A Liberal government “intersectional analysis” argued that wildfires have a greater effect on Muslims and Indigenous people because of Canada’s role in perpetuating environmental racism and colonialism.
The Public Health Agency of Canada wants to review the way wildfire evacuations are conducted because they supposedly disproportionately impact minorities. Part of this impact is that evacuating people from First Nations communities traumatizes Indigenous people due to “colonialism” and the history of residential schools.
A “rapid review” released by the agency in July included an “intersectional analysis” arguing that wildfires disproportionally impacted First Nations groups, minorities, women and non-binary people.
Much of the report was dedicated to explaining how those with “Indigenous identity” suffered more from wildfires than others.
“Indigenous communities disproportionately experience both adverse mental health and physical health outcomes due to wildfires,” wrote PHAC.
“The impact of wildfires on Indigenous Peoples is influenced by colonialism and has forced many Indigenous Peoples to live in isolation or in communities that are isolated from the rest of society.”
PHAC argued that because many Indigenous communities live remotely and in northern communities, evacuations can trigger past trauma linked to the residential schooling system and the Sixties Scoop. The Sixties Scoop was a period beginning in the 1960s until the 1980s when thousands of Indigenous children were placed by the government into foster and adopted care.
“Finally it was noted that the evacuation measures conducted in Indigenous communities served as traumatic reminders of being taken away to residential schools and/or the Sixties Scoop as some were forced onto buses and separated from family,” wrote PHAC.
True North reached out to PHAC for comment and clarification on the report but did not receive a reply.
The agency claimed that wildfires can cause “solastalgia” in Indigenous people which it defines as a “form of mental or existential distress caused by environmental change.” Additionally, current wildfire responses need to be changed to include “Indigenous knowledges” in response and recovery strategies.
According to the report, other identity groups are also impacted more by wildfires. Among those are women who are “disproportionately impacted by climate-related threats due to their long-standing social roles as caretakers, vulnerability to gender-based violence, and pre-existing mental health challenges.”
The report also claimed that Muslim evacuees are often faced with “a lack of privacy when needing to stay in group-lodging facilities, a lack of appropriate clothes and food, and additional considerations for spirituality and prayer” pointing to the 2016 Fort McMurray as an example.
In 2024, wildfires impacted over 500,000 hectares of land, leading to the destruction of Jasper, Alberta. In Jasper alone, wildfires caused an estimated $880 million in insured losses.
