Circle of fire, circle of care: Supporting Indigenous wildland firefighter wellbeing

What we learned

Objectives 

In this online discussion, panelists Elder Paul Courtoreille (Gift Lake Development Corporation), Dr. Natasha Caverley (Turtle Island Consulting Services Inc.), Kieran Davis (Grand Council Treaty #3), Jonas Joe (British Columbia Wildfire Service), and facilitator Kara Vincent (CIPSRT) examined the unique challenges and stressors experienced by Indigenous wildland firefighters, along with the sources of resilience they bring to this work.  

An acknowledgement 

The session began with an acknowledgment of the widespread impacts of wildland fires on Indigenous communities in Canada, and a quote from Blazing the Trail, Celebrating Indigenous Fire Stewardship, an initiative from FireSmart Canada highlighting the contributions of Indigenous communities to wildfire prevention in Canada: ‘Indigenous Peoples in Canada are disproportionately affected by wildfires as their communities are often located in areas that are prone to forest fires or grass fires. First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples comprise approximately 5% of the population of Canada, but 33% of wildfire evacuation events occurred in Indigenous communities. 83% of smoke evacuees in Canada were from Indigenous communities.’  

Key takeaways 

• Fire plays an integral role in many Indigenous cultures and practices, and Indigenous cultures hold extensive intergenerational knowledge and expertise in landscape-burning practices intended to promote forest health 

• Colonial forest management policies and practices saw an emphasis on fire suppression, forced/coerced firefighting within Indigenous communities, and a prohibition of cultural burning practices 

• Indigenous wildland firefighters report frustrations over lack of career opportunities, incidents of racism, and disregard for Indigenous ecological knowledge and practices; they report concerns around ‘close calls’ and the potential for injury, as well as the long-term impacts of wildland firefighting on their mental and physical health 

• Aspects of wildland firefighting that make it a career of choice for many Indigenous individuals include the opportunity to assist one’s community, the opportunity to be close to and protect the land, and the opportunity to work alongside family and friends and form deep connections with peers   

• ‘Cultural safety’ is a crucial component of occupational health and safety, and allows individuals to trust that they can express their cultural identity within the work environment 

Key themes of this discussion 

Indigenous-led knowledge and practices around fire 
Panelists discussed the many ways fire is interwoven into Indigenous cultures. Fire has traditionally been used for many different purposes, including cooking, heating, smudging and other ceremonies, and in land and forest management. Within many Indigenous worldviews, fire is not to be feared – ‘it is a part of humanity and humanity a part of it,’ noted Elder Courtoreille, a Fire Knowledge Keeper and 47 year wildland firefighter.  

‘Good fire’ is a term some Indigenous cultures use to describe traditional burning practices characterized by the intentional, seasonal, and low intensity burning of overgrowth that is inhibiting forest health. Rooted in intergenerational and experiential knowledge, these cultural burning practices were an effective means of controlling wildfires and ensuring the health of forests and surrounding areas prior to colonial settlement. 

As Jonas Joe, a Wildfire Technician and 20 year wildland firefighter noted, Indigenous fire crews still seek out the advice of Elders with place-based historical knowledge to find out what traditional burns have been done in the past and why, and to help determine where controlled burns can be beneficial. 

The impacts of colonization on land management and cultural burning
Natasha Caverley has done research into the history of Indigenous wildland firefighting in Canada. She explained that early 1900s colonialist forest management policies legally required Indigenous peoples to engage in fighting fires near their homes, under threat of fines or jail. In the 1970s and 1980s, wildland firefighting became a preferred career path for many Indigenous people. Many Indigenous fire workers enjoyed the seasonal nature of the work, and the opportunity to engage in work directly benefiting their land and communities. A shift began to occur in the 1990s, she noted, with recruiting taking on a more ‘paramilitary’ emphasis, evoking excitement and adrenaline-seeking, and de-emphasizing the values attracting Indigenous men and women to fire work, such as relationships between peoples and the land.  

Most of this 20th century Canadian wildfire policy prioritized fire suppression, Natasha explained, preventing Indigenous communities from practicing cultural burning and suppressing fires that should have been clearing the landscape. A key strategy behind suppression was protecting timber resources, noted Elder Courtoreille. Kieran Davis, a former wildland firefighter and currently Social Emergency Coordinator for Grand Treaty #3, contrasted colonial resource extraction with traditional Indigenous worldviews: ‘We take what we need and that’s it. We don’t take what we want off the land…we only take what we need.’ 

