moment onwards, it brings us to our current situation of runaway wildfires, drought, and nutrient-depleted soils. Currently, governmental fire management agencies are seeking out indigenous fire knowledge keepers to help curtail and reduce wildfires. Yet, the belief that fire is the enemy is still prevalent amongst settler mentality.
APTN News – Amy Cardinal Christianson is a fire research scientist with Canadian Forest Service who specializes in Indigenous wildfire stewardship. (April 2021)
Amy Cardinal Christianson has become a prominent figure for Canada’s Fire Management systems. She is a Métis woman from Treaty 8 territory, currently living in Treaty 6. As well, she is a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada. Christianson also co-hosts the “Good Fire” podcast, which looks at Indigenous fire use around the world.
In one of the “Good Fire” podcasts, “Fire Ecology and Indigenous Knowledge” from October 28, 2019, Christianson and Matthew Kristoff, interviewed Dr. Frank Lake from the US Forest Service. Dr. Lake speaks to the idea of regenerative practices that relate to fire management. He discusses how the use of fire stewardship becomes imperative for biodiversity and fire management. Another important point discussed was the formation of respectful partnerships between indigenous and settler communities. In this partnership, settler communities learn how fire can been seen as cultural medicine as well as recognize the intersection of it between people and place.
In the podcast, Lake discusses how smoke works as a fumigation technique and a cooling effect for salmon streams. He further elaborates on how certain US states are now utilizing prescribed burns for regenerating soil nutrients and the growth of food resources. Also, relearning that fire is not an evil but a necessity for our environments. These ideas become a matter of reframing perspectives to see the fire through a stewardship practice versus a negation perspective. Once Canada recognizes and respects the vast resources in their indigenous knowledge keepers, then it will see changes for the better.
To learn more about this and other ideas on indigenous fire management go to:
And because a community is, by definition, placed, its success cannot be divided from the success of its place…its soils, forests, grasslands, plants and animals, water, light, and air. The two economies, the natural and the human support each other; each is the other’s hope of a durable and livable life[1].
-Wendell Berry
Give me the facts
My aunt and I were on a morning walk during a July vacation I had started. As we meandered our way up to Old Mission Road in Oyama, BC, we talked about the current weather anomalies hitting BC this summer. My aunt has lived in the Okanagan Valley for over 50 years. Summer after summer, I would see her tidying up the deadfall around her lot. She has always been conscious of how the hot dry summers inevitably stoke wildfires in the valley’s arid environment. However, what hasn’t happened before, from her perspective, was the early onset of the extreme heat and ongoing drought conditions.
During the end of June and beginning of July, BC was under an extreme heat dome with temperatures in the 40’s. This was unprecedented. Even though one of the warmest places in Canada is Osoyoos, BC, they still had never seen temperatures past 33 degrees in June. On the news, the number of wildfires has outranked last year by 5 times what was seen previously. By mid-July, they had recorded over 1000 wildfires compared to a previous statistic in 2020 for that same time was just over 200. Up to now, 2018 was BC’s difficult fire season, we are not at the end of this one but it will be sure to break some records somewhere. Outside of the obvious heat dome and climate change discussion what other outlying factors are involved in this year’s intense wildfire season?
The Ongoing Challenges
As the conversation evolved and our movement propelled us into what environmental factors have led to this relentlessly dry environment, Auntie June told me about the pine beetle ravaged trees and the lack of rain. We talked about why the provincial government tried to harvest these diseased trees with little immediate value for time and money spent. She then told me how much time she spends cleaning and clearing her own 8-acre hillside lot of the potential fire hazards. These vary from dry brush, fallen pine needles to discarded aerosol cans left by vagrant youth. She points out that “Those aerosol cans can explode.” Then, she bends down to pick up a cigarette butt off the ground saying, “who the heck is smoking out here!?” I hear the frustration in her voice. Year after year, tourists flock to the Okanagan area in hopes of a beach escape. However, many are oblivious of the delicate balance this environment is teetering on in the summer.
Taking Time to Understand
I, myself, remember when I was younger thinking how old-fashioned and prudish my elders sounded for poo-pooing people for these behaviors. Now, as I hear of people losing their homes, sometimes their whole communities, such as Lytton, BC, and in the recent past, Fort McMurray, AB; these cautionary statements paint a whole new image for me. My aunt walks out amongst this environment as a grand elder wondering when we all will learn to respect and protect what we have before it, too, is gone.
Working on Solutions
After coming back from this small trip eastwards, I started to reflect on how, I, as a glocally minded individual, can help reshape this thinking about the changing environments, temperatures, and times. Glocally as an adjective means to think locally as well as globally. While reading various statistical data websites, I came across a BC Government funding initiative that was started back in 2018. I’m guessing it was in reaction to, or in anticipation of the intense wildfire season that year. The initiative is called the FireSmart Program. The highlights of the funding and support portion of this program are:
100% funding of up to $150,000 across a suite of FireSmart activities.
Regional, multi-jurisdictional applications are encouraged
Incentives have been added to undertake FireSmart activities on private land.
Funding opportunities are available for fuel management projects on First Nation reserves.
Wandering around the website, I was especially impressed by the free educational materials created for anyone to utilize to initiate community projects or utilize in classrooms before schools are let out for the summer. Like the beach clean up’s, practiced here on the West Coast, I envision forest and community fire starter clean-ups. As the adage goes knowledge is power. In the end, all people need to be aware of what we can do prevention-wise, to live more sustainably in this other new normal.
By Theresa K. Howell
FireSmart BC Educational Materials- https://firesmartbc.ca/ember/
[1] Excerpt from: Chapter 2 “Going Glocal” – Thriving Beyond Sustainability; Pathways to a Resilient Society by Andres R. Edwards (2010)
