Wildfires threaten Indigenous First Nations lands
Wildfires threaten Indigenous First Nations lands
This month, wildfires continue to devastate Indigenous First Nations lands in the western part of so-called Canada. At least 91 fires have broken out, 25 of which authorities have admitted are out of control as of May 20. Over 964,000 acres of land have burned thus far. Smoke from the fires
Sparked by worsening climate-change conditions, such as drought and extreme heat, wildfires have proliferated around the globe, threatening Indigenous nations, which preserve over 80% of the planet’s biodiversity. A 2021 Canada Journal of Forest Research study found that on-reserve First Nation citizens are at disproportionate risk of wildfires compared to Canada’s settler population. (tinyurl.com/mua6x662)
Despite this, the settler-colonial regimes of Canada and the U.S. — as well as those of Australia, Israel and New Zealand — are worsening the climate crisis by imposing pipelines, fracking and strip-mining projects that devastate Indigenous lands and poison water supplies.