BC/Federal Gov'ts contribute to disaster resilience for Tŝilhqot’in peoples

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

A series of investments by the governments of British Columbia and Canada will help the Tŝilhqot’in National Government strengthen climate resilience and emergency management for its people and communities.

The Province is providing $5 million to the Tŝilhqot’in National Government for an extensive feasibility study to determine the suite of emergency infrastructure required in the territory, which is located in the Chilcotin region of west-central British Columbia. Infrastructure, such as an emergency centre and evacuation and training centres, will be considered.

“The Tŝilhqot’in peoples were severely impacted by the Cariboo-Chilcotin wildfires of summer 2017,” said the Hon. Bowinn Ma, B.C.’s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness. “This funding and partnership is in keeping with our government’s commitment to advance reconciliation and improve emergency management for Indigenous Peoples and is another step in solidifying our long-term and growing partnership with the Tŝilhqot’in National Government.”

Last year, the Province, the federal government and the Tŝilhqot’in National Government renewed the Collaborative Emergency Management Agreement (CEMA), which was established in 2018. The Province is providing $1 million to the Tŝilhqot’in National Government for governance and operations to support the next four years of CEMA.

CEMA commits the three governments to collaboratively develop and implement strategies to enhance the role and capacity of Tŝilhqot’in peoples in emergency management, including a review of infrastructure, operational requirements and other capacity needs.

The development of a proposal for an Indigenous-led regional emergency centre, a training facility and evacuation centres were part of the original CEMA agreement, which was renewed for a five-year term and financed by contributions from B.C.’s Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, B.C.’s Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, and Indigenous Services Canada.

The BC Wildfire Service is engaged in ongoing agreements with the Tŝilhqot’in National Government related to facility and operational co-operation.

Through Indigenous Services Canada, the federal government has committed approximately $2 million for CEMA, including support for co-ordination and planning of the emergency centre, community fire-safety assessments and fire-services equipment.

Additionally, Natural Resources Canada is investing more than $1 million toward the Tŝilhqot’in National Government Emergency Management – Wildfire Capacity Building project, which will recruit and train 20 community members to build capacity and help establish crews in each of its six communities. This project is part of the Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program Training Fund to train 1,000 additional firefighters and incorporate Indigenous traditional knowledge in fire management.

These funding initiatives are a response to the 2019 Tŝilhqot’in-led report: Nagwediẑk’an gwaneŝ gangu ch’inidẑed ganexwilagh (The Fires Awakened Us) Calls to Action.

“The history of wildfire management in the province has shown us that First Nations are often at the front lines and need to be empowered to manage emergencies on their land. We know what is best for our people,” said Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Joe Alphonse of the Tŝilhqot’in National Government. “We have seen wildfires, flooding and a pandemic that have put our relationships with B.C. and Canada to the test. Groundbreaking agreements like CEMA are needed to ensure First Nations have an active and leading role in emergencies. We have to change the way we approach wildfire and how we fight it. The climate crisis is taking all hands on deck. We are proud to say that we are making progress in the infrastructure needed to be resilient during this crisis.”

These investments also advance reconciliation under the Gwets’en Nilt’i Pathway Agreement of 2019, which brought the Tŝilhqot’in National Government, the Province and the federal government together to continue their work toward supporting the self-determination of the Tŝilhqot’in peoples. The Gwets’en Nilt’i Pathway Agreement is the first tripartite reconciliation agreement of its kind in B.C.

The work done with the Tŝilhqot’in National Government and Tŝilhqot’in communities is intended to inform work with other Indigenous governments and communities, and the broader commitment to improve overall emergency management in B.C. and throughout the country.