The Dene Nation has reiterated its call for a broad independent inquiry into the handling of last summerSA国际影视传媒檚 wildfires in the NWT.
Fourteen communities and close to 70 per cent of the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 population was forced to flee, SA国际影视传媒渟o it has to go beyond their parameters,SA国际影视传媒� Dene National Chief Gerald Antoine said of the potential for the GNWT to limit the scrutiny to a smaller-scale review.
SA国际影视传媒淭he original nation of families, particularly here, the Dene, operates in a parallel and disconnected fashion and struggles with capacity constraints,SA国际影视传媒� Antoine stated, emphasizing the need for a broader and more integrated approach during a webinar held Monday morning. SA国际影视传媒淭he lack of recognition of the role of band councils is dangerous and causes many problems in our communities.SA国际影视传媒�
He also shared his recent engagements at various levels, including meetings with ministers and leaders from the Inuit and M茅tis communities, where he emphasized the need for a coordinated effort.
SA国际影视传媒淲e need to have this coordinated effort with their families, and it needs to really happen at the ground level,SA国际影视传媒� the national chief said.
Ndilo Chief Fred Sangris of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, who also supports a public inquiry, lamented the lack of adequately trained firefighters and the tragic consequences that ensued, including the loss of one young manSA国际影视传媒檚 life while on duty. He called for a re-evaluation of firefighting strategies and a more inclusive approach to developing plans and protocols that incorporate traditional knowledge and address the root causes of climate change.
Elder Francois Paulette emphasized the urgent need for federal intervention to mitigate the effects of climate change and prevent a recurrence of the devastating wildfires experienced last year.
A staunch advocate for treaty and Indigenous rights, Paulette has been vocal on international platforms about human rights, spiritual healing from colonial oppression, and environmental protection. During the panel, he expressed his reluctance to revisit last yearSA国际影视传媒檚 traumatic experiences with the fires, choosing instead to focus on the broader issue of climate change.
SA国际影视传媒淔or some time now, climate change has been impacting our people and many more in many ways that we really know,SA国际影视传媒� he stated.
The inquiry proposed by NWT Indigenous leaders aims to hold the government accountable, with Paulette expressing disappointment at the response of certain officials to the crisis. He highlighted the evacuation of Yellowknife, the territorySA国际影视传媒檚 administrative centre, and the lack of a traditional knowledge policy or protocols within the territorial government.
Paulette urged leaders to travel to Ottawa with a well-defined plan to secure funding for climate change initiatives.
SA国际影视传媒淭he AFN are not the ones that are impacted by these fires. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 the people in the communities,SA国际影视传媒� he remarked, stressing the need for direct action and support for those affected.
Jesse Cardinal, the executive director of Keepers of the Water, has joined the chorus of voices demanding accountability from both the territorial and federal governments in the wake of the wildfires. She pointed to the current policies and legislation that permit large-scale water withdrawals by industries as a contributing factor to the climate crisis.
SA国际影视传媒淲e are in a drought right now,SA国际影视传媒� said Cardinal. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e in a drought in Alberta. Northwest Territories is seeing in drought, and so this is a critical time because whatSA国际影视传媒檚 happening is these companies in agriculture are still being allowed to withdraw massive amounts of water, the water levels are at least half of what they normally are. In some places, they even less than that.SA国际影视传媒�
