By: Hailey Miller, Staff Writer
British Columbia is unceded territory, meaning it’s stolen Indigenous land. Today, Indigenous land isn’t protected to the extent it needs to be, if at all. The government continues to neglect the well-being of Indigenous communities and lands. They overlook the negative impact of wildfires, the lack of clean drinking water, and devastations caused by pipelines, just to name a few. Indigenous peoples have voiced their concerns time and time again regarding the destruction and negligence of their lands, only to be sidelined by federal and provincial governments.
The recent rise in wildfires is disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities, such as the Prophet River First Nation, Doig River First Nation, and Blueberry River First Nations. Devastation has been increasing at rapidly alarming rates. This continually contributes to destruction of Indigenous lands and resources, and also affects our wildlife. Since many Indigenous people rely on the environment for resources — like harvesting plants for food and medicine, in addition to hunting animals — wildfire destruction on these lands negatively impacts resources within the communities.
The government is in charge of implementing laws and regulations on land protection, and they have failed. They have failed to support Indigenous peoples by aiding in land preservation, and safety. Reconciliation efforts have been neglected for far too long, and we see this continue with poor efforts to rebuild communities affected by wildfires, such as Lytton. This needs to change.
Indigenous peoples know how to take care of their own land.To proactively counter the negative impacts of wildfires, Indigenous peoples historically practiced cultural burns “every five to 25 years.” Colonial ruling banned it in 1874. Today, it’s difficult to practice as permits are hard to get. This method of cultural burning involves starting a controlled, low-intensity fire that allows for the release of CO2, developing thicker bark on trees, and promoting carbon storage and nutrient dense soils, among other positive benefits. If permitted by the government, this would safely “rebalance ecosystems” and replenish forests, reducing preventable destruction of Indigenous lands.
Cultural burns have been practiced throughout many Indigenous communities for centuries, and the reimplementation of this technique would help combat many issues surrounding wildfire management. However, Indigenous people have long been excluded from forest management, with few instances of Indigenous-led fire management existing in Canada. The government needs to do more to include Indigenous knowledge and leadership with its land preservation policies.
Clean drinking water is another major issue for many Indigenous communities, which is completely unacceptable. As of 2023, there are 26 First Nations communities across Canada who don’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. This is the result of First Nations communities being forced onto reserves in areas with poor water quality and a lack of infrastructure. The basic human right to water is often overlooked and neglected by the government for many, with some of the highest unsafe levels in communities such as Whispering Pines/Clinton, Skawahlook, and Lytton.
The lack of access to clean water is a health and safety concern, and needs to be immediately addressed. How can Indigenous lands be preserved and protected if members of these communities don’t even have simple access to the basic needs of clean drinking water, and safe shelter — that has otherwise been demolished by wildfires?
Indigenous peoples have been here far longer than most of us who call ourselves “Canadian” — they were always here. Change must occur to ensure proper treatment of Indigenous lands and the peoples in these communities alike. In seven years, only 13 of 94 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action have been completed. A true step in reconciliation involves listening to Indigenous peoples, funding resources, and implementing their knowledge for land protection. This includes self-governance, authority, and proper support from the government to create equitable access.
