The ongoing wildfire season has continued to force hundreds from their homes, with many still calling hotels in cities like Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert a safe haven for now.
But with areas like Beauval and Île-à-la-Crosse under escalating threat, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan has made the call to issue a state of emergency for several northern communities.
“Traditional territories are being impacted greatly, from harvesting and sustenance use and traditional medicines and so on,” said Métis Nation-Saskatchewan Self-Government and Self-Determination Minister Brennan Merasty.
“It is our constitution in Section 35 rights that are being tackled and we need to address these immediately.”
Merasty said the goal of the declaration is to trigger conversations with the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) and the provincial government. He added traditional land use needs to be considered of value to decision makers when developing policy, and hopes the Métis Nation can be a part of the discussion.
“How does the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan get to come in to be in this space to contribute and provide other solutions based off our traditional land users, traditional knowledge and, of course, our community relationships?” Merasty said.
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The opposition NDP continues to be critical of the province’s response to these wildfires. Some communities have had to plan to head as far south as Swift Current or even out of the province, an issue pressed by Athabasca MLA Leroy Laliberte.
“If there was a plan in place and if this government would have supported the local initiatives that were being brought forward, I don’t think we would’ve been in scramble mode,” said Laliberte.
In a statement, the provincial government said, “Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC), like the SPSA, attempts to locate evacuees to the nearest communities where accommodations such as hotels are available. Unfortunately, hotels rooms may be sold-out in these communities, requiring evacuees to be located to other communities further away. Notably, Saskatchewan has accommodated evacuees from its neighbouring provinces in the past, including Manitoba this wildfire season.
“We understand the challenges faced by evacuees and organizations like MLTC facilitating these evacuation efforts and commend them for their ongoing work.
“The continuing hyper-politicization of these devastating wildfires by the NDP is disappointing, but not surprising.”
For Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, the stress of uncertainty is making these matters urgent, and that by declaring a state of emergency, talks can be pushed forward.
“We hope to trigger the conversation with the province and see how we can work at this collaboratively and bring our knowledge and expertise to the table and make these actions a reality,” Merasty said.
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