First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership
Hello! Tân’si Ɂedlanet’e Boozhoo Aaniin
The First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership (FNWEP) was established in 2013 to unite researchers, evacuated First Nations communities, and relevant agencies involved in wildfire evacuation support. The Partnership aims to learn the impacts of recent evacuations on First Nation peoples and communities to provide recommendations to reduce the negative impacts of wildfire evacuations.
The FNWEP is a collaborative work comprised of First Nations communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario, alongside researchers from the University of Alberta and the Canadian Forest Service. The Partnership is supported by several federal and provincial agencies and receives funding from multiple sources.
To learn more about our current research, see Our Work.
If you would like to enter the FNWEP email list for updates and opportunities to engage, submit your email here!
Partnership News
January 2021. The FNWEP has published a guide based on interviews with hundreds of evacuees across seven First Nations. The Guide includes practical advice for evacuation preparedness and is intended for both Indigenous communities and supporting agencies. To order the book, visit UBC Press.
June 2020. Results of former MA in Human Geography student Kyla Mottershead's thesis have been published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. Through interviews with 31 study participants, Ms. Mottershead identified the factors that contributed to the community’s resilience during the evacuation. Authors suggest measures to improve evacuations and emergency management in the community and other First Nations in Canada.
May 2020. A new review article by Dr. Tara McGee summarizes research from seven First Nations. She finds that few First Nations communities had an updated emergency plan, and that wildfire smoke was a significant health concern. While social and financial support helped evacuees, challenges lingered long after the evacuation.
We respectfully acknowledge that we are situated on Treaty 6 territory, traditional lands of First Nations and Métis people.