How brutal wildfires are ’killing’ Indigenous ways of life (Pt 1)

2026-08-10

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In 2021, a deadly heat dome produced a devastating wildfire season across British Columbia. While immediate media coverage often focuses on evacuations and the numbers of homes destroyed, many First Nations say what these fires do to the land in their territories — and the cultural lives of their communities — is often overlooked. "These fires are killing our way of life," says a Tmicw coordinator for the St'át'imc Chiefs Council. IDEAS visited St'át'imc territory around Lillooet, B.C. to learn how 21st-century wildfires are reshaping the landscape — and their consequences for plants, animals, and hum...

In 2021, a deadly heat dome produced a devastating wildfire season across British Columbia. While immediate media coverage often focuses on evacuations and the numbers of homes destroyed, many First Nations say what these fires do to the land in their territories — and the cultural lives of their communities — is often overlooked. "These fires are killing our way of life," says a Tmicw coordinator for the St'át'imc Chiefs Council. IDEAS visited St'át'imc territory around Lillooet, B.C. to learn how 21st-century wildfires are reshaping the landscape — and their consequences for plants, animals, and humans alike.

*This podcast is part of our ongoing series, Healing the Land. Listen to other episodes:

How Indigenous ecology is reviving land destroyed by wildfires (Pt 2)

What emerges from the ashes after a wildfire? (Pt 3)

Guests in this series:

Chief Justin Kane is the elected Chief of Ts'kw'aylaxw First Nation.

Michelle Edwards is a Tmicw coordinator for the St'át'imc Chiefs Council and the former Chief of the communities of Sekw'el'was and Qu'iqten.

Sam Copeland is a senior land guardian for the P'egp'ig'lha Council.

Luther Brigman is an assistant land guardian for the P'egp'ig'lha Council.

Travis Peters is a heritage supervisor and interim lands manager for Xwísten First Nation.

Gerald Michel is a council member and the Lands Resource Liaison for Xwísten First Nation.

Denise Antoine is a natural resource specialist for the P'egp'ig'lha Council.

Dr. Jennifer Grenz is an assistant professor in the department of forest resources management at the University of British Columbia. She leads the Indigenous Ecology Lab at UBC, which works entirely in service to Indigenous communities on land-healing and food systems revitalization projects that bring together western and Indigenous knowledge systems and centres culture and resiliency.

Virginia Oeggerli is a graduate student in the Indigenous Ecology Lab in the faculty of forestry at UBC.

Dr. Sue Senger is a biologist working with the Lillooet Tribal Council.

Jackie Rasmussen is executive director of the Lillooet Regional Invasive Species Society.

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