Resilience and Renewal: The Tŝideldel First Nation’s Journey Through Wildfire Devastation
Traditionally known as Tŝideldel, Redstone is located 188 km west of Williams Lake, along Highway 20. On the way, along the Bella Coola Highway, the landscape is exceptionally striking.
The natural beauty and wildlife contrast with the density of burned trees amidst lands darkened by the constant wildfires that ravage the region.
On a recent trip there with members of our Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) this road takes us to meet Chief Otis, leader of the Tŝideldel community. This small town is surrounded by hills and lots of green space, with scattered houses concentrated on both sides of the highway.
Chief Otis Guichon Sr. vividly remembers the last wildfires in the region. “It was hard. Very hard. I have unpleasant memories of those times. The fires were spreading quickly, and many times, we decided to put the community on alert. We didn’t need to evacuate the area, but many times, we asked everyone to leave their things packed because, if necessary, we would have to leave here.”
Siwash
The community’s biggest concern was with a space considered extremely important to everyone in Tŝideldel: Gwetsilh (Siwash).
Siwash is a traditional fishing and hunting area where families come to camp, harvest salmon, hunt, and prepare their winter food supply. It has been a traditional food gathering area during the salmon spawning run since ancient and is an essential part of the Tŝideldel First Nation community and culture.
Edna Lulua is the Language & Culture Worker at the Tŝideldel Health Centre and one of the community’s most experienced leaders. She explains the importance of Siwash: “Families camp at this traditional fishing site or travel back and forth from Tŝideldel to harvest salmon. Both families living on and off reserve choose to camp here because it is more economical to camp and prepare salmon and meat on site.”
Chief Otis details the reality of the community’s experience with the destruction of Siwash: “Our community suffered a huge loss. The fire destroyed shelves full of salmon and meat. To make matters worse, community members were unable to continue gathering food for the winter because the fire destroyed camping equipment, dip nets, and dip net racks.”
With the countless losses, the entire community was affected, and, according to Chief Otis, it would take families years to build up the food reserves that the fires had destroyed.
Giving Hope
To help the community after the wildfires, the First Nations Emergency Services Society (FNESS) connected Tŝideldel with the provincial government, Indigenous Services Canada, and The Salvation Army. In the process of rebuilding Siwash, The Salvation Army played a crucial role in providing financial support, allowing for the revitalization of the area. This assistance was vital to the community’s recovery at a challenging time and allowed them to begin reconstructing the Siwash area.
This assistance was crucial for the community to begin recovering and revitalizing its traditional fishing and hunting grounds. It allowed families to resume their essential activities of harvesting and preparing food, thus strengthening the culture and livelihoods of the Tŝideldel community.
Ian Pollard, Divisional Emergency Disaster Service Director, details how this recovery process occurred. “FNESS identified a gap in the needs of Tŝideldel. They were suffering from fire damage in an area of extreme significance to the community. FNESS articulated support for the community and reached out to The Salvation Army and other NGOs. We were able to follow the entire process and see the real needs. The Salvation Army was able to provide financial support, which allowed the reconstruction of the Siwash area.”
Recently, the Tŝideldel First Nation initiated business ventures, emphasizing economic growth and sustainability. Efforts have been made to revive cultural practices promote self-sufficiency, ensuring economic progress while preserving their heritage and land connection.