Presenting on SXFN Wildfire Research - Wildland Fire Canada Conference

Hello everyone! Georgina here. For those who don't know me, I am a former SXFN Stewardship Department employee! I went back to school at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2021 and partnered with SXFN to complete wildfire research in your Territory. Before starting research, the UBC and SXFN signed a legal agreement that upholds that SXFN owns all of the data and results from this research. Throughout the project, I worked very closely with the Stewardship Department and SXFN Leadership to ensure that the research was answering questions that were important for SXFN, and that I was discussing the results in a way that centred community perspectives and priorities. Additionally, myself and my UBC colleagues got free, prior, and informed consent before all research activities as per the legal agreement.

So, what were our research questions? We wanted to know how much flammable vegetation was in the Douglas-fir forests directly surrounding Canoe Creek 1 & 2 and Dog Creek 1 & 2. We also wanted to know what the predicted wildfire behaviour was in those forests during various weather conditions, and how reducing flammable vegetation in different ways might reduce that wildfire behaviour. The bigger picture goal was to identify how SXFN communities can live better with wildfire in the future, and to reduce barriers for SXFN forest stewardship within unceded SXFN Traditional Territory.

This past week in Fredericton, Ashley and I got to present on our research results to a large and diverse audience. It was really cool to have Ashley, Tavi, Hunter, and I all in the same place to discuss wildfire risk in Stswecem'c Xget'tem Territory. We got some great questions and feedback from the audience, and I think the presentation led to interesting conversations between the SXFN crew and folks from all over the world. This was not the first time that Ashley and I have partnered up to present on this research (we did so at the FireSmart BC conference in Prince George in April 2024). Similar to that conference, Ashley's part of the presentation was the most impactful for the audience. She shared about your communities and the unique advantages and challenges that SXFN deals with when preparing for emergencies and stewarding your ancestral lands. I could tell that it meant a lot to the audience, especially other First Nations and Metis People, to hear from an SXFN community member about your experiences with wildfire and what you're doing to improve things for the future. I hope that our research and these presentations truly help SXFN steward your lands for all kinds of different SXFN values, including community safety from wildfire.

I will end this post by including a photo of Ashley and I presenting on Wednesday October 30. I was so nervous but having Ashley there really helped! I often reflect on how grateful I am that the SXFN Stewardship Department offered me the Stewardship Assistant job in 2018. It changed my life. I deeply appreciate my relatonship with SXFN and the time spent completing this research for the communities. I now live far away in Kaska Dena Territory (in the Yukon!), but part of my heart will always be in the dry grasslands and Douglas-fir forests that you call home. Thank you for giving me that gift.

If you want more information on our research, please know that a community report will be published soon. It is very important that the results get back to you as community members, as you are who we completed the research for! Also, please reach out to gjjpreston@gmail.com if you have questions or feedback. I would be happy to try to help!

(P.S. Shout out to Crystal Kalelest and Connie Serviss for the incredible art pieces that were included in our presentation. You will see more of this art in the community report!)