When will Canada embrace Indigenous-led wildfire solutions that we know work? – The Hill Times
August 13, 2025
Indigenous Fire Guardians are year-round, community-based experts focused on land stewardship, cultural burning, fire prevention, emergency response, and post-fire recovery.
Smoke from wildfires is once again blanketing much of the country, and scores of communities are in harm’s way. This year is on track to be the second worst Canadian fire season on record.
To help manage this new era of fire, the Government of Canada has made multiple funding announcements related to wildfire in the last year, including $48-million towards the “Build and Mobilize Foundational Wildland Fire Knowledge” program.
This summer’s round of funding announcements follows a familiar pattern. News releases underscore the disproportionate impact of wildfire on Indigenous Peoples—research shows 42 per cent of wildfire evacuations occur in Indigenous communities. And yet little funding goes directly to Indigenous nations or organizations.
