Indigenous guardians hold the key to reducing wildfires and their costs – The Globe and Mail

Dr. Amy Cardinal Christianson is a policy adviser with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative. She is a Métis woman from Treaty 8 territory and a research scientist with expertise in Indigenous fire stewardship and Indigenous wildland firefighters.

As fall wildfires burn, Canada is on track to record the second-largest wildfire season in 20 years. From the heartbreak of the Jasper, Alta., fire to the waves of smoke stretching from Kelowna, B.C., to Montreal, this year confirms that wildfire is now a perennial, and costly, national crisis.

No single solution will relieve us of this challenge, but there are tools that will help forests, communities and budgets become more resilient. Some of those tools are hiding in plain sight – they just have to be activated.

Read More: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-indigenous-guardians-hold-the-key-to-reducing-wildfires-and-their/