Moving towards self-care and self-determination: improving the role and organization of tribal councils in remote First Nations wildfire evacuations

Abstract

During climate change, wildfires will increase in frequency and size, equating to an increase in wildfire evacuation frequency and duration. Keewaytinook Okimakinak Tribal Council (KO) struggled to identify a role and scope of practice during the 2021 wildfire evacuations of their communities due to the absence of a defined role of tribal councils during emergency evacuations. To identify the role of KO, and improve their response, there were three research questions: 1) What is the current role of self-care and self-determination in KO service? 2) what were the perspectives, experiences, and recommendations from KO service providers and community volunteers who played a role in the wildfire-driven evacuations of several KO communities in the summer of 2019 and 2021? 3) What recommended practical and systematic changes can be suggested that promote self-care and self-determination while considering SDH differences and is culturally appropriate? [...]