Cree Nation evaluating wider impacts of wildfires

Officials in northern Quebec Cree communities are hoping for help from rain in the forecast, and also preparing for continued challenges and the long-term impacts of what's being called an unprecedented wildfire season in the region. 

"We are in a state of climate emergency," said Cree Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty. 

"Every person I've spoken to … every elder … has shared the same thing, 'I've never seen this happen before.'"

Calling Cree land users "refugees of a climate emergency," Gull-Masty also said that Cree leadership is beginning internal discussions and dialogue about ways to support land users who have lost their camps and equipment needed to hunt, fish and trap.

Gull-Masty also hopes to involve provincial and federal leaders. 

"I want to reassure the members that we are looking at this," said Gull-Masty.

'Not just vast open spaces'

She also said there is no specific funding at the moment to help those people who are not insured and there are no provisions in the agreements signed by the Cree Nation Government to deal with losses of this magnitude.

"When there's a forest fire … you're losing access to your culture, you're losing access to wildlife, you're losing access to resources to practice the Cree way of life," said Gull-Masty. 

"I really want the government to understand that these areas are not just vast open spaces."

Gull-Masty said she appreciates the ongoing work of the provincial government, including agencies such as SOPFEU, the provincial fire prevention agency. 

SOPFEU has been organizing firefighting efforts and supporting the inland Cree communities of Mistissini, Oujé-Bougoumou and Waswanipi, where there have been either full or partial evacuations, in some cases more than once.

But she also stressed the importance of considering the wider impacts.

Community support not enough

"It's not enough to give us support in the community. We must address the concerns of those land users and those tallymen," Gull-Masty said. 

A full evacuation order is in effect for Mistissini, while Waswanipi and Oujé-Bougoumou have sent elders and vulnerable people to the south.

Residents of Mistissini, the second-largest of the Cree communities, have been under a mandatory evacuation order since last week. Only about 60 of more than 4,000 residents remain to monitor the community. 

Lee-Roy Blacksmith is the regional fire marshall for the Cree Nation government. He said Monday that the community was still not in any danger, but fires nearby were getting within five kilometres of a main highway and getting very close to the source of the community's power. 

"The fire is still 30 kilometres away from the community. It's still far away, but it's still heading in that direction," said Blacksmith. 

More than 20 millimetres of rain was in the forecast for the area on Tuesday. Blacksmith said officials hope to see that help with a challenging situation on the ground. 

"This is a big project at this moment because we're still surrounded with fires, around the inland communities of Waswanipi, Oujé-Bougoumou and Mistissini. 

"We're still hoping for rain to come in, that Mother Nature will take over."