Kieran noted that many of the insights and tools used in wildland firefighting, such as prescribed burning, and knowledge of fire behaviour, originated within Indigenous cultures. Said Elder Courtoreille: ‘It’s been said in this province [Alberta] that wildfire services wouldn’t be where it is without indigenous involvement in the wildfire space.’ 

Despite their many years of practical experience and extensive knowledge, Indigenous wildland firefighters and the expertise they brought to wildfire work were largely marginalized during this time. 

The perspectives of Indigenous wildland firefighters  
Natasha has conducted a first-of-its kind multidisciplinary study about the lived experiences, needs, and priorities of Indigenous wildland firefighters called Giving Voice to Cultural Safety of Indigenous Wildland Firefighters in Canada. She and her colleagues conducted various interviews, surveys and virtual circles with Indigenous wildland firefighters. Many participants cited ongoing frustration with a lack of career advancement opportunities, experiences of racism, and discriminatory attitudes toward Indigenous cultures and ecological knowledge. Many cited concerns around the long-term impacts of wildfire work on physical and mental health, the toll of ‘close calls’ and the potential for injury on the job. Other factors continue to make wildfire work an occupation of choice for many. What participants say keeps them in the occupation includes: the opportunity to help their communities and their people in their time of need; the opportunity to be close to the land and act in a guardianship or stewardship role; and the opportunity to work alongside friends and family members. 

Drawing on his own experiences in wildland firefighting, Kieran explained the difficulties of long weeks and months spent in the field. ‘…Spending the whole summer having, maybe not even a week home in total, it weighed down on me because I missed so much from home,’ he said. His family likewise worried for his safety. Elder Courtoreille cited what he called the ‘human impact,’ the devastation of seeing fires impacting vulnerable communities or even one’s own community and family. As Kieran noted, ‘working with vulnerable populations, people who don’t want to leave their homes also takes a toll’. 

As a two spirit person, and a transgender man, Kieran faced additional hostilities in the field. ‘In the blue collar world, sometimes being trans and openly trans or two spirit can really put your safety at risk,’ he said. ‘…And so I think that’s one of the main reasons why I no longer am a wildland firefighter is because I just I faced so much, I guess, bullying or harassment.’ 

Mental health, wellbeing, and resiliency in wildland firefighting 
Natasha emphasized the crucial importance of ‘cultural safety’ for the mental health and wellbeing of Indigenous wildland firefighters. Culturally safe work environments are inclusive spaces where individuals can be true to their identity and feel respected for who they are. In the context of Indigenous wildland firefighting work, she explained, ‘it really boiled down to: honoring indigenous ecological knowledge, cultural practices and customs, and co-creating an inclusive, respectful work environment where you can feel comfortable, be who you are and not have to worry that there’s some kind of reprisal.’ She cited the crucial role of the leadership (e.g., supervisors) in ensuring this type of environment, and ‘fostering a culture of mutual respect and trust.’ In the ‘high stakes’ environment of wildland firefighting, where safety is on the line, trust in one’s crewmates is essential, noted Natasha. ‘If people are, you know, diminishing you, making you feel lesser than how do you fully trust one another in terms of actually carrying out all of those technical skills as well?’ 

Several panelists emphasized the importance of their peers in wildland firefighting for maintaining their mental health and wellbeing. Colleagues ‘become like family’ in wildfire work. Said Elder Courtoreille, ‘Anything that they go through, they share it with you and you go through it with them as well.’ The importance of mentors, good leadership, and peer support was echoed by Jonas as he emphasized ‘having trust in one’s colleagues and in the systems in place to keep workers safe.’ Kieran explained the importance of Indigenous cultural practices for helping him maintain his wellbeing – such as connecting with nature, going to ceremony, the sweat, and seeking out medicines like smoke and smudging. 

Elder Courtoreille, Jonas, and Kieran all noted that there was something unique about wildfire work that kept them tied to the profession. Said Jonas, ‘I could have gone and done something else. But there’s just something about this job that, that I love. And the fire keeps you coming back. And it is a very important piece to my life because it teaches me so much about who I am and what I can learn in real life.’