Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson is a Métis woman in Treaty Six [Cardinal-Laboucane] and a Fire Research Scientist for the Canadian Forest Service who promotes Indigenous Wildfire Stewardship. As a research scientist, she spends a lot of time working with wildfire specialists, both nationally and internationally. Meanwhile, evacuations are fast becoming another specialty states her Twitter feed heading. One reason for becoming a wildfire research scientist was the moment she witnessed the 1998 Virginia Hills Wildfire. It was one of those “big experiences” that punctuated a person’s life path. Recently, she collaborated on a book with Tara K. McGhee and the First Nation Wildfire Partnership called First Nations Wildfire Evacuations; A guide for communities and external agencies. She also co-hosted a “Good Fire” podcast with a colleague, Matthew Kristoff.
From Bad Fires to Good Fires
As I sit down to write this current entry for the See Change MAKERS interview with Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson, I see another wildfire evacuation order at Hedges Butte near Penticton, BC. The Hedges Butte fire grew from .05 sq. km to 2.5 sq. km in less than 24 hours due to weather conditions. This summer has been another record-breaker for BC with regard to wildfires. This has been BC’s hottest season on record. As well, by September 4th, 2021, when this was written, “a total of 8,648 square kilometers have burned so far this year — 150 percent more than the past decade’s wildfire season average.” states this CBC article. These stats are one of the major reasons that governments are reviewing their approach to Fire Management.
Going Forward by Looking Back
As Christianson establishes in the interview, the whole system is at a loss for how to deal with these out-of-control wildfire situations. They are looking to find new answers. Meanwhile, Indigenous Fire Stewardship has been around for time immemorial. So now, governments are duly recognizing the knowledge held by the very people, who have managed this land for thousands of years. However, there are still some hurdles to overcome when it comes to policies both federally and provincially. In the See Change MAKERS extended interview on Soundcloud, Christianson talks more about some potential considerations.
Knowledge Keepers
Another, recently released, publication called Blazing the Trail; Celebrating Fire Stewardship is a rich educational resource funded by FireSmart Canada. Christianson explains how this booklet culminates a diversity of Indigenous voices from across Canada. It incorporates teachings and resources on cultural burning, how it is seen as medicine for the land, plus stories and artwork. A definite must-have for a variety of educational institutions as well as libraries. In the publications forward, two BC FireKeepers, Joe Gilchrist, and Harry Spahan, state that:
” Indigenous Peoples are the stewards of the land; fire is a cleanser of Mother Earth and cultural burning is a tool of the Fire Keeper. A new call to bring back the balance in the forest and the need to enhance the fire safety of communities is a much-needed breath of fresh air; revive cultural burning practices, bring back burn cycles, and restore the land so all can thrive.” – Harry Spahan & Joe Gilchrist from Blazing the Trail; Celebrating Indigenous Fire Stewardship
Expanding current perspectives
In an addendum webpage where the previous quote was extracted, prescribed burns and cultural burns are explained in detail. Prescribed burns have been an ongoing practice of the Forestry Services of Canada. Alternatively, as seen in the “Shackan, Land of Small Rock’s”, a poignant example of Indigenous Cultural Burning is outlined. Similarly, Christianson describes other general and site-specific examples of indigenous cultural burning in See Change MAKERS video interview below. As suggested in the interview, there are slight differences between cultural burning and the contemporary practice of prescribed burns.
Future Challenges and Solutions
Looking outside of Canada to others for guidance and “real world” examples is what the “Good Fire” podcast is about. Listen to Christianson discuss how Indigenous cultures in Australia are mitigating climate change while introducing “Good Fire” practices. She also talks of her colleague south of the border, Dr. Frank Lake. Also, listen to that SPECIFIC “GOOD FIRE” PODCAST to hear about the USA’s ambitious incorporation of Indigenous Fire Stewardship.
A summary of the topics are: Historical Forest Management practices up to now, Indigenous perspectives related to fire and land stewardship, international and national examples of Indigenous fire stewardship, policy issues and challenges related to fire stewardship, certifications, and evacuations. As well, she reflects on roles that knowledge keepers should have in future governmental interactions. She also discusses educational resources and possibilities for Indigenous students considering a career in Fire, Hazard, and Forest Management.
Listen to See Changemaker’s extended interview with Christianson to hear about all these topics.
IMPORTANT LINKS:
NARWHAL ARTICLE on Indigenous Cultural Burning featuring Amy