Elephant Hill

Worldwide, catastrophic wildfires and the ongoing climate crisis are catalyzing Indigenous peoples to re-assert jurisdiction to lands and waters by leading the recovery and restoration of their/our territories.

‘Mega-fires’ are increasingly burning landscapes that have been degraded by over a century of colonial state-driven forest (mis)management and a paradigm – and paradox – of fire suppression. Simultaneously, many settler-colonial governments are stating their commitments to ‘reconciliation’ and implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Together, these two trends point to the critical need to uphold Indigenous rights and stewardship systems through Indigenous-led transformation of forest and (wild)fire management.

These ecological and socio-political shifts provided the context for the 2017 ‘Elephant Hill’ wildfire in British Columbia (BC), Canada, which burned close to 200,000 hectares throughout Secwepemcúl ̓ ecw – the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc Nation. In the immediate wake of this fire, and the significant and interconnected social, cultural, economic and ecological impacts that are still ongoing, affected Secwépemc First Nations advocated for Secwépemc leadership in the recovery and regeneration of their territories in the months, years and decades to come.

Supported by a newly-elected provincial government with a mandate to advance reconciliation, and a provincial review that recommended “establish[ing] Indigenous Peoples as true partners and leaders in emergency management”, Secwépemc communities partnered with the provincial government to forge a new collaborative approach to land-based wildfire recovery. The Elephant Hill wildfire, and the joint recovery process that followed, is the focus of this report. We draw on in-depth interviews with Secwépemc elected leadership and staff from communities and the provincial government, as well as ongoing work and action research with the Secwepemcúlecw Restoration and Stewardship Society, to provide a detailed account of this example of contemporary Indigenous leadership in wildfire management and land-based recovery.

This study was framed by a number of broad questions:

• How did Secwépemc communities experience and respond to the 2017 wildfires in their territories?
• How was the ‘joint leadership’ approach to wildfire recovery established, negotiated and understood by those involved?
• What are the ‘lessons’ – the successes, strengths and challenges – from Elephant Hill, and how can these guide ongoing and future collaborations?
• What are the persistent barriers to achieving true partnerships and Indigenous leadership in (wild)fire management, and how can these be overcome?
• What are Secwépemc priorities for (wild)fire and emergency management, and for the restoration of fire-affected and fire-adapted Secwepemcúl ̓ecw?

To highlight these lessons and demonstrate the need for transformative change, the story of the Elephant Hill wildfire and the joint leadership approach to wildfire recovery is told in four Parts:

PART 1: THE ELEPHANT HILL WILDFIRE (CHAPTERS 1–4)

An overview of the record-breaking 2017 wildfire season in British Columbia; the experiences and responses of Secwépemc First Nations and government agencies; and the impacts of these wildfires on Secwépemc territories and communities.

PART 2: THE PROCESS FOR JOINT WILDFIRE RECOVERY (CHAPTERS 5–7)

Understanding the drivers for collaboration; the process of negotiating the scope and governance of joint wildfire recovery; and a summary of land-based recovery activities and outcomes on Elephant Hill.

PART 3: REFLECTIONS ON ‘SUCCESS’ AND LESSONS LEARNED (CHAPTERS 8–10)

Diverse views of ‘success’ and identification of key strengths, challenges and unresolved tensions to inform future collaborations.

PART 4: BEYOND ELEPHANT HILL (CHAPTERS 11–13)

Persistent barriers; Secwépemc priorities for advancing equal partnerships and First Nations leadership in (wild)fire management; and Secwépemc visions for recovery, restoration and stewardship throughout Secwepemcúlecw.